Festival ticket swap, I think I have been scammed, what can I do?

inklove

I bought tickets for a festival a while ago, but my friends then decided they wanted to go to the other site (it is being held in two seperate places) so I planned to sell the tickets (for her and my hubby) and buy new ones.
On the forum on the festival website I found an advert from someone with two tickets to site A wanting to swap for two tickets to site B, the person claimed to be in a similar situation as me, and because I had tickets to B and wanted A we arranged to swap my tickets with the ones this person had. We agreed to send the tickets 1st class recorded delivery and them email one anther the tracking numbers.

I did as arranged and sent her tickets off to this persons address, and then emailed him the tracking number.
He did the same to me.

The problems started when I received the envelope the following day.
The envelope was a special postage one, which appeared to be a recycled one as my address was written on a piece on paper that had been taped to the front of the envelope, presumable covering the previous address. The envelope also had one end that was cut open hen taped closed.
But i didnt think too much about this at the time, many people reuse the special envelopes more than once. So I signed for it and all seemed well, until I opened the envelope to find it empty.
I immidiatly contacted the person, but he insisted that he had sent the tickets in that envelope.
I asked him to send me proof, he sent me the proof of posting, tracking details etc, and eventually a copy of his email confirmation/receipt from ticketmaster (as proof that he had purchased tickets)
Dispite numerous emails the sender insists the he had sent the tickets in the envelope, and refuses to return the tickets that she sent him.
All he said was that the post office must have tampered with the package and that I should make a claim.

But royal mail said that aren't responsible for the contents of the envelop, only ensuring it arrives at its destination. which it did.

I don't know what to do. I can't afford to buy more tickets.

I contacted the ticket issuer, but they said under no circumstances will duplicate tickets be issued for lost or stolen tickets.
and that once the tickets have been sent out there is no way to cancel a ticket, and even if there was a way to void it there would be no way to enforce it.

I do understand this because when you arrive at festivals you queue up to go through the barriers, at which you exchange your ticket for a wristband, there is no ticket scanning envolved, just security people exchanging wristbands for tickets so even if the tickets were voided there would be no way to stop the person using the tickets.

I have the senders address but I don't know what I can do. I called the police non emergency number but they said there isn't much they can do.

Help!

lb364

All I know is that when I had my v festival ticket stolen (after showing it to get in but before getting a wristband) they put the details in to the computer to try and block it but it had already been scanned and exchanged. So if you are talking about v festival, contact them, tell them those tickets have been stolen and ask them to block them. Hope you get them back, sounds like a scam sadly.