Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Carowinds's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Carowinds

  14523 Carowinds Blvd Charlotte, NC 28273-6756

• 

  Carowinds

  PO Box 410289 Charlotte, NC 28241-0289

• 

  Carowinds

  300 Carowinds Blvd Charlotte, NC 28273

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/27/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My husband and I drove from **************, ** Scarowinds on 17Sept22 and spent over $300 on parking, 2 tickets, and 2 Fast and Fright Lane passes. The level of security at this event was completely unacceptable. Carowinds did not have adequate staff or security personnel to provide for the safety of the guests. I was hit on my right arm and shoved out of the way by another female while exiting the Slaughterhouse maze. This incident was even witnessed by an employee who did absolutely nothing! This occurred between 10 and 10:15pm and will definitely be on security footage. The employee saw what happened, then turned and went back inside, without ever addressing the issue. Also, many of the Fright Lanes signs lights weren't working, so we had to find staff members on two occasions to point out the entrances, and these staff members were trying to work other attractions. And these fright lines were often the exit lines for the mazes, which is completely unsafe!!! We were trying to walk to the attraction while other people were often running out. And since these lines weren't clearly marked as fright lanes, since the red bulbs in the signs weren't on (see picture as proof), people in the regular line often thought we were just trying to walk to the front and cut in line. One guy, in the regular line at the Slaughterhouse maze, yelled out that we were" going to get "punched in the jaw" if we thought we were going to pass everyone...in this fast pass line that we paid for. It was a terrible, unsafe situation. We felt threatened on multiple occasions. In fact, we left even BEFORE the park was closed early due to unruly behavior and reports of a gun. We want a full and immediate refund. On their website they claim to be committed to "Protecting the Fun by providing a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable experience for all guests" which is definitely NOT what we experienced.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/02/2022

  Good Afternoon, 
   
  Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us here at Carowinds! 
   
  We appreciate you providing us with your feedback. Please rest assured that the safety of our guests and associates has always been Carowinds top priority. Please be advised that the unruly behavior and altercations such as those that took place on Saturday, September 17, have no place at our park. We have zero tolerance for this kind of behavior. Over the years, Carowinds has taken several steps to ensure the safety of our guests and associates. These actions include increasing security, enhancing video surveillance, and providing guests with the ability to report unruly or inappropriate behavior to park security via text. 
   
  We are implementing additional security protocols, including a new chaperone policy, to help ensure that Carowinds remains what it has been for nearly 50 years a place where generations of families and friends can gather for a day of safe fun.  
   
  In an act of good faith, we will begin processing your refund. Please allow up to 14 business days .

   

  Bria

  Location Manger, Guest Experience Team

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/26/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I wrote this email to Carowinds ***** Services after the news reported a scary situation at Carowinds. I no longer trust this organization to take appropriate measures to address these types of issues and to keep me and my family safe. Their email response was simply a new rule to have Chaperones be made to come. I AM NOT allowing my son to go and I do not and will not wish to Subject myself and my family to this place either. My email:I purchased a season pass for my sons 17th Birthday intending him to go for his Birthday and to be able to attend during scarrowinds. In light of the recent events mentioned in this article, Im no longer comfortable with him attending Carowinds and Scarrowinds. https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/unruly-behavior-carowinds-*********-**-crime-local/275-922b00d9-ea24-493d-bab0-c183df3cc4af My son has only used the season pass the 1 time (in April for his birthday) and we had intended on coming with him to Scarrowinds in the coming weeks as a family to include our younger son but no longer feel safe given the lack of security and law enforcement available to address these types of threats. Im formally requesting a refund over the amount of a single day ticket as we do not plan to return nor will I allow my son to return. If I do not hear a response within 10 days Ill submit a formal request from my attorney to your corporate office. Respectfully, H******* **********Their response was to refuse my request for refund and tell me their new Chaperone rules, which are completely insufficient and are simply a way to bring in MORE revenue without THEM spending any money to address the issues with better security. My son attended Carowinds ONE TIME on this season pass & we do not wish him or us to attend given they simply do not care enough to address the issues. We are seeking a REFUND of the Season pass, Less the cost of 1 ticket, for the 1 time he attended in April ****** see article in my email to them

  Business Response

  Date: 10/02/2022

  Good Afternoon,

   

  Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us here at Carowinds!

