Anyone who buys tickets online is being warned to watch out for scam ticket websites during Scamnesty 2011.
The Office of Fair Trading has set up a fake website to warn you about scam ticket sites.
How do scam ticket websites work?
- The website offers you the chance to buy tickets to a popular event. The event is often actually sold-out, or the tickets haven’t officially gone on sale yet.
- You pay for the tickets but they are never delivered.
- In some cases you might be told that a customer representative will meet you at the venue on the day. Nobody turns up.
- You may even receive tickets, but when you arrive at the event, the organisers tell you the tickets are fake.
- When you try to call the company you bought the tickets from, your calls are not answered or do not connect.
Remember that it’s easy for scammers to set up a fake website that looks genuine. Some even use a name or website url that is similar to a legitimate website. If you’re unsure or it sounds too good to be true, leave the website immediately.
Get safe online: Protect yourself from scam ticket websites
- Check with the event organiser, promoter or venue how and when tickets are being distributed.
- Ask questions, such as when the ticket will be dispatched and what type of ticket you are buying.
- If you’re buying football tickets, be aware that it’s illegal to re-sell football tickets under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act in most instances.
- Pay for tickets by credit card – the card issuer is jointly liable for a failure for goods or services to be provided as long as the price of a single ticket is more than £100 (but less than £30,000).
- Check the payment pages are secure by looking for a padlock symbol in the address bar, and making sure the website address begins with ‘https’.
Read more about protecting yourself from scam ticket websites on Consumer Direct’s website.
Please note: Action Fraud is not responsible for the content on external websites.
To report a fraud, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.
