Consumer group warns music and sports fans against buying tickets for sold out events on the secondary ticket market
Music fans looking to book tickets for one of the European summer festivals and sporting events are being warned to take care in the secondary ticket market.
The resale of tickets for sold out events is big business, and with the annual festival season almost underway there are fears that hundreds of UK consumers could, as in 2010, hand over their money but end up with no ticket.
The UK European Consumer Centre (UKECC) said today that it received 288 complaints and enquiries from UK consumers during 2010 relating to EU traders under its "recreational and cultural services" category, which includes ticket problems ? an increase of more than a third (34%) on the 2009 figure of 215. Hungary and the Netherlands were the countries which attracted the most complaints from Britons.
The UKECC is co-funded by the European commission and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and provides advice for consumers buying goods and services. It also deals with cross-border complaints and grievances from European consumers based in other EU countries regarding UK festivals.
It singled out the following as the main areas of complaint:
? Tickets failing to be delivered. Most terms and conditions state that tickets will arrive just before the event, but if this doesn't happen the seller may be long gone.
? Cancellation of an event after the consumer has purchased a ticket. The original seller's terms and conditions usually only allow for a refund of the ticket's face value, but secondary ticket sellers may have a huge mark-up, so a consumer may only get back a fraction of what he or she paid.
? Consumers turning up at a venue only to find their ticket is declined for being void.
? Valid tickets are provided, but problems at the event on the day may lead to the consumer being refused admittance to some areas.
Jed Mayatt, UKECC manager, said: "We want consumers to be cautious when buying tickets, particularly if an event is sold out. But the temptation of a website still offering tickets is too great for some people, even if it is at inflated prices."
An example highlighted by the UKECC was a UK consumer who bought a pair of tickets to a top-flight football game from an online ticketing company in Spain, for which she paid ?381.92. The tickets were not sent to her home as promised, and although the trader promised these would be hand delivered before the game this failed to happen. She sought a refund, as well as damages for consequential losses, amounting to ?627.23. After liaising with European Consumer Centre in Spain she was advised to go to the police as it was thought likely to be a scam.
The UK ECC's leaflet, Can you rely on your festival tickets?, outlines how consumers could be caught out, offers advice for purchasers, and addresses the question of legal protection. Music fans are also advised to contact the European Consumer Centre for Services for more information.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/apr/13/consumer-warning-ticket-resale-sites
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