Tout cashes in on tickets for Tattoo

Published on 10/08/2007 12:16

A ROYAL Mile trader has been found selling Tattoo tickets for more than double their face value.

The Evening News discovered the tickets being sold at the Royal Mile Trading Company yesterday for 30 - well over their original 13 price tag.

Tattoo chiefs have launched an inquiry and said they would cancel reservations for tickets bought from the shop. The tickets are believed to have been passed on to the store by another business.

Tickets can be identified by their serial numbers and the name they were reserved under.

Alan Smith, the Tattoo's marketing manager, said the store was "blatantly touting" tickets for the event, which sold out in record time in January.

He said: "This business has purchased tickets from another company and is selling them for far more than they are worth. It's nothing more than a rip-off and an example of blatant touting.

"Although what they are doing is not illegal, it still contravenes our ticketing policy as they are not authorised to sell our tickets.

"We have approached them and strongly expressed our concerns. And if they do not desist from this practice we will make moves to cancel their reservations."

Bosses for the store, which is run by Edinburgh firm Tartan Kilts, said they were not doing anything wrong by selling the tickets. When a News reporter approached the store about purchasing tickets, a middle-aged man - believed to be the shop's manager - asked what performance date was wanted and confirmed he had tickets available at 30 each.

After being given the cash, he produced a wrap of seven tickets from a sporran being worn by one of his shop staff, before handing over a ticket wrapped in a bag.

He later said: "I do have tickets which I have offered to our customers. It isn't illegal and I am allowed to do that." He did not say where the tickets came from.

Council officials said they were powerless to prevent the tickets being sold, because selling them at a higher value did not contravene trading standards laws.

They said that as the face value was clearly displayed, it was up to the customer to decide whether to pay more.

They stressed that anyone hoping to attend the event should buy tickets from official vendors to avoid paying inflated prices, and warned that holders of tickets bought from unofficial vendors risked not being allowed in.

A council spokeswoman said: "We would encourage anyone wishing to attend the Tattoo to buy their tickets from the official ticket office or a reputable vendor."

Tattoo chiefs recently led a crackdown on touts selling tickets for up to four times their face value on internet auction site eBay.

Tattoo officials have called for anti-tout legislation to be brought in by the Government.