Buying tickets from an overseas company

[skyblue2027]

Hi,

 

it seems as if i have been ripped off. i paid for 2 Grand Prix tickets last month from ticketformula.com.

 

Since the tickets have not arrived, they are not replying to my mails or picking up the phone.

 

What steps can i take in recovering my money? i paid via bank transfer last month.

[perplexity]

The first thing to do is read their terms, e.g.

 

Once you have confirmed that we can supply you with the required order and you have been invoiced by our bookings department you can remain in contact with them [uPS Express Delivery] until you have received a delivery notification, including a tracking number for your purchase. You will also be informed of the receipt of your payment, providing you attach the invoice reference to the transaction. We cannot guarantee any order which does not have this reference attached to its payment.

 

You can use the UPS logo links to get to the UPS web site and track your package, right up to its delivery.

... so what is the story with UPS?

 

[skyblue2027]

ticketformula have not provided me with a reference number so i cannot track the parcel.

[blitz]

How did you pay, Debit or Credit Card?

[skyblue2027]

bank transfer. ive got the invoices.

[buzby]

What country are they based? If EU there is recourse if they are not a shell operation, but outwith this, you're pretty much chasing a shadow. As it was a bank transfer, you cannot recall or seek consumer protections from the payment made.

[Jamesnavy]

I am going through the exact same thing with ticketformula at the moment. I suspected something late last week, yesterday i informed my bank and have since been advised by a police officer i work with to contact the old bill now rather than waiting for sunday when the tickets still may not have turned up.

Googled "joseph aincough" to find some suprising results. apparantly the guy has form in spain for ripping people off and also spok with UPS and they said although cannot go into full details (data protection etc) they have recived a similar thing as our problem form a ticket place in spain (oddly enough)

[skyblue2027]

thanks for your replies guys. looks as if i have paid a dodgy company. will have to report this one.

[skyblue2027]

What country are they based? If EU there is recourse if they are not a shell operation, but outwith this, you're pretty much chasing a shadow. As it was a bank transfer, you cannot recall or seek consumer protections from the payment made.

 

company are based in Spain

[yankees]

The same problem.F...k!! Anyone have any idea what i should do now?

Edited July 6, 2010 by yankees

[qa19]

the website is hosted by VodaHost Web Hosting official Site or the evidence suggests it is. You may want to contact them to get the site taken down.

[perplexity]

What steps can i take in recovering my money? i paid via bank transfer last month.

 

Presuming that the money was paid to a bank account identified by an IBAN/BIC number, check that the number corresponds to the Murcia part of Spain.

 

I am out of practice with this; can't remember how exactly, but it can be done online.

 

 

the website is hosted by VodaHost Web Hosting official Site or the evidence suggests it is. You may want to contact them to get the site taken down.

 

In which it case it turns up again, a few days later, thanks to another host, perhaps in disguise. This sort of site needs no reputation, just a sufficient number of unsuspecting punters to stumble upon it, half asleep.

 

A proprietor featured in another CAG thread switched, as soon as he saw the heat was on.

 

----

Edited July 7, 2010 by perplexity

[buzby]

Once the payment reaches its destination, that's the end of the game. There is nothing a remitter can do to claim it back or arrange a reversal. Action is limited to the remitting bank asking for the funds to be restored. nothing more - and this goes whether you know the name and bank branch of the recieving bank, it doesn't help in the slightest.

[skyblue2027]

thanks for your replies. i will put this down to being an expensive mistake. ive managed to secure tickets elsewhere from a registered seller.

[perplexity]

Once the payment reaches its destination, that's the end of the game. There is nothing a remitter can do to claim it back or arrange a reversal. Action is limited to the remitting bank asking for the funds to be restored. nothing more - and this goes whether you know the name and bank branch of the recieving bank, it doesn't help in the slightest.

 

Rubbish.

 

The bank account identifies the owner of it, who should then then be investigated, if there is not already the evidence to achieve a conviction.

 

The pretended address on the web site could be bogus.

 

I don't know so much about Spain but in member states elsewhere in Europe they don't just sit around to weep and moan. The police turn up on the doorstep.

 

[buzby]

Oh DO grow up!

 

Once the payment has been made, it has gone. End of. It CANNOT be reversed as it can be with a CC or a s75 claim which needs no co-operaton from the merchant.

 

Identification is not the issue, it is getting the money BACK. Which, unless the merchant does it - that's where it's going to stay. For your information that;s how it works in the UK too.

 

There's no need to weep and moan - it's a valuable lesson not to take websites at face value. As for involving the police, an excellent idea. Will they get the money back?

 

Of course not. That's not their job.

[skyblue2027]

update. the website has been closed down. looks like otherss were duped but went ot the police.

 

put it down to an expensive mistake but still went to the grand prix. Been told by the bank they cannot recall the money so

 

will be very careful when buying of the internnt again.