Friday 15 December 2017

Finance Fridays – Fake tickets and touts

fake tickets touts
We were looking at the much talked about bitcoin for last week's Finance Fridays. This week we are talking about something else that has been in the news. On Wednesday the comedian Peter Kay announced he was going to have to cancel his entire 2018 tour. Of course people who had bought tickets should be due a refund but what happens to those you have bought them through touts or fake ticket sites? Let's have a look at how you can protect yourself from scam sellers.

- Only buy through official sources such as the venue or the official website of the performer/event. They usually have a selection of affiliated ticket sellers to choose from. These are known as primary agencies.

- If you have bought tickets and found you can no longer go you will probably want to get a refund or sell them on. If the original seller won't refund it they may direct you towards an online resale marketplace. These tickets can then be purchased by people who couldn't get a ticket when they first went on sale. These sellers need to be distinguished from unofficial resale sellers or secondary agencies. Usually these tickets will be on sale at higher prices than the original face value. Also if the event is cancelled the original seller may only refund to the first buyer of the tickets so you may end up out of pocket.

- If you do see tickets you want to buy at another seller check they are a member of the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR). Don't just go by a badge on the ticket sellers website but check through STAR's website.

- Don't pay directly by bank transfer. This will give you no protection. If a seller only offers this then it should start ringing alarm bells. Opt instead for a secure platform such as PayPal or if over £100 a credit card. By using a credit card you are legally covered by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. If the tickets don't appear or aren't what they are suppose to be you can claim the money back from your credit card provider.

- If you have bought tickets through a legitimate source and the event is cancelled you will be able to get a refund of the ticket price. However, these days there are usually transaction or administration fees added on and perhaps postage. Some sellers will refund the whole amount especially if the tickets haven't yet been posted out. Other agencies though will keep the transaction fees because they argue a transaction has taken place. When you buy tickets and have a selection of providers to choose from check their terms and conditions first.

- If you buy from a ticket tout not only have you paid over the odds but you risk not getting into the venue at all. The tickets could be completely fake. If they are genuine many venues are now asking for ID to prove who has bought them.

- Remember ticket touts exist because they know there's a market out there. The fewer people who use them and buy at any cost then less people will try their luck at being touts. When you have spent hours on the phone, internet or queuing at the venue to get tickets remember touts are the ones who have found ways to buy them in large numbers.

If you want to join in with this week's Finance Fridays then add your link to the linky below. Any post concerning financial matters is allowed. Full details here. It doesn't have to be published today as you have until 23.55 on Tuesday 19th December 2017 to join in.
Finance Fridays

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