Theatre won't let me sell my tickets

[onedayatatime73]

I'm so upset and don't know what to do. I have bought tickets for my DD's birthday in December. The show is in London.
They were expensive and it was her main present.
I completely understand that the company won't refund me as that's in their small print.
Now they're saying they won't let me sell them either. I can't put them on Twickets because they won't make them "transferrable". Even though I have them in my Apple wallet. Twickets won't accept screen shots.
The show is completely sold out. So I'm sure someone will want them. Is there anything I can do?
The reason we can't go is my stepdad has been taken into hospital and so we will need to spend time there all over Christmas hence we can't go x

How old is your daughter? Could she travel there and back on her own and go to the show with friends?

I know you haven’t said how serious it is but unless very it seems a shame for her to miss out. You say you want to help your mum but lots of family will be there, so surely they can help her?

How did you originally buy them? Online I assume? So they would have sent you the tickets by email or put them in your theatre account. That's how they got into your apple wallet. find that email and you can sell on Twickets.

(Though it's really unfair for your daughter to miss out just so you can go to your mum's "as a family")

Will your mum want everyone there sisters etc for 2 weeks?

Yeah I don’t but this either. I’m sure OP could go mid december if she really wanted to.

Whenever you buy theatre tickets these days there's an optional extra £3-£7 per ticket that they try to make you sign up for as an insurance against some illness or disaster meaning you can't go. Offering a no quibbles route to either getting a refund or a swap to another date.

it's obvious that once that option is being monetised, it's in the theatre's interests to be as obstructive and unhelpful as possible to anyone who didn't pay the extra, otherwise there would be no point paying the extra.

There are loads of tickets for Come Alive currently on Twickets so it must be possible.

The T&Cs say you can change the date so why don't you do that?

If I was your mum&stepdad I would not want you to be destroying your DDs gift for the sake of a Christmas visit. Two weeks with them??? We love our families dearly but are ready to leave after 3 days. Your poor DD shouldn't be having to make this big a sacrifice for her step-granddad being ill. You should do the show as planned then travel to your mum&stepdad next day.

Honestly, you should still be going. Or at least ask your daughter.

As you said, your mum is there, lots of other family members will be there to help your mum. So why do you need to change your plans? What were you going to do before step dad went into hospital?

I suspect OP got her tickets from a third party website not directly from the box office. That's the only way I see this happening tbh.

Is it worth a chat with trading standards if they truly are being obstructive?

I have had this rant many a time.

I'm all for cracking down on touts who buy up all the tickets of popular shows then sell them on ridiculously high prices but if we are going to have measures to stop that by blocking transfers etc... we also must require venues to buy back and resell the tickets of legitimate customers who can no longer attend.

Most tickets are bought way in advance and things do come up, and many ticket protect insurances only cover specific things like if the show moves or cancels etc...

I bought them direct from "London Box Office". And not a 3rd party website

Totally agree. I've bought tickets for something in Dec 2025 and recently went to see a show I bought tickets for almost a year ago. They have people's money so far in advance surely they could be a bit more flexible.
I sometimes pay for the extra insurance but always suspect it might be difficult to make a claim. Presumably if you're unwell you need a drs note, which is a faff. And I'm not sure if illness applies to other family members or just those attending the performance.

I don't understand this to be honest. We aren't even into December yet, the step-dad is in hospital ( which is a shame and maybe he is seriously ill, but OP hasn't said so). Lots of family going to be with OPs Mum. I don't understand why Step-dad in hospital has changed the arrangements for going to the Theatre.

You should still go. Be with your mum and step dad before or after your daughters birthday.

Your daughter deserves to go and your mum and stepdad I’m sure would want her to as well.

Have you tried the actual theatre rather than london box office?

It's only November 26th. Are you anticipating him being in hospital for longer than a month???

Then you didn't buy them direct from the theatre, OP. London Box Office is a third party site.

This is from their "About us" page.

"Secure online booking
LondonBoxOffice.co.uk provides secure online reservation facilities for all London Theatres. We hold large ticket allocations and purchase stock in advance for the major West End productions to ensure maximum ticket availability all year round. We work hard to bring you up-to-date information together with best ticket availability and prices."

Ah - yes it is, that's the problem.

They purchase tickets up front themselves and then resell.

www.londonboxoffice.co.uk/about-us

So that is why you are having no luck - their t&cs don't allow for refunds or changes. It would be down to the goodwill of the theatre and some are better than others at this.

London Box Office IS a third-party website, you can also buy tickets direct from the Empress Museum themselves. By the way, the venue is not tiny it's 700 seats which is definitely a medium size theatre.

You say that they have made it impossible for you to rebook for another date but not given details, is it just that there are no tickets available on the alternative dates you can attend? The Show runs until March of next year now so is it possible to sort something out before then?