Online ticket company goes bust

Hundreds of people missed out on V Festival tickets

A company that failed to deliver thousands of tickets to music and sports fans has gone bust.

Xclusive Tickets is about to go into liquidation after 18,000 tickets for the Reading, Leeds and V Festivals, and the Beijing Olympics, did not arrive.

A total of 4,329 people who bought tickets from the company have been left out of pocket.

Lane Bednash, of insolvency experts Valentine and Co, said those who paid by credit card should get refunds.

Mr Bednash said: "If you spend over £100 on a credit card and the goods or services do not materialise then you are entitled to get your money back from the credit card company."

He added that those who did not pay by credit card would become "unsecured" creditors - but there were no funds for those customers to get any money back.

WHO MISSED OUT? Olympics - 1,720 creditors Reading Festival - 1,356 V Festival - 917 Leeds Festival - 326 Q&A: Buying gig tickets online

Mr Bednash said he hoped to call a creditors' meeting next month, and a helpline offering advice and information will be set up on Monday.

Xclusive Tickets Limited and Xclusive Leisure & Hospitality Limited sold a total of 18,000 tickets to Reading, Leeds and V, as well as the Bejing Olympics, but failed to deliver.

Mr Bednash said he believed the mother of double-Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington was among those affected.

He said: "If you find a website offering tickets for an event that is sold out everywhere else then be aware.

"Check blogs and forums to see what everyone else is saying about the company, and always pay by credit card."

Earlier this month, hundreds of music fans were left angry and out of pocket after tickets they bought from SOS Master Tickets for the V, Reading and Leeds Festivals failed to turn up.

Trading Standards launched an investigation after customers got an e-mail promising refunds, but later could not contact the company.