A 'furious' mum has issued a warning to fellow parents and gig-goers after her young daughters were refused entry to the Little Mix concert at SSE Hydro on Thursday night.
Michelle Lappin from Bothwell says she had bought tickets for the show on ticket resale site Viagogo as a Christmas present for her seven-year-old, with her older 17-year-old sister set to join her for the concert in Glasgow.
However, as the youngsters had their tickets scanned at the door, they were turned away, leaving the younger of the two girls in tears, the mum explained.
After driving from Bothwell to collect her kids, Michelle said she was told by Hydro staff the tickets had already been scanned 40 minutes before the youngsters had arrived.
Michelle said: "I downloaded the tickets and sent them on to my daughter along with paper copies just in case. When they arrived at the Hydro they were told the tickets had been scanned.
"My daughter rang me and I drove from Bothwell to the SECC to pick them up. I spoke to someone on the Box Office who advised that the tickets had been scanned 40 minute prior to my daughters arriving.
"They said unfortunately this happens a lot and the seller could have sold them on to 100 people who’d all be in the same situation as we were."
Michelle told Glasgow Live she's subsequently contacted Viagogo following the issue, however hasn't yet had a response, leaving her angry at the company's 'lack of compassion'.
She added: "My eldest daughter was disappointed but I think seeing her little sister so upset and in tears annoyed her more.
"They’d made the trip in to the city centre on their own going to Zizi’s for dinner first so it was such a shame that their night took a horrible turn.
"I’m furious at the lack of compassion from Viagogo. I’ve rang them twice and sent an email which promised a response within 24 hours. I’ve heard nothing from them.
"Getting a refund at this stage is a small bonus but I’d much rather be hearing my girls happy stories from their concert."
And Michelle is hoping that by sharing her story of the ordeal, others can avoid falling foul of similar situations at future shows.
She added: "I personally thought Viagogo was a tout site where they doubled the price of tickets but I only paid face value for mine.
"If anyone is thinking of using Viagogo then I would with extreme caution.
"I’d always try the more reputable sites like Ticketmaster or the Hydro site direct.
"That old saying 'If it’s seems too good to be true, then it probably is' is what springs to mind."
Thankfully, a friend of the family has since come to the rescue, buying two tickets for the girls for the Little Mix performance on Saturday. Although grateful for the gesture, Michelle added: "Not every one would be that lucky."
Viagogo describes itself as: "an online ticket exchange that allows people to buy and sell live event tickets in a safe and guaranteed way.", while the company also adds: "Buyers are guaranteed to receive valid tickets in time for the event. If a problem arises, viagogo will step in to provide comparable replacement tickets or a refund."
Glasgow Live have contacted Viagogo for comment.
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