'Crusaders' target Glasto touts

Glastonbury is the highlight of the summer festival calendar

A group of Glastonbury Festival fans says it is helping block the sale of tickets on internet auction site, eBay.

The 'Glastonbury Crusaders' contact both buyers and sellers to warn them about the strict new ticket conditions.

If this approach fails, the Crusaders contact the festival office directly with details of suspected touts.

When festival fans bought tickets they had to give their name and address, and will have to prove these details using photo ID at the gates.

We will not prevent people from listing these tickets on the site eBay spokesperson

The festival confirmed that some tickets have been cancelled as a result of the group's actions.

One member of the five-strong group, 'Woodland Maiden', 37, from Sussex, said: "The festival is about charities - very few people make money from it and the touts damage this."

"If the sellers are genuine and not touting then they should ask for a refund. If you make a profit, you're a tout.

"Many sellers have co-operated and removed their auctions. When questioned on how bidders might be able to get round the issue of photo ID, some sellers were willing to provide fake ID.

"Others advised people to arrive at the festival during busy times, when they were less likely to be checked."

'Multiple tickets'

A Glastonbury Festival spokesman said: "There may be one or two people who don't realise you can ask for a refund due to family commitments or so on. But the main plan has been to stop multiple ticket selling.

"Tickets are restricted to two per person. Multiple tickets cannot be offered on eBay. Anyone offering multiple tickets is doing so illegally."

Another festival spokesman said: "What the Crusaders are doing is separate to us. They are passing information on to us, which we pass on to ticket agencies and tickets have been cancelled.

"We have maybe passed on 20 addresses. We are pleased that it is an initiative that has come from the public."

'Not illegal'

In a statement, eBay said it "..only allows legal items to be sold on its website. The re-sale of concert tickets is not an illegal activity and is therefore permitted on eBay.co.uk.

"eBay is used by both ticket agents to sell tickets but also increasingly by individuals who have bought tickets for events but find they are no longer required or can no longer attend.

"eBay believes that it is a fair and reasonable consumer right for the purchaser of a ticket to resell that ticket.

"We will not prevent people from listing these tickets on the site but we would urge both buyers and sellers of Glastonbury tickets to read and understand the applicable terms and conditions"

An eBay spokeswoman could not confirm or deny a Crusaders' claim to have stopped any Glastonbury ticket transactions.