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Tickets to Games on offer from 'swindling' websites
Mark Prigg, Technology Correspondent13.08.08
A London businessman is under investigation over an online ticket scam involving the Olympics and major music festivals.
Customers have lost thousands of pounds worth of tickets for music festivals including this weekend's V Festival.
The website scam offers tickets ranging from Olympic events in Beijing to Premiership football matches.
Today trading standards officials said they were investigating dozens of complaints about the company - apparently run by Terence Butts - after an Evening Standard investigation.
The network includes chinaolympic2008tickets.com - which claims to offer guaranteed tickets to every event in Beijing - and summerfestivaltickets.com, for tickets to festivals around the world.
It comes after the parents of British swimming gold medallist Rebecca Adlington lost £1,100 buying tickets for the Games on a different bogus site.
Victims of the V Festival scam include 22-year-old Lucy Bulkeley from Pinner. She spent £1,200 on tickets as a surprise for her boyfriend but on Friday got an email from the bogus site saying there were no tickets and advising her to claim a refund from her credit card company.
She said: "I don't know what to do, it has ruined his birthday surprise and now it looks like we won't go to the festival at all." There are scores of postings on the site forums from customers claiming they have not received tickets.
The sites were apparently registered at an address in Thornton Heath by a Mr John Lupton. But Mr Lupton denies any knowledge of the scam and said someone must be using his name on the sites.
Croydon Council, which oversees Thornton Heath, today said it is investigating. "We are aware of a number of allegations made against this company," a spokesman said. The Office of Fair Trading is also investigating.
The network of sites is believed to be run by a registered company called Durban Vienna, based in Harrow. It lists Terence Butts as its director, who registered a Kensington address in the company filings at Companies House.
However, the Evening Standard was unable to contact him at the address,or at telephone numbers listed on his various websites.
Reader views (10)
I have also been conned for £690 for 4 tickets still trying to get visa to pay. but was told 60 days was the pass date - I paid for them in March.
- Nikki, hemel hempstead uk
I got stung for £600 by these chancers on a V tickets to Hylands. It was a present to my girlfriend so we now have a pretty flat weekend. To rub salt in the wound we live between Chelmsford station and V so will see thousands of people on their way. Joy.
I paid by debit card and my bank didn't seem to interested in helping me get my money back. I would recommend for those who have not done so to call your local police. A reputable company would have offered a refund and not make you claim it on your credit card.
I just hope the authorities move swiftly enough to get these scam merchants.
- Simon, Chelmsford
We have also been scammed by summerfestivaltickets I bought 4 V festival tickets back in March for £690, and I received an email from the company on Saturday to let me know they are no longer trading and that I will not be getting my tickets. Although I had spoken to them numerous times before last weekend, all attempts to contact them since they sent the email have failed and they have disabled their website. When I called their old number they advised to call a premium number at £1.50 a minute but I refuse to call as I believe it too is a scam which they can make more money from. Although I am covered on credit card for the tickets, my friends and I have extra expenses which may not be covered, and obviously it's extremely disappointing!
- Eva , London, Uk, London
I too have been scammed by this low life out of £680.00! For V Festival Tickets. As paid by Debit Card it is unlikely I will get any money back!
- Steve, london, uk
I bought tickets back in March for my children to go to the Reading Festival. My card was debited (£903) at the time of purchase.
On Saturday, less than two weeks before the event, summerfestvaltickets told me they won't supply tickets and that I should contact my credit card company for a refund.
Writing to the email address they supplied only resulted in the same notification being received five times. They gave a telephone number to ring that costs £1.50 per minute, but do say that this is a call centre that is not affiliated to the Company (no point in that, then).
Another forum has suggested that this, and similar sites, take money for tickets at a premium rate, then attempt to obtain tickets on Ebay for less. If they fail, they leave it to the card companies to reimburse the customer. Clever, huh?
Luckily I have managed to replace the tickets, but at this late stage I have had to pay almost double the original (already inflated) cost.
Utterly disgusting behaviour if you ask me!
- Jackie Reith, Harpenden, Herts
We have also been scammed for our v festival tickets by summerfestivaltickets, after many phone calls, emails, conversations and thinking they were generally a good company! Instead they were reeling us in hook, line and sinker! Tickets, what tickets? Over £400 wasted (even though covered). On a weekend we look forward to every year. For us and I imagine many others feel sick to the stomach that they could be drawn in by such thing. I suppose the next worry is people touting will prey on all the poor individuals that are desperate for tickets. Good luck to anyone trying!
- Claire, kent uk
We spent £600 on tickets for V from summerfestivals, no tickets ever arrived and we did not even get an email from the company. Have rung the premium rate number but again no response.
It is so disappointing.
- Laura, London
Sorry one more thing there is a premium rated customer service line where staff keep you on the phone as long as possible... stealing yet more funds from innocent people.
- Cheryl Hall, Ware, Herts
I have been scammed by summerfestivalsfor my V festival weekend ticket at Hylands, the money was taken back in March logically of course and I have since discovered even if I had paid by Credit card (unfortunately I do not use credit cards) I still wouldn't get my money back owing to the length of time that has passed... so there must be 1000's of people who did use their credit cards expecting protection who will lost their money completely... just like me... unfortunately I do not have the money nor can I justify paying a further £150 for a new ticket which is the average charge at the moment. By the sounds of things this so called business man, I'd prefer to say thief! or criminal! should be investigated by the fraud squad and trading standards and be made accountable for his actions... the little people like me wont get anything but a slight bit of satisfaction if he goes to prison.
- Cheryl Hall, Ware, Herts
This is outrageous. I really feel for these fellow V-Fest goers. If this happened to me I would be devastated. Bring on the Verve! Can't wait!
- We Love...V Festival, Watford
