A COUNCILLOR has opened up about being scammed out of £380 after buying fake Peter Kay tickets from a bogus website.
Andy Morgan said he and a pal snapped up the tickets for "very good seats" and were really looking forward to the comedy gig this weekend.
And, as the tickets had been bought fromwww.peterkaytickets.com, Andy didn't think he'd have any trouble.
But, the Bolton councillor never actually saw the tickets for the Liverpool show, the website no longer exists and emails to its apparent customer service team are now bouncing back.
And, visiting the website today merely shows an error page that says "this site can't be reached".
Andy and his pal, who are long-standing fans of the comic, are now at a loss.
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He told the Manchester Evening News: “I’m really disappointed that we have been scammed for Peter Kay tickets.
“A very good friend of ours bought us some tickets for Saturday at Liverpool and they have not arrived.
"The website (www.peterkaytickets.com) is now saying ‘this site cannot be reached’ and the customer service email keeps bouncing back saying ‘undelivered’."
Andy continued: “They were supposedly very good seats close to the stage and we’re now £380 out of pocket.
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"It’s a bloody disgrace but you live and learn. Like many people in Bolton, we’re extremely proud of what Peter has achieved and were so looking forward to seeing him on his comeback tour.”
The councillor and his pal have expressed their disappointment as they are both patrons of the Bolton Hospice charity.
It's a non-profit organisation that Peter Kay has provided support from his early career right through to his emergence as the biggest box office draw in comedy history.
Andy has now contacted M&S Bank Arena, where the show is being held, to make them aware of the situation.
But festival founder Sacha Lord said this was the work of highly organised criminal groups who are creating more and more plausible fake ticketing sites.
Sacha, who is co-founder of both Parklife festival and Warehouse Project, said: "We reinforce our ticketing message on a weekly basis but still we get people turning up at our events crying their eyes out because they've put their hand in their pocket for a fake ticket.
"These are multi-million pound scam businesses, they're con artists. They are highly sophisticated outfits, not chancers."
He continued: "It's not just Peter Kay, it happens at every single popular gig or event.
"I'd say to people only buy tickets from the absolute most credible ticketing companies. I would say the obvious ones are Ticketmaster, Skiddle and See Tickets."
It comes after a Liverpool fan and his pals were conned out of £19,000 after buying fake Champions League final tickets.
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It was also recently reported hundreds of Met cops and staff were alleged to have been ripped off for £450,000 in a theatre and concert tickets scam.
And, a huge Adele fan also once opened up about being scammed when she coughed up the cash for fake concert tickets.
More information on ticket fraud
What is it?
Action Fraud explains it's when you buy tickets from a website or agent for a music concert or festival, a sporting contest such as a football match or rugby tournament, or a live comedian or performer, but the tickets either don’t arrive or turn out to be fake and you aren’t refunded.
How to protect yourself:
- Only buy tickets from the venue’s box office, the promoter, an official agent or a well-known and reputable ticket exchange site.
- Should you choose to buy tickets from an individual (for example on eBay or on a social media), never transfer the money directly into their bank account but use a secure payment site such as PayPal.
- Paying for your tickets by credit card will offer increased protection over other payments methods, such as debit card, cash, or money transfer services. Avoid making payments through bank transfer or money transfer services, as the payment may not be recoverable.
How to spot the signs:
- Check the contact details of the site you’re buying the tickets from. There should be a landline phone number and a full postal address. Avoid using the site if there is only a PO box address and mobile phone number, as it could be difficult to get in touch after you buy tickets. PO box addresses and mobile phone numbers are easy to change and difficult to trace.
- Before entering any payment details on a website, make sure the web address starts with https (the ‘s’ stands for secure). There should be That there is a locked padlock icon in the browser’s address bar.
- Is the vendor a member of Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR)? If they are, you're buying from a company that has signed up to their strict governing standards. STAR also offers a service to help customers with outstanding complaints.
How to report it:
Report it to Action Fraud online or call 0300 123 2040.
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