No refund for hospitalised Buxton Opera House theatre goer told not to travel
A woman who was told by doctors not to travel after being hospitalised and then missed a show at Buxton Opera House can now not get a refund.
Louise Cooper was taken ill and hospitalised due to dangerously low sodium levels in August 2025 - just days before she was due to see Susie Dent at Buxton Opera House.
Louise, from Sheffield, was told by doctors she should not make the journey to Buxton on August 22 - two days after she was out of hospital.
The 71-year-old said: “I was really looking forward to the show, we love watching Susie on Countdown so when we knew she was touring we wanted to see her.”
Louise has a blue badge as she also has an ileostomy and needs to be mindful of travel.
When purchasing the tickets for the show Louise did not opt for the ticket insurance.
She said: “My husband and I both wanted to go and see the show and we had everything planned.
“We didn’t see us not attending.”
Since September 4 Louise has been trying to get the £68 she spent on the two tickets refunded and has emailed the opera house looking for clarity and a refund.
She has also paid out for a doctor’s note at £25 which states she was too unwell to travel and make the show.
The couple are Matcham members of Buxton Opera House which means they pay a fee each year and are then entitled to discounted tickets, flexible booking reservations and priority access for tickets sales.
Louise said: “You’d think after years of supporting the theatre they would be understanding about our situation but they have not been and we will not be renewing our membership again.”
Buxton Opera House does offer ticket protection which states if a person is unable to attend a show due to illness, bad weather, car trouble, or other unexpected events, they may be eligible for a refund.
It costs just £2 if adding to an event in the Pavilion Arts Centre or £2.50 for an event in the Opera House and must be added at the time of booking.
Louise added: “I have written to the Buxton Opera House CEO several times now and had no response. It's like they don’t want to know or even acknowledge us.
“It’s been months now and this is just silly - I just want my money back.”
She says she is now at the ‘end of her tether’ and out of pocket which is why she reached out to the Buxton Advertiser to see if we could shed some light on the situation.
We put Mrs Cooper’s concerns to the opera house and a spokesperson said: “Our refund policy is included in our Terms and Conditions which are agreed to by the customer at the time of purchase. Our team reconfirmed this policy via email following the request.
“We understand that unforeseen circumstances can prevent our customers from attending, which is why we offer ticket protection for all purchases.”