British YouTuber and comedian Max Fosh has gone viral for his elaborate attempt to secure a $50 (approximately Rs 4,300) refund from an airline by faking his own death. In a recent vlog, the 30-year-old shared how he successfully requested repayment for a cancelled flight after staging his own death with legal documentation to back it up. He began by explaining that the airline - the name of which he omitted from the video - would only provide refunds in cases where the passenger had died. "I am embarking on this mission because I'm incredibly petty... It's the principle that I take issue with," the YouTuber said in the video titled "I Technically Died."
In the vlog, Fosh explained that two months earlier, he had booked a flight that he ultimately couldn't take. When he tried to request a refund, he discovered "a cheeky legal clause that airlines use that lost of people fall foul of." "Airlines will only provide cash refunds if passengers are dead," the comedian shared. "So, I needed to die. This is a story of how I traveled to another country, held my own funeral, and was legally declared dead, all to get back 37.28 pounds [approximately $50] from the big bad airlines," he added.
Fosh said that he contacted several foreign governments before he finally received a response from Seborga, which he explained to be a "self-declared principality" that claims it was "accidentally left out of the unification of Italy."
"The town has operated as an independent nation with its own flag, currency and government. Despite not being recognized as an official independent nation, Seborga and its people fight every day for its independence and legitimacy," he said.
Fosh went to Seborga on the grounds of a state visit with the "Princess" of the principality, Nina Menegatto. After she toured Fosh around, he told her about his quest for a refund, and she was willing to help him out.
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"My fight with a big airline seemed to resonate with the Princess, and Seborga's fight for independence. So she kindly agreed to sign a special, one-off death certificate," the content creator said.
To further sell his elaborate scheme, Fosh hosted a faux funeral for himself, which was attended by three hired "mourners". He then gathered all the necessary documents, including the death certificate, to submit the refund application. "My hope is that the (airline) gets a lot of these and so they don't look at it for too long," Fosh said.
Five days later, the YouTuber received an email from the airline agreeing to continue with his application. However, at this point, Fosh decided to consult with his lawyer, who advised him not to take any more steps to claim the money. "It's not fraud, but it is fraudulent," Fosh's lawyer said in a clip. "I normally would let you, but this time I really have to put my foot down," he added.
The 30-year-old ended the vlog by saying that he followed the legal advice and ended his effort to get a refund. He also warned his viewers not to try the scheme themselves.
Since being shared, Fosh's video has garnered more than 2.1 million views on YouTube.
