London 2012 Olympics: Don’t get caught by ticket cheats
ESSEX County Council’s Trading Standards are warning residents not to purchase last minute Olympic or Paralympic tickets from unofficial sources.
Tickets should only be purchased from the London 2012 website – tickets.london2012.com or from travel agents that may be selling tickets as part of a package deal.
Cllr Roger Walters, member with responsibility for trading standards, said: “This year is one of the most exciting London has ever seen, and with Essex being so close to all the action, it is understandable that so many of our residents want to be part of it.
“However, I would urge people to not purchase tickets from websites that are not official ticket agents for the Games as I fear they will be disappointed when no tickets arrive.”
There are some things to look out for to ensure that any Olympic and Paralympic tickets you purchase are legitimate:
• Official tickets from the London 2012 website will arrive by recorded delivery and must be signed for
• Genuine tickets will have a hologram on them and will arrive with the relevant venue, sport event and travel information
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• The name of the purchaser will be on a genuine ticket
• When entering an Olympic venue, each ticket will be scanned to confirm that tickets are genuine
Along with counterfeit tickets, trading standards are also warning residents about counterfeit goods.
Cllr Walters added: “With the Games now here, many residents will want to show their support to Team GB with the purchase of mascots, t-shirts and other Olympic memorabilia. These should only be purchased from official sources as counterfeit goods can often be poorly designed and can sometimes cause a risk to safety.”
Various products have been seized prior to the Games beginning, these include:
• Clothing bearing the Olympic symbol – all genuine products will have a label attached bearing a unique hologram
• Batches of branded cigarette lighters – these will never be a genuine product as the Olympic and Paralympic Games does not associate itself with tobacco products
• Counterfeit London 2012 mascot stuffed toys – genuine items will have a label attached bearing a unique hologram
If residents have any concerns about tickets or counterfeit goods, they should call the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 04 05 06 for advice and guidance.
