LONDON (VIP-NEWS) — A code of conduct to try to reduce fraudulent sales of concert and theatre tickets has been launched following a rise in complaints about scams.
The code from the Office of Fair Trading and the Society of Ticket Agent Retailers (Star) will cover box office and online vendors.
Members of the scheme, which include Lastminute.com and Ticketmaster, will display a Star logo.
It does not cover sales on eBay, nor on many unregulated reselling sites.
There is no money back guarantee, but Star members have pledged to provide clear information about rescheduled or cancelled events and outline the procedure and circumstances to process a refund.
"Star has been protecting consumers from sharp practices for over 10 years, but there is more work to be done, as complaints about online ticket scams and street touts continue to flood in," said Jonathan Brown, secretary of Star.
"We need to improve consumer awareness of what to look for when buying tickets, so people can avoid paying inflated prices or risk losing everything if something goes wrong."
The organisations hope to reduce the growing number of complaints from members of the public who have been misled by deals for sold-out events or cheap seats at shows.
Star will continue to encourage more businesses to sign up and will update the code of conduct by early 2010. –According to BBC
