Complaint Review: Rusty Wallace Racing Experience

I bought my husband a Rusty Wallace Racing Experience Groupon for $200.  This was for 8 laps of driving a real race car on a Nascar track in Fontana, CA.  We drove 2 hours to get there and spent the night in a hotel $150, went out to a nice dinner $100, breakfast the next morning $20.  We got there and turned in the Groupon and paid an addition $60 for insurance in case he wrecked the car.  He opted out of all the extras, "upgrage", video, etc.... as we had already spent a small forturne, but what the heck, driving a race car on a Nascar track was on my husband's bucket list.

While we had heard horror stories about late start times and cancellations, they did start right on time in the classroom.  After the classroom he was suited up and given a nasty dirty, smelly helmet.  They did some great photos of him to try to sell him later on and sent him on his way.  Once inside and once he started driving my husband realized the face shield on the helmet was so scratched he could barely see out of it and the windshield of the vehicle was also so scratched he could barely see the road.  So, spotting the orange cones the instructors had advised the drivers about was impossible.

He did the best he could given the circumstances but to compound the situation, the spotter who speaks to you via radio and a headset was yelling so lound his words were garbled so he was of absolutely no use.  At the end I could see nothing but disappointment.  We opted not to purchase the picture plaque for an additional $59 as we had already wasted over $500!!

We went to our car where my husband called the number given to him in an email so he could complain.  The woman who answered said she did not know why they had given out her number since she was in Ohio and there was nothing she could do for anyone about anything.  She provided another number and he explained his disappointment to someone who advised the only thing they could do was have a manager call him on Monday.

Nobody called on Monday so my husband called back and left a voice mail for a manager on Tuesday.  Of course nobody called.  Finally, my husband spoke to a manager on Friday who listened but said they would not give a refund or even a partial refund, he only offered a coupon.  Coupon??  That's what got us into this mess.  My husband politely let him know we would be posting on social media, the BBB etc.....  Please do not waste any money on this racing experience.