Festival or concert tickets you want sold out?
June 22, 2016
Tickets for popular festivals and concerts can sell out fast. If you have missed out on a ticket for a festival or concert you really want to go to and are looking into buying from an unauthorised source, know what to watch out for. We have answers to questions you may have relating to buying a festival or concert ticket from an individual online, such as on an auction site or through an unofficial website:
1) What consumer rights do I have when I buy from an individual?
If you are buying from a private individual, you don’t have consumer rights because you are not buying from a business.
2) Does the ‘cooling-off’ period apply when buying from an individual?
Unlike products and services bought online from a business, where you have the right to cancel your order during the 14 day ‘cooling-off period’, there is no cooling-off period when you buy online from an individual.
3) What happens if the concert/festival is cancelled or postponed?
If you bought the ticket from a private individual you may have a problem getting a refund. If the original buyer of the ticket bought it by credit card it is to their card the refund will be made. They may not be willing or able to pass it on to you. However, if you buy the ticket from an official ticket outlet online and you are entitled to a refund the money will be returned to you directly.
4) What happens if the tickets I buy are not what I ordered?
If you receive a ticket from a private seller which was not what you ordered you may find it hard to track down the seller after the sale. For example, you receive standing tickets when you had understood they were seated, or if you believed that the tickets you were getting were seated together but they’re not. Unfortunately, you may not be able to get what you actually ordered and may have difficulty in getting your money back from the seller if you do wish to return them.
5) What are my rights if I buy from an online auction site?
It’s important to note that when you buy a ticket from an individual on an auction website usually the website takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the listing. Always check the terms and conditions of the auction website before making any offer because you have no rights under consumer law.
6) How safe is it to transfer money online?
When paying for a concert or festival ticket always use a secure method of payment, such as a credit card or Paypal and check with the site that the booking is confirmed. Never send cash or use a money-wiring service because you’ll have no recourse if something goes wrong. If you pay by credit card and something goes wrong your card provider may reverse the transaction, depending on the circumstances and the type of card you have. This is called chargeback.
7) What if the tickets arrive late?
You may find that there is a delay in receiving the tickets you ordered, and with time getting tight before the concert you are informed that the tickets you ordered are no longer available, but that other tickets at a higher price are. Make sure you agree the post or delivery timelines and arrangements in advance.
8) Am I more vulnerable to scams?
Buying from a private seller could also leave you open to a ticketing scam such as forged tickets. If an offer seems too good to be true it probably is. Be wary of a number of signs which may lead to you being scammed. For instance, tickets being sold at much lower prices, sites advertising tickets for sale before other official sites are selling them, the ‘About us’ section of the site is missing which normally tells you about the company and where they are registered. Also, if you are asked to enter your credit card details be wary if you are redirected to another site. When paying look out for an ‘s’ after ‘http’ at the beginning of the url and a padlock symbol in your browser’s task bar. If it isn’t there, be very wary of proceeding any further.
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