Industry News

Six Nations bogus ticket firm scams fans

More than 80 people that bought Six Nations rugby hospitality tickets from an unauthorised seller have lost out on thousands of pounds.

Which? revealed that a firm calling itself ‘Elite Sports Hospitality’ charged more than £10,000 for corporate boxes at Twickenham stadium.

The bogus company then ‘cancelled’ the tickets and reportedly disappeared with the money.

The incident has been reported to Action Fraud, who have reportedly passed on the case to Bedfordshire Police. 

Which? reports that the police have confirmed they received reports from more than 80 people who claim to have been defrauded out of hundreds of thousands of pounds and is investigating the web company that offered the packages.

Which? said it was contacted by four people who paid Elite Sports Hospitality from £7,500 to £10,200 plus VAT, believing they were buying a glass-fronted private box with a Champagne reception and four-course lunch for 20 people at the Six Nations Rugby tournament.

After the tickets were ‘cancelled’, the firm promised refunds that did not materialise. It has now disabled all of its phone lines and ignored pleading emails from its customers, most of whom were originally contacted via their work email addresses.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has confirmed that Elite Sports Hospitality (Elite Direct Marketing and Advertising Ltd) is not an authorised seller and has no known legitimate third-party arrangement to offer executive boxes at Twickenham.

It said in a statement: “We have been made aware of this operator and have brought them to the attention of the police… Our message to fans is clear – if you buy from an unofficial source, there is a very good chance you won’t get in, so don’t risk it.”