Advice that is 'Just the Ticket' in Scamnesty Month
With Spring around the corner and many tickets for events, festivals and music concerts - including the Olympics - about to go on sale, in Scamnesty Month Warwickshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service is warning consumers to be on the look out for fake ticket sites.
Fake ticket sites can look realistic, but the event tickets they sell are never delivered, leaving fans without tickets and their money.
The appearance of these sites often coincides with the announcement of large events, festivals and music concerts such as the Take That tour and Olympic Games! Police in London have already arrested people in connection with an alleged Games ticket scam.
Trading Standards Officers are advising consumers on how they can avoid falling victim to ticketing scams that risk leaving them miles from home, out of pocket and with no way to get into the event.
Warwickshire Trading Standards Service urges everyone to tick off the following checklist before buying tickets online from a website:
1) How has the website got the tickets to sell? Check with the event to find out when tickets are being released for sale and when the tickets will be sent out
2) Is the website official or genuine and what are others saying about it ? Search the internet to find out what other people’s experiences have been. If in another language, use a search engine’s translation service so that you can understand the content
3) How can you contact the company? Check that you know its full geographic address and check it has a working landline phone number
4) Can they provide ticket details? Ensure that the face value of the tickets and the seat location/festival area are clearly listed
5) Do they provide refunds? Make sure there is a refund policy in case something goes wrong
6) Pay for your tickets with a credit card. Under the Consumer Credit Act, your card issuer is jointly liable if you do not receive your tickets if the cash price of a single ticket is over £100
For the Olympic Games (ticket applications from 15th March 2011), consumers are advised to apply via the official London 2012 website: http://www.london2012.com
For more information, please visit our website: http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/tradingstandards