Students warned of fake scams
Trading Standards are cracking down on fake ticket scams online. They’re starting by offering advice to UEA students tomorrow… but warn anyone can get caught out.
Research shows fake sites catch out 1 in 12 people who buy tickets for events online. There are lots of fake sites out there and they’re getting harder to spot, according to Consumer Direct, a government funded service, who work with local Trading Standards.
The advice to UEA students tomorrow warns of sites selling tickets to events or concerts that haven’t gone on sale yet. If a site guarantees tickets to events that have been sold out for months elsewhere, it’s probably too good to be true.
Trading Standards suggest running a few background checks on the site first. Put the website name into a search engine to see what you can find out. Make sure the company behind the website provides a full street address, not just a mail box number. And be wary of buying from a site that only gives an email address or mobile phone number.
Often people get caught out when they find the contact number no longer works when their tickets don’t arrive. Another piece of key advice is to pay for tickets by credit card. Under the Consumer Credit Act, a card issuer is jointly liable for the failure to provide goods or services if the cash price of a single ticket is over £100. More information can be found through the Office of Fair Trading’s national campaign or between 10-1 at the University of East Anglia on June 1st.
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