Consumers scrambling for last minute Olympics tickets are being urged to steer clear of an apparently fraudulent website selling them in breach of official restrictions, amid warnings that they are likely to be denied entry as well as losing their money.
The Rio 2016 Olympic Games starts less than two weeks away on 5 August, and consumer group Which? has found a site selling tickets for a wide range of events – including the opening and closing ceremonies – despite not being an authorised ticket source.
The Book Rio Games site ranks higher in internet searches than official sites such as the Rio2016 site for for international sales and the official UK resale site CoSport. It claims to be “a secure and transparent platform for buying tickets for the Rio Olypmic (sic) Games” and even tells users “you’re protected with us”. But Which? warns purchasers that they risk not being allowed into any of the events and will not be eligible for a refund.
UK nationals can buy through both the Rio2016 and CoSport sites, although both have only very expensive tickets left for the opening ceremony, while the Book Rio Games site is claiming to have numerous tickets – up to £1436.65 per seat.
The official Rio 2016 Olympic Games terms and conditions state clearly: “Tickets may not be purchased or obtained from or through any source other than directly from an Authorised Ticket Source. Tickets purchased or obtained from or through sources other than directly from Authorised Ticket Sources … may be declared void, and may be seized or cancelled. In such a case, the Ticket Holder will be denied entry to the Session and the Purchaser will not be eligible for a refund.”
The site design, graphics and fonts resemble those of the official Rio Olympics ticket site, Which? notes, which could be an attempt to confuse consumers into thinking that it is the official site.
Which? could not find any evidence of online reviews – although the site claims to have “5 stars” – while it also warned of “consumer-unfriendly” terms and conditions. For example, the site “reserves the right to deliver tickets at any point between the time of purchase and the day of the event”, meaning some fans would have to travel to Rio before receiving their ticket, or the tickets may not turn up at all. The site also allows customers to buy as many as 20 tickets, even though official rules only allow four tickets per customer.
As part of its investigation, researchers for Which? contacted the website www.bookriogames2016.com using the email address and phone number on the website, to ask why it is registered to a domain often associated with scams – “domain by proxy”, which allows owners to register the site while hiding their identity – and why it is selling tickets in breach of Rio 2016’s rules. Which? found the site was hosted in India, but got no reply to emails or phone calls, while the telephone number listed on the site has since been removed. Emails and calls from the Guardian were also not returned.
Which? is reporting its concerns about this site to the City of London police and Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime. It is pointing anxious consumers in the direction of its Which? Consumer Rights site which has a free 7-step advice guide on how to spot a fake, fraudulent or scam website.
“If you’re planning to buy a last minute ticket for the Olympic Games, make sure you buy them from an authorised ticket seller, otherwise you risk being turned away at the gates,” said Alex Neill, Which? director of policy and campaigns. “We’ve reported our concerns about this site to Action Fraud but more must be done both in the UK and internationally to ensure ticket restrictions are made clear to consumers.”
Action Fraud revealed this week it has received 47 reports relating to the Olympics, with a total reported loss of £299,935 – most involving ticketing fraud and lottery scams.