   

  I'm sad to hear of the frustration you've experienced with trying to get this issue resolved. With a Season Pass, your son has access to the park for the entirety of the 2022 season, including Great Pumpkin Fest and WinterFest as well as other benefits such as discounted Bring-A-Friend admission and eligibility to receive PassPerks. I'm sad to hear that you all did not decide to participate in our incredible offerings over the summer, such as Grand Carnivale and the opening of our new ************ Racers in ***************. I assure you that the implementation of our chaperone policy was not done in the interest of requiring more tickets to be purchased for our SCarowinds event; Safety is our number one priority here at Carowinds and we have introduced the chaperone requirement in addition to increased security measures to ensure that we can continue to provide the safe, fun-oriented environment that we have for fifty years. 

   

  I do understand your hesitation and though I wish that we could reassure you and provide you and your family with a better experience here at the park, I will accommodate your request for refund processing. Please be aware that this refund will be for the difference between the amount paid toward your son's Season Pass and the single day admission rate of $79.60, which brings your refund total to $51.04. We will attempt to issue funds back to the original payment method, but if we are unable to do so, a check will be issued to the billing address provided at purchase. If there is a better address for you to receive this refund, please let us know. 

   

  I'm sad to hear that your family will not be continuing the season with us, but hope that we will have you back at the park in the future. 

  Bria 

  Location Manager, Guest Experience Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/03/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and is what I was asking for.  We hope to return in the future if they make more impactful improvements to security measures to ensure our safety.  No amount of thrills or experiences are going to take the place of a safe experience and the peace of mind that we're well protected while at the parks.

  I'm unsure of the delivery address they have on file,  or the payment method.  We did move down the road since purchasing the ticket and my Debit card was also replaced, thus I'll need to ensure they have the proper information, though I'm unsure how to provide this information. If they'll reach out to me via email I'll provide that information. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/23/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My daughter, who is three month away from being 18, bought Carowinds "Scarowinds" tickets on 9/19/22. She bought two tickets one for her and one for a friends that is over the age of 18. On 9/22/22 she went back to the site and seen the terms were changed and she needed a chaperone. She attempted to call to see if she could still come because she bought the tickets earlier or if she could get her refund. She was flat out told no, I also called morning of 9/23/22, as the adult thinking I could explain this, they would see the issue. No one at all would give us any other information but that they were allowed to change the policy after she bought the ticket. My daughter would gladly go but the company itself is making it physically impossible for her to go. We asked for a refund, and was told very rudely that there will never be a refund for any reason.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/25/2022

  Good Afternoon,

   

  Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us here at Carowinds!

   

  I apologize for the difficulty that you and your daughter have experienced with trying to get this resolved. It was announced on September 20th, that our park would be implementing a Chaperone Policy for our SCarowinds event moving forward. The safety of our guests and associates has always been Carowinds top priority. We are implementing additional security protocols, including the new Chaperone Policy, to help ensure that Carowinds remains what it has been for 50 years - a place where generations of families and friends can gather for safe fun! 

   

  I understand that the implementation of this policy impacts your daughter's ability to visit our SCarowinds event. I would be happy to replace your daughter's tickets with admission tickets for our daytime Halloween event, available on Saturdays and Sundays until the end of October. If your daughter is only wanting to visit SCarowinds, I can instead assist with a discounted ticket price for someone 21-years-old or older to accompany your daughter and her friend as a chaperone. Please let me know how you wish to proceed and we look forward to having you all here at the park soon!

   

  *******************

  Location Manager, Guest Experience Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/26/2022

   
  Complaint: 18119556
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  My daughter was able to find someone to chaperone her inside the park. I still strongly believe that this was a very wrong move to make on the companies part. I understand the rule going into effect however, anyone that bought the tickets dates before the chaperoned policy went into effect should be offered a refund if they were not available to make it into the park. I really feel like you probably swindled a lot of people I may even be contacting an attorney just to look into other people that could probably put in a class action lawsuit. Honestly if there is no real help to offer customers then this is what customers should do. I never again will be a customer of ********************** or any other park that is owned by the same company such as ************, Cedar Point, etc. this obviously proves that the company  doesnt care anything about customer service. 
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/22/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a Gold Season pass and attended a night at scarowinds on Sep 17th. The night panic broke out and the park was evacuated. Following that incident, Carowinds released a new Chaperone Policy. With myself being a minor, the $200+ pass I purchased is now useless. I'm aware of their purchase policy (no refunds) and am also aware this Chaperone policy was NOT IN PLACE AT MY TIME OF PURCHASE. Ive tried contacting their customer Service countless times. Along with hours spent online trying to figure out what I can do, to no avail. All I want is my hard-earned money back or some sort of compensation for this complete BS. If I could've known they'd have a Chaperone policy in place that completely nullifies the purpose of minors working for and purchasing their own passes to then attend themselves, I WOULDN'T HAVE BOUGHT IT. There isnt a reason their "no refund" s*** should be valid for my purchase THEN as their policy (with influence on if your going to buy it or not) is different NOW. If I was purchasing a pass NOW, I SIMPLY WOULDN'T. IF MINORS CANT USE A PASS DONT LET THEM PURCHASE IT.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/22/2022

