Bogus Ticket Touts                            

With huge demand for gigs all round the country, it's no surprise to find tickets on the internet at hugely inflated prices. Consumers pay an arm and a leg to go to a live gig, but sometimes they get their tickets, sometimes they don't. Trading Standards services receive hundreds of complaints about ticket touts each year.

Consumers spend hundreds of pounds on event tickets but the tickets don't arrive. Purchasers are told to meet a representative from the company at the venue on the night to collect their tickets. Often, while the rep is there, the tickets aren't. It can also be very hard to get a refund.

Many ticket reselling companies have no links with the official ticket distributors or venues. They make their money by buying up highly sought-after tickets and re-selling them for as much as they can.

When tickets are sold on in this way it's called a secondary ticket market. The problem is that unscrupulous touts sell tickets they haven't actually got, and can't guarantee they'll get. If you're buying over the internet, you can't see whether they have the tickets or not.

To avoid disappointment, consumers are urged to only use office distributors or book direct with the venue. If the total price of the tickets is more than £100 consider using a credit card to give added protection if the seller breaches their contract with you.  

If you know of a bogus ticket tout...

Tell your local Trading Standards Service and tell us - it may help us to stop them and protect other people.