A New York woman isn't starting her first Essence Festival experience off on the right foot.

According to an investigative report by WDSU, Cinneah Elamin is just one of the numerous people who arrived in New Orleans for Essence weekend to find out they have no hotel rooms or tickets to the festivities.

Elamin says that her group of friends paid $5,000 to OBL Travel but was told by her hotel that there was no record of their reservation with the travel company.

WDSU states this scenario has been a problem all week long.

In total, the Better Business Bureau said they have had 14 complaints with the company. Many of those complaints are from large groups.

Elamin says she feels helpless now that her group has made the trip down to New Orleans and could possibly end up missing out on all of the action.

We are not from New Orleans. We are from the New York, D.C., Maryland area so to get down here and find that we have absolutely nothing is really a shock. At the moment we have nothing. If we find out that we actually do not have concert tickets, then we likely will not be able to attend the show now that the tickets are well over $500.

Elamin even provided documentation showing the payments made for the trip. Nakesia Washington with OBL Travel spoke with WDSU after they reached out to ask about the issue, but claimed she didn't know who Elamin was.

I have been dropping tickets off since yesterday and today so I do not know who she is. Everybody that reached out to me today I have communicated with them via email.

When WDSU asked Washington if she would refund the money, she didn't have a response.

 

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