  Good afternoon ****,

  Thank you for expressing your concern. The chaperone policy is put in place to help ensure the safety of all guests during Scarowinds. A chaperone would also need to purchase a valid entry into the park for Scarowinds. However, the chaperone policy is only in effect for Scarowinds. Currently the chaperone policy is not in effect for our daytime fall event, Great Pumpkin Fest, which runs from 10am-5pm Saturdays and Sundays, Winterfest. Hope this information helps!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/22/2022

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Sept 17,2022. A lot of the amenities were not open. I also purchased pictures for every ride but all stations were closed! Then we'll got news that the park was closing early due to endangerment! And I spent nearly $400 for 5 hours of fun that did not happen.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/25/2022

  Good Afternoon, 
  
  Thank you for taking the time to contact us at Carowinds!

  We appreciate you providing us with your feedback. Please rest assured that the safety of our guests and associates has always been Carowinds top priority. Please be advised that the unruly behavior and altercations such as those that took place on Saturday, September 17, have no place at our park. We have zero tolerance for this kind of behavior. Over the years, Carowinds has taken several steps to ensure the safety of our guests and associates. These actions include increasing security, enhancing video surveillance, and providing guests with the ability to report unruly or inappropriate behavior to park security via text. 
   
  We are implementing additional security protocols, including a new chaperone policy, to help ensure that Carowinds remains what it has been for nearly 50 years a place where generations of families and friends can gather for a day of safe fun.  
   
  We would love to provide you with new SCarowinds tickets so that you may fully enjoy the experience during our 2022 season! Please let me know how you wish to proceed.

   

  *******************

  Location Manager, Guest Experience Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/26/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  If possible, we, as a family, would rather attend Carowinds in place of scrarowinds. Unfortunately, it affected us each differently and they do not want to return at night. If this is possible please let me know. 
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/19/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  During our trip to ********** we spent money at only 3 vendors all of which were for food. All purchases were under 40 dollars. After checking my bank account there were nearly 20 charges pending for the same amount. I have called to dispute it with my bank. They informed me that I cannot do anything until the charges are posted to my account and I have no way to contact customer service at **********. What should have only been 100 dollars taken from my account turned into a charge over ******************************************************************************** if it will be resolved. However, it does not seem to be safe to use a debit card at this establishment. I fully expect the charges to be credited back to my account within a reasonable amount of time due to the fact that I have no money left to make ends meet.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/25/2022

  Good Afternoon,

   

  Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us here at Carowinds!

   

  I apologize for the issues that occurred when making purchases here at our park. Due to a problem with transaction processing latency on the platform, some customers may see multiple authorization attempts for a single transaction. The processing company used at Carowinds, FreedomPay, is aware of these transactions and as a precaution held transaction batching for Sunday September 18th, 2022, until their team completed all duplicate transaction tickets. Guests with multiple pending authorizations on their accounts should see them fall off after batches have settled based on the issuing institutions pending charge policy. If you have not experienced this, please let us know so that we may further investigate this with our finance team.

   

  We hope to have you back at the park soon!

  *******************

  Location Manager, Guest Experience Team

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/12/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Tickets were purchased online for September 10, 2022, the invoice it attached. Carowinds incentivizes people to order tickets online to save money and states no refunds, which I get if you attend the park and something happens. Carowinds closed their park starting at noon on September 10, 2022, this was announced at 10am the same day. We drove 3 hours to visit the park on the 10th just to arrive to a closed park and when we tried to reach out to customer service ****** informed us that no refunds can be issued, we couldnt talk to anyone else. But tickets would be extended through October 1. This is the only weekend that these plans could have worked and will not be able to return. This is an egregious situation where I feel like $250 has been stolen from me with no remorse from the business.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/13/2022

  Good Morning,

   

  Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us here at Carowinds!

