Inside the Bridgerton Ball "Scam" Folks Are Calling the New Willy Wonka Experience

Ah, the world of Bridgerton. At least once, you've wondered what it would be like to step back in time to experience the extravagant social season of the Ton, donning your best Regency-era garb and mingling with fellow upper-crusts in a bougie, British setting.

For those interested, Netflix periodically hosts an official themed event known as the Queen's Ball, which travels to different cities around the U.S. to give viewers the full Bridgerton experience.

However, an independent "Bridgerton Ball" event that took place in Detroit, Mich. on Sept. 22 turned out to be ... less than lavish. One X (formerly Twitter) user took to the platform to expose the "scam," and folks are now comparing it to the virally disappointing Willy Wonka Experience. Let's take a look.

A Bridgerton ball hosted by independent, family-run event management company Uncle & Me, LLC on Sept. 22 turned out to be a "disaster," according to displeased event-goers who are demanding their money back. According to the company's website, the event was marketed as "an evening of sophistication, grace, and historical charm." However, it turned out to be a lackluster nightmare.

The event was thrust into the spotlight by X user @rayleearts, who bought a $300 ticket for the event but ended up being unable to attend — and she's actually happy about it. She created a thread on the platform to share photos from inside the event, exposing what she believes to have been a major scam.

"[Uncle & Me, LLC is] disorganized, dishonest, and will take your money guilt-free," she said. "The event was originally planned for August. It was canceled and rescheduled for Sept. 22, and I ended up getting sick and couldn’t go. They did not provide refunds, nor did they respond to anyone’s email asking for one. At that point, I knew I got scammed."

In the thread, she shared an email sent to guests by the event management company explaining that their original venue had backed out of the agreement, being unable to accommodate the size of the event. Because of this cancelation, they were supposedly forced to reschedule the event and find a new venue.

However, one TikTok user claimed that this was a lie, and the original booking was actually canceled because the company refused to make their payments: "They originally tried having it at my job and we had to cancel it because they wouldn't pay the remaining money to rent the venue."

Additionally, guests were promised live music, delicious food, dancing, exciting entertainment, and according to furious event-goers, it was all a sham.

"Well into the event, there was nothing to do. People were bored and just sat on their phones," @rayleearts said. "The 'live music' advertised was [one] poor, lone violin player."

She proceeded to show off the event's "Dollar General-level" decor and photo backdrops, as well as the buffet-style food (served on paper plates) that reportedly ran out after just an hour: "Some was raw. No one was there to pick up plates, so you had to deal with strangers’ leftovers yourself."

And to top it all off, Dearest Gentle Reader, the company also promised a cash prize for best-dressed, as well as a Diamond of the Season chosen from the audience, both of which reportedly never happened.

"Really hope this ends in a lawsuit, because I want my $300 back," @rayleearts said.

Uncle & Me, LLC has yet to publicly comment on the event and its supposed failure, but something tells us they've got their hands full with folks demanding refunds.