Dodgy ticket website Getmetickets.net has been closed down by the government. This was the previously reported ticket sales website which had caused concern among consumer rights groups and the live sector by selling tickets to sold-out gigs and festivals at a considerable premium. The company gained particular notoriety after it was featured on BBC consumer rights programme Watchdog.
The Department Of Trade And Industry took action to force the winding up of the company after allegations that it frequently sold tickets it didn't actually have access to, often leaving music fans without tickets and considerably out of pocket.
A notice from the official receiver now appears on the company's website which reads: "When my staff attended the company's premises a number of tickets were recovered. It appears that the company does not have sufficient tickets to supply all its customers who have ordered and paid for tickets. The court has therefore ordered that those tickets held by the company should be distributed to customers in the order that customers paid for the tickets."
Obviously no other tickets will be available, and the receiver states that he will be unable to make refunds or exchanges at this time. Meanwhile a spokesman for the DTI refused to comment on the ticket company, except to say that it made petitions to the court to "wind up companies in the public interest" when a firm was shown to not be fulfilling claims and promises it made to consumers.