Buying Tickets Online Can Be Risky – Domain Scams – 05/12/2007
Trading Standards Service helpline, Domain Scams, has today issued a warning to consumers about some online ticket agencies.
Domain Scams has received reports about consumers who have purchased tickets on some websites, paying several times the face value of tickets for popular events such as the Rugby World Cup. In some cases, the seller will promise to deliver the tickets very close to, or even on, the date of the event. However the tickets are never received.
Domain Scams Manager Stephen Thompson said: “The agencies in question are not the usual official ticket agencies, who for example supply concert tickets. The complaints received in recent days concern websites specialising in tickets for sold-out events.
“A number of websites which have a ‘.co.uk’ address are in fact based abroad, making it much more difficult to obtain a refund in the event of the tickets not turning up.
“Online auctions are also a popular place to buy tickets, but often you have no way of knowing who you are dealing or where they are based. You may also end up paying highly inflated prices. If you have a problem, you may have difficulty in getting redress.”
Domain Scams have offered the following advice to consumers:
· Get information from the official event website;
· Use established, reputable ticket agencies that are well known;
· Do not judge the seller’s reliability on the appearance of their website;
· Make sure you know the company or individual seller’s full postal address – never rely on an email address alone;
· Do not assume an internet company is based in the UK because its web address ends in ‘.co.uk’. Check the postal address and landline telephone number;
· If you can’t find a UK address anywhere on the website, be wary.
For further advice on consumers’ rights when shopping online contact Domain Scams on 0845 600 62 62.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. For media enquiries please contact Lesley Dempster in the DETI Press Office, telephone 028 9052 9297 or 07866 847919.
2. Outside office hours, please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
