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STAR reissue dodgy ticket agent warning
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 28 April 2010
Following recent warnings from Festival Republic about all the dodgy people selling fake Reading and Leeds festival tickets, now the The Society Of Ticket Agents And Retailers have warned music fans about buying tickets from unofficial websites.
STAR are worried that consumers will be ripped off by dodgy ticketing operations, rather than being ripped off by the legitimate ticket agencies affiliated with the trade body. But at least STAR members actually have access to the tickets they are selling, even if they plonk exorbitant fees on top even when you print out your own ticket or pay cash at the venue.
The advice given out by STAR is mainly common sense stuff that has been published by the ticketing sector before. Check an event’s official website for details of ‘promoter approved ticketing agencies’; only buy from websites that give the operator’s physical address; only buy if a website provides all relevant info, including dates, venues, seating type; and look out for payment protection symbols that normally have a padlock in them (and use credit cards rather than debit cards, because you get more protection). And, of course, STAR recommend you only buy from STAR-affiliated agents, before adding that if a ticket offer seems “too good to be true” (eg a website is selling loads of tickets for sold out events), it probably is.
STAR man Jonathan Brown says this: “It’s very easy to create a website that looks classy and reputable, but that doesn’t mean it’s law-abiding or will definitely supply you with what you think you are buying. People need to be vigilant in the run up to the festival season. Look for the warning signs, and if in doubt, make sure you buy from a member of STAR. If you see the STAR mark, you can expect excellent service, transparent pricing and an independent means of redress if anything goes wrong”.
