Olympic ticket fraud

snowmonster1

Hi, whilst searching the web for the official 2012 website we found what we thought was the correct site and placed several large orders for tickets. After completing the purchase and paying by Visa debit card, we discovered that the site was not the official one. Furthermore, we found the site listed on the correct 2012 site as being fraudulent. Is there anyway we can stop the bank from sending the money to the merchant? If not, are there any channels for the bank to recover the money for us? Clearly they will not be able to provide the goods ordered. This has been a very expensive mistake.

PZH

Have you notified your bank ? The quicker you do this the better your chances.

snowmonster1

Yes I have. They say there is nothing that can be done until the money leaves the account but it is earmarked to go today.

Norfolk_Jim

Have you asked your bank to make a VISA chargeback?

meer53

Norfolk_Jim wrote: »

Have you asked your bank to make a VISA chargeback?

On what basis ? For non receipt of tickets they'll have to wait until after the date of the events.

melancholly

http://www.actionfraud.org.uk/last-chance-to-apply-for-tickets-for-the-london-2012-olympics-april11

have you reported it to the police and received a crime reference number? since offering tickets away from the official site is illegal, would that be enough to get a chargeback?

snowmonster1

If I do not recieve the tickets (which is likely) will I be able to get Visa to chargeback? I appreciate that I may have to wait until next year.

paulmx3

surely as no tickets have yet been allocated they are selling something they do not posess or have any gaurantee of posessing so surely a chargeback would be possible on those grounds.

dont take that as an answer,just thinking aloud.

meer53

paulmx3 wrote: »

surely as no tickets have yet been allocated they are selling something they do not posess or have any gaurantee of posessing so surely a chargeback would be possible on those grounds.

Lots of ticket agents sell tickets they don't have, they send them out just before the events. There are no chargeback rights in this case until after the events or if the OP can provide proof to their card issuer that they will not receive the tickets. Maybe if the OP contacts to official ticket suppliers they may be able to advise them, but as for the site being illegal, this is something the OP will need to take up themselves. A chargeback can be actioned if no tickets are received by the day after the event is due to take place.

Visa international may make some sort of plan for this but i've not seen anything about this yet, as always, it's up to you to make sure you use the official channels to buy tickets.

Darksun

snowmonster1 wrote: »

If I do not recieve the tickets (which is likely) will I be able to get Visa to chargeback? I appreciate that I may have to wait until next year.

I think a chargeback has to be done within 60 days. Since no sites are legally allowed to sell Olympics tickets other than the official one then you should be able to do the chargeback immediately as it's clearly fraud.

meer53

Darksun wrote: »

I think a chargeback has to be done within 60 days. Since no sites are legally allowed to sell Olympics tickets other than the official one then you should be able to do the chargeback immediately as it's clearly fraud.

A chargeback has to be actioned within 120 days of the debit date BUT where the purchase is for an event in the future, the 120 days starts on the date of the event. If the OP can get written confirmation that he will NOT receive his tickets THEN the chargeback can be actioned immediately.