   

  I'm sad to hear that your recent visit to the park did not go as planned. Due to inclement weather, our park did close at noon on September 10th, 2022. As an accommodation, all tickets purchased for or used on this date have been extended for use on another visit for Carowinds only until October 1st, 2022. I understand that this is disappointing considering how far you drove to visit the park. If you are unable to use the ticket extension, I am able to issue a refund to your original method of purchase for order #********. You will receive an email confirmation to the email address on file when processing has begun. Processing can take up to three to five business days depending on banking institution. 

   

  We hope that you'll be able to join us again in the future!

  *******************

  Location Manager, Guest Experience Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/13/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/29/2022

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Id never experienced such bad customer service until speaking with ***** from Carowinds customer service. My family all had gold passes except for one person. We bought them a one-day ticket while they were visiting CLT. Half of the rides were closed before we even got to the park. Every ride we stood in line for shutdown for maintenance minutes before we were supposed to get on. It was a waste of a day that ended in a rainstorm that shut down the park. We called their customer service line to ask for a refund or a pass for a different day. ***** told us that we could not get compensation and that Carowinds was not responsible for their rides needing maintenance. When asking to speak to a manager, ***** blatantly told us we could not talk to a manager and that he was hanging up on us now. After calling back, ***** answered again, only to hang up on us again. If this is how they respond to customers, I cant imagine myself renewing my pass or ever going there again.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/01/2022

  Good Afternoon,

   

  Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us here at Carowinds!

   

  I apologize for the experience that you had both at our park and following your visit. I'm happy to address the issues that you had with our representative, *****. In addition, I can provide you with a new ticket for a future visit to our park during the remainder of our 2022 season, so that you all can have a better experience! This new ticket will be emailed to you on order #********. If you do not receive your ticket, it can be reprinted at the park using the order number that I have provided. 

   

  We look forward to having you back at the park soon!

  *******************

  Location Manager, Guest Experience Team

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/04/2022

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I visited the park on 8/2/22. Our last stop on the way out was the wave pool. Shoes had to be left at the side as they were not allowed into the pool area. I swam with my children for about 15 minutes and when I return my shoes were gone. I reported this to multiple staff members who attempted to direct me to the lost and found; however, I stated I could not get there because I had no shoes and the pavement was scalding as it was a ******************************************************************************************************************************* willing to help me by making phone calls so that I could stay put or offering some such service as a golf cart. I did not have a wallet on me or I would have at least purchased shoes in the park but I feel as if those could have been offered as a replacement. I did file a lost and found report once I got across the scalding pavement on my bare feet. I contacted Carowinds and they state that they have no responsibility for stolen items which is one thing and a common practice, however, my main concern is the lack of assistance provided by any of the staff members in an urgent situation. I am waiting to see if they will rectify this in any way. We are typically season pass holders but this experience may change that.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/17/2022

  I will be reaching back out again this afternoon to try to get in contact. I want to understand her refund request and circumstances before agreeing to a resolution. I just wanted you to be aware that we are working to contact the guest.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/18/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I wanted to spend time with my grand children so my husband and I took them to Carowinds. While we were at ***** Works water park my grandson 's **** shoes were stolen. We left them on the lounge chair in the area. There were no warnings signs on the fence to make us aware or be concerned of theft. We reported the stolen ****s to the staff and did a police report. Not that we thought we would get the shoes back, but to let them know the situation. Now my 6 year old grandson have no shoes on his feet. The staff does not offer any consideration for what we have indured. There was no offer to drive me and my 6 year old barefoot grandson to the parking lot to our car He complained of his feet hurting as he walked on the brick walk ways to the parking lot. We spend over $200.00 for tickets and over $130.00 for food and face painting. No Consideration at all for a paying customer that a business valued.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/21/2022

  Greetings,

   

  Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us here at Carowinds!

   

  I'm sad to hear of the experience that you had on your last visit to Carowinds. This certainly does not reflect the standard of guest service that we strive for in our park. I greatly appreciate your sharing this experience as it can assist in training our team to better respond to these situations in the future. Unfortunately, I am unable to replace your grandson's shoes, but I hope that you will give us the opportunity to help you and your family create lasting memories of enjoying what our park has to offer. With your permission, I would like to assist you in having a better visit with us by providing tickets to return to the park as well as meals on your visit. I can also provide assistance with obtaining a locker to secure your family's items on your visit. Please let me know how you wish to proceed.

   

  I look forward to further assisting you,

  Zebria

  Location Manager, Guest Experience Team