Ticket formula scam

lovintheblues

Hoping for some good old fashioned advice!

I brought 2 tickets for the British GP and paid £200 through a bank transfer. Unfortunately, I have now discovered that the company does not exsit :mad:

Has anyone got any advice about what do next. I lnow that I have lost the money, but I don't want to sit here and just do nothing about it.

Any constructive advice would be welcomed. Thanks in advance.

maninthestreet

I suspect it's too late to ask your bank to reverse the transfer?
What is the name of the 'company' in question??

kazwookie

As the Grand Prix was the weekend just gone, I would have been chasing up the tickets weeks ago, if they didn't arrive.

When did you actually buy the tickets?
How were the tickets going to be sent to you?
Did you check out the company you were buying them from first?
Why did you not buy them from Silverstone's own web site / ticket office?

CHR15

You paid by Bank Transfer??? Holy Moly, you have little chance of ever seeing that again.

There was a post some time ago for a similar scam.

Paying by Bank Transfer is like walking into a pub, walking to someone and giving him wads of cash on the promise he is going to come back in a Month with your goods.

Constructive advice is NEVER pay for ANYTHING by Bank Transfer, you have simply given your money away.

Oh! and research companies before commiting to a purchase.

unholyangel

I've never been in this situation myself so anything i say is purely guessing but if they have obtained cash by deception........cant use the sort code/account number to report them to the police?

And give your bank police case number to see if they can help in any way?

lovintheblues

Thank you for your replies.
I had been chasing the tickets for over 2 weeks. I gave up last Friday when I realised that the company was a scam! Silverstone had sold out of tickets, so I found a company online, as you do, and it all seemed very professional, invoices sent, phone calls to check if everything was ok. Seemed like an genuine agency, as they were selling tickets for every GP left this season!

One thing I don't understand: I have never made a bank transfer before, so if they are such a dodgy way of transferring money, why do banks let you do it? I had a sort code and account number, the payment was made to an account with an IBAN (international bank account number). Company was called TICKET FORMULA. Just wish that the bank had perhaps told me about the dangers of sending money via bank transfer! :mad:

moonrakerz

lovintheblues wrote: »

One thing I don't understand: I have never made a bank transfer before, so if they are such a dodgy way of transferring money, why do banks let you do it? I had a sort code and account number, the payment was made to an account with an IBAN (international bank account number). Company was called TICKET FORMULA. Just wish that the bank had perhaps told me about the dangers of sending money via bank transfer! :mad:

Bank transfers are not a "dangerous" & "dodgy" method of transferring money - they are quick, easy and effective - that is why the scammers use that method !!

whatmichaelsays

lovintheblues wrote: »

I have never made a bank transfer before, so if they are such a dodgy way of transferring money, why do banks let you do it?

They aren't "dangerous and dodgy" - almost every business uses BACS to pay employees / suppliers. They're also a good way of sending cash to friends or family.

They don't however offer the levels of protection that a credit offers, which is why it is the payment method of choice for online scam sites.

maninthestreet

Is the website still up and running???

omen666

lovintheblues wrote: »

Thank you for your replies.
I had been chasing the tickets for over 2 weeks. I gave up last Friday when I realised that the company was a scam! Silverstone had sold out of tickets, so I found a company online, as you do, and it all seemed very professional, invoices sent, phone calls to check if everything was ok. Seemed like an genuine agency, as they were selling tickets for every GP left this season!

One thing I don't understand: I have never made a bank transfer before, so if they are such a dodgy way of transferring money, why do banks let you do it? I had a sort code and account number, the payment was made to an account with an IBAN (international bank account number). Company was called TICKET FORMULA. Just wish that the bank had perhaps told me about the dangers of sending money via bank transfer! :mad:

What was the website address, telephone number?

bribri_2

Possibly this website http://www.ticketformula.com/ that doesn't work.