A-ha! As if we needed any more evidence that theatre and gig-going is an increasingly treacherous business, yesterday saw around 6,500 music fans lose their concert tickets (complete with inexplicable booking charges) into the abyss, as an online ticket agency collapsed owing almost £2m.
Despite having paid highly to see acts such as the Killers, Arctic Monkeys and Dolly Parton, fans have been informed that it's "highly unlikely" they will receive any compensation, and with regards to getting tickets to future events, that "regrettably, the company will be unable to provide these to you as it is not in possession of the tickets."
Ticket Tout's collapse comes just a year after another firm, Getmetickets.net, was closed by the government for overcharging its customers. This latest debacle will hopefully put some pressure on the government to ban the resale of tickets and kill touting altogether. Last month, culture secretary Tessa Jowell said she did not believe there was a need for such legislation; hopefully this may just change her mind. Has anyone been affected? And what else can we do?
