The Dinosaur Festival Darwin is on the verge of extinction, NT Consumer Affairs says, warning Territorians the company behind the festival is still selling tickets with no official venue for the event and recommending refunds be sought now.

The company, Festival Ignite Pty Ltd, have confirmed the event will not be going ahead at the proposed Jingili Water Gardens from July 29 – 31, Consumer Affairs said on Monday morning.

However, the company is still advertising the event on Facebook and is still selling tickets through one of its websites while another “associated website” has been suspended, Consumer Affairs said, sparking the warning.

The watchdog is calling for Territorians who have already purchased tickets to request refunds now.

No alternative sites for the event have been applied for, Consumer Affairs Commissioner Sandra Otto said, raising concerns of a “scam”.

“In light of this new information, particularly the absence of any confirmed bookings for a venue at which to hold the event, I would encourage those who have already purchased tickets to the event to contact Festival Ignite Pty Ltd and ask for a refund anyway,” she said.

“If you don’t have any joy, you may wish to lodge a charge-back with your bank to have the payment transaction reversed.

“Given that the event has previously taken place in other parts of Australia, we had no reason to entertain the scam allegations that arose in the past. However, in light of this new information, it is time to warn consumers and hopefully save Territorians some money.”

Receiving a refund may prove challenging however, Consumer Affairs said.

“The Terms and Conditions exclude the possibility for refunds even in circumstances where consumers are entitled to get their money back,” a statement said.

“Such Terms and Conditions have the potential to mislead consumers about their rights to refunds.

“In Newcastle in New South Wales, the event was scheduled from 13 to 15 May. The company cancelled at the very last minute on 13 May due to the heavy rainfalls. The company now relies on their Terms and Conditions to deny any refunds. However, even after the cancellation of the event, the company was still selling tickets online for the cancelled event.”