After 'influx of complaints,' AG has contacted Dover hotel over Mondegreen cancellations

After receiving "influx of complaints," the Delaware Attorney General's Office has contacted the Dover hotel that canceled room reservations during the Mondegreen music festival and offered shifting reasons for the cancellations.

“In light of the influx of complaints we have received, we want to assure the public that we are aware of the situation. Upon becoming aware of this matter last week, we promptly contacted the hotel and requested information about the cancellations," Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings said in a statement to Delaware Online/The News Journal about the Wyndham Garden hotel.

She continued, "We continue to obtain additional information and complaints and are working to follow up appropriately. If there are additional consumers affected by this situation, I would encourage them to file a complaint at attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/fraud/cmu/complaint .”

Caroline Harrison, a Delaware Department of Justice spokesperson, said the department does not comment on, confirm or deny any investigations.

"We are just confirming that we have received complaints, that people are coming to the right place and that we are working to respond appropriately," Harrison said.

Excuses fly after reservations canceled

Phish fans booked rooms at the Wyndham Garden (561 N. Dupont Highway) last year at regular rates after hearing rumors the festival was coming to Dover. But on Sunday, Aug. 11, just days before the Thursday, Aug. 15, start of the rock band's festival, they had their reservations canceled by the hotel.

Customers were given various reasons ranging from claims that the customers themselves had canceled the reservations and payment problems to overbooking and a now-retracted claim that a contract with Dover Air Force Base obligated them to give rooms to the U.S. military at their request .

"We regularly house troops and contract workers that are coming from the base," said the hotel's guest services manager, who would identify himself only as Patrick J., told Delaware Online/The News Journal at the time. "They contacted us, and apparently they bought up about half the property for the weekend. It's an obligation from what I understand."

When contacted by the newspaper, Dover Air Force Base officials denied any request was made and said no military personnel were staying at the hotel that weekend.

The hotel general manager John, who did not give his last name, released a statement in response, which read, "Please note that previous reports attributing the cancellations due to a military contract are highly inaccurate and false."

He would not explain why the reason was initially given and then provided a new reason for the cancellations ― "room maintenance issues."

He also denied accusations from angry customers that the reservations were canceled so the hotel could rebook them at an inflated price due to the demand from the festival, which was expected to bring as many as 45,000 music fans to town.

DAFB DENIES This hotel blamed Dover Air Force Base for Mondegreen room cancellations. It wasn't true

HOW IT ALL STARTED A year after making reservations, Dover hotel cancels on Phish fans days before Mondegreen

"At no time were cancellations done in an effort to resell those rooms to any festival-goers for a higher cost as this did not happen," he wrote. He also did not explain the various reasons first given for the cancellations.

Fans complain to Attorney General's Office

Upset Phish fans, who were given only three days to find new lodging after having booked their rooms last summer and fall, began submitting official complaints to the Delaware Attorney General's Fraud & Consumer Protection Division.

One fan, Carrie Alperovich of Marlboro, New Jersey, said she received a call back from a representative of the Attorney General's Office on Monday, Aug. 19 – the same day she filed her complaint.

A representative of the office told her, "We watch for a pattern of complaints to develop. If it sparks a consumer fraud investigation, it would be assigned to our consumer protection unit."

When Alperovich's reservation was first canceled, a note about the hotel's military obligation excuse was included on her online reservation.

"Early check in CANCELLATION due to Property Buy out & Military Housing Obligations - per MGMT 8/10/24," it read.

After receiving their apology over the weekend, she logged in and saw it had been removed. Instead, the message simply read, "early check in CANCELLATION."

"It's just really slimy," Alperovich said at the time.

She had taken a screenshot of the initial message before it was changed and included it in her complaint with the Delaware Department of Justice.

Have a story idea? Contact Ryan Cormier of Delaware Online/The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook ( @ryancormier ) and X ( @ryancormier ).

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: After 'influx of complaints,' AG has contacted Dover hotel over Mondegreen cancellations