No laughing matter as would-be comedian fights for refund from axed show
AN event to give budding comedians a chance to flex their funny bones in front of friends and families has left participants disappointed after it was rescheduled hours before they were to take to the stage.
Ultra Comedy is a branch of Ultra events, a company in Nottingham Road, Derby, which offers an eightweek crash course in a certain skill. The participant is then given the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learnt at a ticketed event, with proceeds going to Cancer Research UK. Comedy, boxing, mixed martial arts and ballroom dancing are all skills on offer.
However a recent batch of Ultra Comedy students were left disappointed when they turned up to do a sound check prior to their performance, only to find the venue locked. The trainee comedians were due to perform at the well-known Glee Club in Birmingham on July 10 and arrived hours before their curtain call, only to find out the event was to be rearranged.
Not only were the performers disappointed, but the crowd of family and friends who had bought tickets were also left feeling flat.
The structure of the Ultra Event, according to one of the participants, is that performers sell tickets to customers as well as raising money for charity.
The event has been rearranged to November 27, but the company is refusing refunds if the ticket holders cannot make the rearranged performance.
Ultra Events says its terms and conditions state that because the event is being rearranged no refunds will be given.
However, some of the participants are disputing this after they were offered another date which also did not go ahead.
Client Connor Francis is one of those looking for a refund for the 17 tickets he sold, which he says are worth over £400.
Connor said: “When July 10 was cancelled we were offered two dates. We were offered July 17, which was described as our default option or November 27. I chose July 17, which was then cancelled. By their own terms and conditions this date has not been rescheduled, as the date of November 27 was already in place making this (July 17) a cancelled event”.
Connor and another budding comedian, who asked to remain anonymous, both said they were told by Ultra Events that the tickets were run by a third party site.
Upon investigation both Ultra Events and the ticketing company, Ultra Tickets, are both registered to the same owner, Jon Leonard.
Connor, from Birmingham, added: “They have tried to move everyone to November. I know some people are performing then.”
He also said Cancer Research UK had offered to refund donations and that The Glee Club in Birmingham had offered free tickets to people for other events.
A spokesperson for Ultra Comedy said: “We would like to offer our sincere apologies to everyone who was left disappointed by the postponement of our Birmingham event. The good news is that we are currently consulting with our participants to set up a new date.
“The original event was postponed after a miscommunication between staff following illness due to Covid and for that we apologise. Ultra Comedy has raised substantial sums of money for Cancer Research UK and we’d like to pay tribute to our participants for the huge amount of effort they have put in.
“We are looking forward to welcoming them to the stage for the rearranged date and we are sure it will be a fantastic night for all involved.
“Because the event will be rearranged, we are not able to offer refunds.
“This is something which we set out clearly in our terms and conditions when tickets to our events are purchased.
“All the participants have been offered the November 2022 and a variety of 2023 dates, the vast majority are happy with this and have chosen a new date”.