Customers concerned 'Mimosa Crawl' in Bismarck might be a scam

You might have seen the Facebook ads for "Taco & Margarita Crawl" or "Mimosa Crawl" in the Bismarck area. However, some people are becoming skeptical and others are concerned its a scam.

Bars are a favorite Saturday spot for some in the capital city.

"We come here every Saturday" said customer, Gabriella Arellano.

However, something salty is going on nationwide. A company called Bar Crawls Unlimited puts up Facebook ads, like the ones in Bismarck, advertising trivia, game nights and prize packs for buying tickets. Complaints say the company doesn't post any information on bars and often cancels events without notifying ticket holders.

"They blame all the bars and then it reflects poorly on us because then people get mad at us even though the bars don't do anything wrong," said Thomas and Moriarty's co-owner, Stacy Sturm.

That's leaving an uneasy feeling for some.

"I mean if people are trying to take advantage and sending out ads that aren't really real I don't think that's a good thing, it's kind of scary," said Arellano.

At Blarney Stone Pub in Bismarck, they posted an alert on social media about an upcoming event, that event has since been removed by Bar Crawls Unlimited.

"It makes you really skeptical on what you should be looking at on Facebook versus any of our Downtowners' Association events," Blarney Stone Pub manager, Cora Bender.

Bismarck Police Departments said they haven't heard of any reports of people being scammed. The latest Bar Crawls Unlimited is set for Saturday May 16th, 2020. Bismarck is spelled wrong on the event ticket.

"These are events that affect the community that benefits the community. So it is unfortunate that some other company would come in, give you false information and then what. The money just goes to them," said Unbranded Element co-owner, Tina Wetzel.

According to the Better Business Bureau, Bar Crawls Unlimited also goes by the name "Desert Sky Event Planning" from Arizona and received a F rating.

Your News Leader reached out to Desert Sky Event Planning, we have not heard back from them at this time. Bar owners recommend checking who the event organizers are before sharing and buying tickets.