Bill Smith wanted to surprise his wife with tickets to see James Taylor in concert.
He logged on to JamesTaylor.com and bought two tickets for the singer’s show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
But Bill was the one surprised when weeks later Bill’s doctors gave him some devastating news.
“So, I was diagnosed with cancer in March. All of a sudden things changed,” Bill told NBC 7 Responds at his home in San Marcos. “I had to go through treatment and so on.”
Those treatments included chemotherapy and radiation.
Doctors told Bill that he would be zapped of energy and his immune system would be compromised. Bill said he was advised to cancel any trips or large crowds. That meant cancelling tickets to see one of Bill’s favorite singers in concert.
Bill and his wife Joann cancelled their trip to Hawaii as well as other concerts. He said he then logged back on to James Taylor’s website to try and get a refund for that concert. He said he didn’t have the energy to try and sell the tickets himself, nor did he know if they were transferable.
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He contacted a staffer for James Taylor on the website and inquired about a refund.
Bill said they told him there were no refunds.
“We went back and forth, my wife helping, and they just said no. Even though my wife told them that you know, hey, my husband is going through chemo and radiation and so on and they just said no.”
Bill said he was out of options and decided to reach out to NBC 7 Responds for help.
We contacted James Taylor Productions and told them the story. The singer’s company decided to make an exception and give Bill his money back.
Bill was in the hospital when his wife told him that James Taylor and his company had changed their mind. He made the following video to send it to the singer to thank him.
“We were told that James Taylor himself bought our tickets,” Bill told NBC 7 Responds. “It was nice to smile and feel just somewhat normal in getting that [news] and it was great. It was a happy day.”
Another surprise came some weeks later, after NBC 7 Responds reached back out to thank them for resolving Bill’s issue. Not long after, Bill received a package in the mail.
“He’s back on my bucket list to see him [play],” said Bill.
