WARNINGS over ticket fraudsters for next week’s Robbie Williams Ricoh Arena gig have been issued by council trading standards officers.
They say there has been in increase in ‘secondary sales’ for the concert in recent weeks – ‘in view of recent events’ – and warn scammers will be looking to profit.
The message on Coventry City Council’s website appears to suggest ticketholders may have been selling their tickets on, in response to the terrorist attack at a concert at Manchester Arena last monh.
Punters seeking last-minute tickets for the concert on Tuesday are being urged to be on the look out for fraudsters posing as official ticket sellers.
The council message states: “In view of recent events, there may also be an increase in the amount of tickets available as secondary sales, and scammers may well see this as an opportunity to cash in.”
Debbie Morgan from Coventry Trading Standards advises: “Purchasing from an unauthorised seller or a ticket tout could leave you out of pocket.
“Not only are some tickets advertised at inflated prices, there is a risk that the tickets purchased are counterfeit or do not exist. Any individual with a counterfeit ticket will be refused entry.”
“If you are thinking of trying to get a ticket for next week’s concert or any other concert we offer advice to help steer clear of scams and avoid disappointment”.
Trading standards continue: “When you buy a ticket online for any event such as this, you need to make sure you are using a genuine site.
“You can find out if a ticketing website is genuine by:
Looking at the type of tickets sold – be suspicious if they are for events that have sold out.
Looking at feedback about the website or company – enter its name into a search engine to see if there are comments from buyers about whether they have received tickets. Watch out for fake reviews.
Checking contact details for the website – there should be a landline phone number and a full postal address. Avoid using the site if there is only a PO Box address and mobile phone number, as it could be difficult to get in touch after you buy tickets. These addresses and phone numbers are easy to change and difficult to trace.
Paying by credit card. This may mean that if the tickets turn out to be fake, or do not arrive in time you might be able to claim your money back from the credit card company as long as they cost over £100.
Before buying tickets for events, festivals and music concerts visit Safe Concerts, where you can find information and advice on the warning signs to look out for.”
