Herald - Issue 412

Page 54 • The HERALD • 16th September 2021 v EMAIL: editor@herald-publishing.co.uk v ASK A PROFESSIONAL As lockdown restrictions ease and we see the return of festivals, concerts and sporting events, people will be rushing to buy tickets to much missed events. However, it’s not just audiences that are looking forward to their return, fraudsters are also waiting in the wings. It is therefore easy to overlook online safety as people rush to purchase e-tickets to travel or to see their favourite team or band. Do buyers have any legal recourse when it comes to purchasing counterfeit tickets, what are the risks when buying tickets from a third party and what is the best way to protect yourself from ticket scams? Lauren Wolf, Legal Adviser at DAS Law, explains where the law stands on ticket scams… How can I protect myself from ticket scams? e best way to protect yourself from ticket scams is by contacting the event organiser in the rst instance. ey should either be able to supply tickets or direct you to authorised agencies, the o cial agents who have agreements with promoters or venues to sell tickets for events. O cial ticket sellers are usually listed on the event’s o cial website. When using websites to order tickets, it is important that you pay attention to the detail of the URL to make sure you are using a secure internet connection. e security of a website will be indicated by a padlock symbol, this means that usually the connection cannot be intercepted by a scammer or hacker. Also, look closely at the content of the website for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes or broken English. If the page does not read well, there is a high chance that this is a scam website. e Consumer Rights Act 2015 stipulates that certain information should be provided where a person resells a ticket for a recreational, sporting or cultural event in the United Kingdom through a secondary ticketing facility. When purchasing a ticket through a tout or reselling site you should ensure that you are made aware of the following pieces of information: • e face value of the ticket • Where the ticket is, such as a particular seat or standing area at the venue for the event and the information necessary to enable you to identify that seat or standing area • Information about any restriction(s) which limits use of the ticket to persons of a particular description • details of connections they have with either the online facility on which they are selling, or the organiser of the event for which the ticket is being sold • e unique ticket number (UTN) to a buyer if the event organiser speci es one. Purchasing tickets with a credit or debit card should be considered because if you experience di culty with a ticket seller you may be able to get a refund through your credit or debit card provider via a chargeback scheme or Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. What is my legal position in claiming a refund if the event is cancelled? If the event you have booked is cancelled, rescheduled or has changed location, you are entitled to a refund of at least the face value of the ticket. If an event is rescheduled to another date, your ticket should be valid. If you can’t make the rescheduled date, then you’re entitled to a full refund. e ticket seller is responsible for giving you a refund for tickets to a cancelled event. If the company are a member of the industry’s self-regulatory body, the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR), it is a condition that they refund the ticket’s face value price when an event is cancelled. It is, however, unlikely that you will receive additional compensation for losses such as travel or accommodation. Online Ticket Scams Are on the Rise: Here Information supplied by DAS Law Continued on page 55