Soccer Stadium Developer Took Tens of Thousands in Ticket Deposits - Refuses to Offer Refund Policy

Soccer Stadium Developer Took Tens of Thousands in Ticket Deposits - Refuses to Offer Refund Policy

Failing soccer stadium developer Brett Johnson and Fortuitous Partners are refusing to post a refund policy for the thousands who placed season-ticket deposits.

In November of 2022, Brett Johnson and his team at Fortuitous Partners began their marketing campaign to presell season tickets for their proposed stadium in Rhode Island. 

“Rhode Island FC will compete in USL Championship beginning in the 2024 season. The club will host its matches in a state-of-the-art soccer stadium currently under construction along the Pawtucket waterfront. Season ticket deposits for the inaugural Rhode Island FC season go on sale tomorrow at 10:00 a.m,” announced the team in November.

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In promotion after promotion, the team hyped its stadium.

“Rhode Island FC, the state’s new professional USL Championship club, sold more than 1,000 season ticket deposits in the first hour that deposits were on sale,” they wrote in another press release.

President Brett Luy weeks later wrote, “Collecting 2,500 deposits - representing a full quarter of our stadium - in one week should send a signal to every club in USL that Rhode Island is going to be one of the toughest places to visit when we take the pitch in 2024.”

There were more and more promotions - and deposits.

While the ownership team was hustling ticket sales, they were struggling to raise money to finance the stadium. Johnson was millions and millions short, but continued to hawk the season tickets.

The promise of a “state-of-the-art” soccer stadium is now turning into an abandoned construction site. A GoLocal video captured construction material being loaded onto flatbed trailers for removal from the site.

Now, there is no stadium in the near future, and its construction is in question. Fortuitous claims it will field a team in 2024 and will play at Bryant University.

 

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No Refund Policy

Johnson and Fortuitous have refused to post a ticket deposit return policy. 

The spokesperson for Fortuitous Michael Raia, wrote in an email to GoLocal last week, “We don’t have a blanket policy. If people have questions, they should reach out,”

On the company’s website, there is no admission that the stadium's future has been delayed.

The website provides only a Question and Answer related to ticket refunds:

Q. What if I move away or have a financial hardship? Will I receive a refund?

A. We know that life happens and plans change. A Club Representative will review refund requests on a case-by-case basis.

The team continues to take in ticket deposits.