A Malvern mother has spoken out after being asked for ‘proof of dying’ to secure a full refund for theatre tickets she had to cancel due to a family crisis. Months ago, Sara Stewart booked tickets for herself and her daughter to see La Voix in ‘Annie’ at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham on Friday, June 6. However, her ex-husband – the father of her daughter – was moved into a hospice with terminal cancer, meaning her daughter now spends weekends at his bedside in Brighton.
When requesting the £150 refund for her insured tickets, for which she paid extra, Ms Stewart claims she was met with “a level of corporate coldness” from the insurer, as an automated system requested a medical note. “To process a refund, the insurance third-party (sold via ATG’s site) is demanding a doctor’s letter,” Ms Stewart told BirminghamLive. “In effect, they are requiring a grieving daughter to ask a dying man’s doctor for ‘proof’ of his terminal status just to recoup the cost of a theatre ticket.” She added that there is a growing trend of “faceless” automated insurance systems demanding sensitive medical data from people in their darkest hours.
All refunds for the Alexandra Theatre are handled by an external ticket insurance company, which ATG says is separate from them. Ms Stewart explained that her family is facing a crisis: her daughter’s father has been moved into hospice care with terminal cancer. Naturally, their plans to see a show in Birmingham were upended so her daughter could be at his bedside.
After months of feeling ignored by customer service and management since the initial request in March, the mother was offered a gift voucher for a future performance. The Alexandra Theatre told her in an email chain, seen by BirminghamLive, that they were not normally able to offer anything outside Ticket Protection (the insurer). However, given the delay and circumstances, the venue offered a full credit refund to be used within 12 months. Ms Stewart said a voucher is a useless gesture for a family in a terminal care situation who does not live in the area, allowing ATG to keep their money and sell the tickets while they navigate a tragedy.
A spokesperson from The Alexandra Birmingham said: “Our venue team is in direct contact with the customer to discuss the support we can provide within our capacity during this difficult time. Ticket Refund Protection for all ticket purchases is administered by Secure My Booking, an independent third-party provider. As a result, refund claims are managed directly by Secure My Booking in accordance with its terms and conditions, and we are unable to process or approve these claims ourselves. Our team have sought to assist the customer by providing guidance on the correct channels through which their concerns could be addressed. Given the sensitive circumstances and the initial uncertainty regarding the appropriate point of contact, we have also extended additional goodwill compensation in an effort to provide another opportunity to visit the theatre.”
