Kiwis stung by Rugby World Cup fraud on eBay
A report in NZ’s The Press says that Kiwis have been caught up in a Rugby World Cup ticket scam in London that has cost punters about £60,000 ($NZ158,400).
Christchurch plumber Sam Bateman and West Coaster Liv Monk, who are both on their OE in Britain, bought tickets on eBay to the All Blacks’ likely quarter-final in Cardiff on October 7.
However, they never got the tickets.
“We tried to contact him but nothing happened – the guy just disappeared,” Bateman said from London.
After contacting eBay, they were told the internet auction company had been inundated with complaints about the seller, who had sold £60,000 of fraudulent tickets.
Bateman said the seller had obviously been planning the scam for some time because he had established a history on the site as a good seller with plenty of positive feedback.
“We’ve had to replace them now because we’re still keen to go,” he said.
“It was £125 for the first ticket and £175 for the second, so it’s cost us about $NZ800 each to get to one game, and that’s before we even get there and pay for accommodation.” “That’s an expensive trip.”
Bateman was keen to track down the scammer, but he or she had used a false address. “It’s caused havoc for the people living at the house. “Apparently they’ve been abused by lots of people,” he said.
The same thing happened last month to a Welsh fan who paid £360 ($NZ950) for four tickets he bid for on eBay.
The BBC reported that the seller had been suspended from the site.
After that incident, eBay said: “When buying on eBay.co.uk it is important to always check the details of the listing as well as a seller’s feedback rating.”
“We encourage buyers to contact the seller if they have any questions before bidding on an item, including establishing an expected delivery date where event or festival tickets are concerned, and to report any suspicious listings to eBay though the safety centre.”
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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