Scots consumer advice and Trading Standards officers are asking fans to help them crack down on ticket touts.
Music, theatre and sports fans have been urged to blow the whistle on unscrupulous scalpers.
For years, touts have refused to comply with the Consumer Rights Act and fail to give key information when they sell briefs on secondary sales sites.
Details such as seat numbers, the face value of tickets, viewing restrictions and bans on resale are all required by law but few penalties have been issued.
However, a recent case involving East Ayrshire Council’s trading standards department resulted in the first-ever fine for a tout who deliberately withheld seat numbers – a detail that can enable touted tickets to be cancelled if the sale breaches terms and conditions.
The fining of a “prolific” tout who was selling tickets for TV series Still Game’s stage show at Glasgow’s SSE Hydro - despite face value tickets being available – was the first successful case of its kind in the UK. It is hoped the precedent will lead to more prosecutions.
Fiona Richardson, chief officer of Trading Standards Scotland, said: “The law clearly sets out the information consumers must be told, and need to know, in order to make informed choices in this market.
“We would urge anyone with information about misleading ticket sales to report this to Trading Standards via Advice Direct Scotland. We are committed to working with local authorities and other partners to take action where the law is being broken.”
Andrew Bartlett, chief executive of consumeradvice.scot, said: “Scots consumers have rights they may not be aware of.
“Buyers must be told where they are sitting or standing, any restrictions, and the face value of a ticket. Our advisers offer free and impartial advice on consumer rights. By teaming up with Trading Standards Scotland, we can report instances for investigation where sellers have not complied.”
Breaches of the Consumer Rights Act include the failure of sellers to disclose:
● Whether tickets are sitting or standing, and if there is a restricted view.
● Information about any access restrictions such as age, a requirement for particular ID or a credit card to access the venue, or if the ticket is for a disabled access area.
● The original face value of the ticket(s).
● Whether they have any relationship with the secondary ticketing platform, the organiser, or its agent.
Anyone wishing to report a tout should call freephone 0808 164 6000 or access web chat at www.consumeradvice.scot or email via advice@consumeradvice.scot
