Gig-Goers Warned Of Online Scams

Gig-goers and sports fans have been warned not to be conned by the increasing number of sophisticated fake ticketing sites that are appearing online.

The Trading Standards Service (TSS) is warning that, in the last six months, it has received approximately 50 complaints from consumers after buying tickets from rogue websites.

Recent research from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) reveals that one in 12 ticket buyers have been caught out by scam ticket websites, with victims losing an average of £80 each.

One complainant, Karen Wilson from Lisburn, purchased five tickets online to see Michael Buble in Glasgow.

She paid £435 by credit card and was told the tickets would arrive one week before the concert.

When they did not arrive, she contacted the company and was assured that a representative would meet her at the venue on the day of the concert.

With flights and hotel booked in advance, Mrs Wilson went along with her friends to the venue but there was no sign of the representative or her tickets so she ended up paying for a concert she never got to see. Thankfully, she was refunded the cost of the tickets by her credit card company.

Kerry McAuley, TSS, said: "In the last year alone, dozens of Northern Ireland consumers have lost money to scam sites, offering tickets for everything from Peter Kay's recent gig at the Odyssey to Take That concert tickets.

"These sites offer cheap or scarce tickets to a popular event that is sold out or tickets that aren't even on sale yet. Once consumers have paid, the tickets aren't delivered, leaving fans disappointed and often hundreds of pounds out of pocket.

"Event-goers are often told that a customer representative will meet them at the venue on the day but nobody turns up.

"Attempts to contact the scam companies to complain are often thwarted when telephone calls go unanswered or divert to a different number, or the website has disappeared," she said noting that the Trading Standards Service is backing the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) 'Just Tick It' campaign, which urges event-goers to take simple steps to help ensure they are not scammed when buying tickets online.

Kerry concluded: "The 'Just Tick It' campaign gives ticket buyers the valuable advice they need to help protect themselves from ticket scammers when buying online. Consumers can avoid falling victim in the first place by following the clear and simple advice on how to spot a scam."

(BMcC/GK)