BUY SMART STAY SAFE

09 July 2012

The Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR) is supporting  a video campaign to protect ticket buyers with Operation Podium, the Metropolitan Police Service's specialist team to prevent and investigate a range of serious and organised crime affecting the Olympic economy.

The short video, entitled 'The Moment', warns of the risk of buying tickets from unauthorised sources and being turned away from an event.  The video, produced on behalf of the major events industry by the Metropolitan Police Service, is being used to help underline the message that customers should only buy tickets for sports and entertainment events from authorised vendors.  The video features the STAR kitemark - the sign that consumers should look for when buying tickets to ensure they are buying from an authorised and reliable source.

The video is hosted on STAR's website (www.star.org.uk) and is also available on the Met's YouTube site (www.youtube.com/metpoliceservice).

"This summer will see double the number of tourists coming to London for the Olympics. There are many wonderful shows for visitors to enjoy but, unfortunately, there are also many unethical ticket sellers who will prey on tourists," warns Jonathan Brown, STAR's Secretary.

"We very much support the work that the Metropolitan Police is doing to make potential victims aware of how to avoid getting ripped-off. Ticket buyers need to ask the right questions to make sure they don't pay over the odds or, worse, end up left out in the cold by buying dodgy tickets."

Detective Superintendent Nick Downing from the Met's Operation Podium said;

"I want to thank the students from Ravensbourne College who made the film and STAR for their on-going support. I would encourage anyone buying tickets for an event to only buy from official sources to avoid missing out on that moment you thought you were paying to see."

To avoid falling victim to rogue ticket sellers, ticket buyers should always:

• Ask to see the price printed on the ticket - this is the face value
• Check additional charges - although there is legally no upper limit, you should expect to pay no more than about 25% of the value of the ticket in "booking fees" or "service charges"
• Check if the seat has a restricted view - these tickets should be significantly cheaper
• Ask for evidence of STAR membership - this means you have an independent means of redress if things go wrong

Membership of STAR can be recognised by the use of the STAR kitemark and a list of members is available at www.star.org.uk or by phoning the STAR helpline (0844 879 4272).

Operation Podium is a dedicated team within the Metropolitan Police Service to prevent and investigate a range of serious and organised crime affecting the Olympic economy.