TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (Legal Newsline) - Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller announced a lawsuit on Friday against a Terre Haute-based event company that allegedly took advance payments from more than 1,400 people for running events that never occurred.
Rapid Running Event Management LLC and Dave Mason, the company's owner, allegedly registered participants for at least five races before canceling and running off with more than $95,400 in upfront payments. In 2011 and 2012, the company allegedly reported it was hosting adult and child running events in South Carolina, New York, Georgia and Wisconsin.
Rapid Running allegedly cancelled the events and either failed to reschedule the races or failed to provide refunds it promised the runners in its race policy.
"This company misled consumers by not following through on its commitments to reschedule the races or refund customers their registration fees as promised," Zoeller said. "My office will use all available resources to determine where the consumers' money went and seek restitution for those harmed."
In one alleged instance, more than 940 people registered and paid $64,055 to participate in an event on June 30, 2012 in Orchard Park, N.Y. After Rapid Running was denied a permit application, it allegedly sent an email to participants just nine days before the race to postpone the event. Rapid Running allegedly failed to reset the event date or provide refunds.
Zoeller's lawsuit alleges Rapid Running and Mason violated the Deceptive Consumer Sales Act. The suit seeks civil penalties, consumer restitution, attorney costs and an injunction against Rapid Running.
Ind. AG sues Rapid Running Event Management
