You asked for your money back?  Did you ever get a close seat at an event after that? 

I remember one time Rawat was returning to the US from Europe in a private jet, and I helped arrange for him to land in Washington DC, and because there was going to be a customs check, he might have to stay overnight.  I raised about $10,000 in cash (this was 1979) from local premies to fund the proper luxuries required by  Malibu Prem during his brief stay overnight in Virginia. 

In the end, he didn't fly to Dulles after-all, and I returned the cash to the premies who had drawn it out of their bank accounts.