Exclusive Figures on Ticketing Fraud Released to Launch UK Awareness Campaign

• Nearly 3000 cases totalling £1.3m lost to ticket fraud over six months to end October 2015
• First time entertainment and sport ticket fraud statistics have been analysed separately
• Part of #lookfortheSTAR anti-fraud campaign
• Ticket agents and venues participating in industry-wide website and social media takeover
• Aims to raise public awareness of the STAR kitemark

Today organisations and individuals from across the British entertainment industry have joined forces on a new public awareness campaign to help combat ticket fraud. The #lookfortheSTAR anti-fraud campaign coincides with exclusive new figures released by national body Action Fraud revealing nearly £1.3 million was reportedly lost through entertainment and sport ticket fraud in the six months to the end of October 2015.  

With 2885 reports registered, that represents a median loss of over £200 per individual case. Notably, this is the first time ever that statistics have been made available for just entertainment and sport ticket fraud, providing a much more accurate view of fraud in the sector compared to past figures which have included areas such as airline tickets or holidays. A high number of these reports relate to two companies, Circle Tickets and GetSporting.com, and cover such events as Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, AC/DC, Fleetwood Mac, Foo Fighters, One Direction and the Rugby World Cup, as well as the key festival season.

Led by the Society of Ticket Agents & Retailers (STAR), the wider #lookfortheSTAR campaign comes ahead of the peak Christmas ticket-buying period, and aims to help reduce fraud by educating and encouraging customers to always look for STAR’s kitemark when buying tickets. This identifies members of STAR, who must sign up to a strict Code of Practice, and guarantees that the ticket is from a reliable source, much like buying a holiday through an ABTA or ATOL registered travel agent.

The initiative is backed by the Concert Promoters Association (CPA), National Arenas Association (NAA), and the Society of London Theatre, as well as ticket agents, performers, venues and others within the entertainment industry. Other supporters include Action Fraud, Metropolitan Police and City of London Police.

Websites of STAR members including Ticketmaster, See Tickets, TicketWeb, ATG Tickets, The Ticket Factory, Eventim and Ticketline, as well as theatre and concert venues across the country, are today featuring the campaign, including ‘homepage’ takeovers, putting the #lookfortheSTAR message in front of hundreds of thousands of customers as they log on to buy tickets.

Adrian Sanders, Chairman of STAR said: "As well as cheating the consumer, every case of fraud damages the reputation of Britain's vital entertainment and sporting industries. Buying tickets from a STAR kitemarked seller will give consumers the confidence that their purchase comes with certain guarantees that protect their rights.”

Rob Edwards, Managing Director, Eventim UK Ltd added: "This level of ticket fraud shows that as an industry we have to come together to help ticket buyers avoid ticket sellers who deliberately set out to defraud them. We are a proud member of STAR and believe the best advice for customers is to only buy tickets from companies that display the STAR kitemark, a symbol of trust that shows the company has signed up to the STAR Code of Practice."

STAR members and other supporters are taking part in a Twitter campaign, with members also promoting the campaign in their own e-newsletters, increasing the reach by millions.  

STAR launch secondary ticketing code

Following on from Which?'s criticism of five of the leading secondary ticketing sites including StubHub and Viagogo for flouting the provisions of the newly passed Consumer Rights Act, the Society Of Ticket Agents And Retailers (STAR) has announced plans to develop a code of practice for the secondary ticketing market in the UK, with a view to inviting ticket resale firms that sign up to the new rules to become members of the organisation. The ticketing body, which provides a code of practice for primary ticketing agents in a bid to ensure protection for consumers, has yet to say what the code will say, but CMU opine that "It will likely include various consumer guarantees already contained in the terms and conditions of sites like StubHub, Viagogo and Seatwave, but might go further. Proposals already on the table include ensuring that resales are governed by UK law, and providing some sort of seating information."

STAR CEO Jonathan Brown said: "Customers deserve clear information about where they can buy tickets safely. STAR recognises that the UK ticketing industry has rapidly changed in recent years and today's consumers expect greater levels of choice and protection. They need to know how and where they can buy tickets safely, whether they choose to buy them from the primary or secondary sectors. To increase clarity for ticket buyers, STAR will therefore develop standards of best practice to which we hope resale businesses that take consumer protection seriously will subscribe".

STAR gets new mark

The UK's Society Of Ticket Agencies and Retailers (STAR) has launched a new 'kitemark' to reassure consumers about the safety of its member's websites. The new STAR mark comes as the ticketing body launches research that shows that 10% of people have been affected by ticket fraud in the UK. The study also found that 10% of those interviewed would buy tickets from any website that "looked genuine" and that the same percentage said they'd never think to check a service's authenticity before buying tickets. The new STAR mark will be given to "reputable ticket outlets" that adhere to the trade body's code of conduct. The new kitemark is backed by other key bodies including the Concert Promoters Association (CPA), the National Arenas Association (NAA) and The Society of London Theatres.