Rugby World Cup ticket phone line suspended after Which? investigation

A phone line selling tickets for next month’s Rugby World Cup has been suspended by police after a warning from consumer groups.

Fans are being urged to be cautious following an investigation by Which? into a website selling tickets to the tournament.

GetSporting.com is not registered as an official Rugby World Cup 2015 reselling site, but is offering tickets for sold-out matches such as England v Australia for £500 and for the final at almost £1,800, Which? said.

In a statement, the City of London Police, said: “The national fraud intelligence bureau has suspended the phone line on GetSporting.com and is currently assessing the website. It has also referred the matter to a local police force for possible investigation.”

The Which? investigation also found the website was offering as many as 10 tickets for certain games. The official allowance is four.

Richard Lloyd, Which? executive director, urged fans looking to buy tickets online to “keep their wits about them. If an offer looks too good to be true, it probably is”.

The website has had several negative online reviews.

Melissa Dring, the director of policy at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said: “Under the Consumer Rights Act, people should be able to see the original face value of a ticket, any restrictions on sale and the seat/row number or standing area.

“Local trading standards services are responsible for enforcing these provisions and sites which break the law could face fines of up to £5,000.”

Last year, Debbie Jevans, the then chief executive of England Rugby 2015, voiced her fears about online ticket fraud. She said: “I already know of websites selling tickets they simply don’t have.”

Rugby World Cup 2015 has set up its own tool for people to check whether the site they are buying from is an official registered vendor.