In Review

21 November 2008 22:35 BST

Furious festivalgoers complain after ticket "rip-off"

A ticket scam left hundreds of music fans attempting to attend last weekend's V festival out of pocket after passes to the events failed to arrive.

Between 400 and 800 people were unable to enter the festival's twin sites in Essex and Staffordshire after tickets bought through the SOS Master Tickets agency did not arrive.

When customers contacted the company in the week leading up to the event querying the whereabouts of their tickets, they were told to travel to their specific venue where they would be able to collect their tickets in person.

However, SOS staff were not present at either venue and representatives Richard and Jay - who attendees had been told to meet – were not reachable via mobile phone.

"I got down to Hylands Park [in Chelmsford] to an entrance to find about 30 people also waiting for Richard, and waited, still trying to get through," scam victim Jo Kay told the BBC.

"Eventually, at 19:30 approx, the phone was then switched off."

Laura Stock, from Leicester who was turned away from Weston Park in Stafford, added: "On arrival at the venue, Jay's phone was switched off and could not be contacted, so I paid [an] extra £10 to park so I could look for him.

"Once parked, I could still not find Jay, so I made my way to the ticket collection point at the main entrance and a man from Ticketmaster told me that the SOS Master Ticket chap had not turned up and [had] disappointed hundreds of people."

Graham Burns, of the Association of Secondary Ticket Agencies (Asta), warned that fans who used SOS to buy tickets for the Reading and Leeds festivals and Madonna and George Michael concerts are likely to be disappointed.

"They've taken this opportunity to fleece the general public and the fallout has been quite spectacular," he told the BBC.

Disappointed customers were sent an email purportedly from the SOS managing director promising refunds and compensation, but the firm's website has since been deactivated and phone lines switched off.

Mr Burns advised the angry fans who paid for their 'tickets' with credit or debit cards to contact their card issuer for refunds.