A woman claims she is being "forced" to go to Rolling Stones at Anfield after testing positive for covid.
Kate Timmis, 33, from Oxford, paid hundreds of pounds on two tickets for the concert at Anfield but is no longer able to attend after testing positive for covid on Tuesday. Kate, who is a lifelong fan of the band, contacted ticket firm AXS in the hope of getting a refund or exchanging her tickets for an alternative date, however her requests were refused.
AXS, which is an international online ticketing platform, state on their website that “all purchases are non-refundable and cannot be cancelled”, with the ticket holder bearing all risk of “inclement weather or Force Majeure events”. However, Kate is frustrated with the company's policy.
READ MORE: The Rolling Stones at Anfield: full event guide and everything you need to know
She told the ECHO: “We’ve tried emailing them and a lady got back to us asking to send proof of our covid tests. When we sent it over, she didn’t get back to us.
"Ironically, their phone lines are closed due to covid, so my husband waited nearly two hours to get onto an online chat to explain our situation. We just got told there’s nothing they can do.”
Kate also queried whether she could exchange her tickets for one of the band’s upcoming shows at Hyde Park, in London, but, again, her request was denied. The lifelong Stones fan, who paid £220 for the tickets, said that AXS’ actions are “basically forcing people with covid to attend a densely packed gig along with mostly vulnerable people”.
She added: “There’s a lot of people who follow the Rolling Stones who are 70 years plus, so you’re potentially putting people in a situation where they’re going to the venue with covid and mixing with vulnerable people, which is pretty diabolical in itself.”
Tonight’s event will see The Rolling Stones take to the stage as part of their SIXTY tour, which takes in several major cities across Europe including Amsterdam, Milan, and London. Celebrating an impressive 60 years together in the music industry, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood will be joined on stage by drummer Steve Jordan, after the death of Charlie Watts last summer.
And Kate is gutted that she and her husband Paul, who is originally from Liverpool, won’t be one of the thousands of fans in attendance at the home of Liverpool FC.
She said: “We’re absolutely devastated. I’ve been a fan since I was six years old so pretty much a lifelong fan. If they don’t refund the tickets, it means I can’t really afford to buy tickets for the Hyde Park show. They’re not interested in exchanging the tickets for that date. I think, once they’ve got your money, they just don’t care.”
The ECHO has approached AXS for comment.
