Scam ticket warning

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is warning people about scam tickets being sold for major events, such as the World Cup and music festivals. [28 May 2010]

One in twelve British ticket buyers falls victim to scam ticket websites, where tickets either do not arrive or are fake. The average loss per person is £80.

World Cup and music festival scams

With a number of international events coming up, such as the World Cup in South Africa and music festivals in Spain, Serbia and Croatia, the OFT is warning that people could find themselves miles from home, out of pocket and with no way to get into the event.

The warning comes as part of the OFT’s Just Tick It campaign, which highlights the issue of bogus websites and offers practical advice so that people are not scammed.

Avoid ticket scams – advice

The Just Tick It campaign is urging everyone to tick off the following check list before buying tickets online.

1. How has the website got the tickets to sell? Check with the event to find out when tickets are being released for sale and when the tickets will be sent out.
2. What are others saying about the website? Search the internet to find out what other people's experiences have been. If in another language, use a search engine's translation service so that you can understand the content.
3. How can you contact the company? Check that you know its full geographic address and check it has a working landline phone number.
4. Can they provide ticket details? Ensure that the face value of the tickets and the seat location/festival area are clearly listed.
5. Do they provide refunds? Make sure there is a refund policy in case something goes wrong

Read more about the Just Tick It campaign on the OFT’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.