Ticket agency bosses hoped to ‘reassure’ not decei
Ticket agency bosses hoped to ‘reassure’ not deceive corporate clients spending thousands of pounds on world cup tickets for France ’98, a jury heard today (Wed).
In the scramble for seats for the international football competition two years ago, two brothers are accused of a string of broken promises in adverts and order forms issued by their London company Tickets Impossible.
But it is alleged the statements broke trading standards – leading to the the prosecution of John and Paul Sullivan, directors of the agency, based at
Limeharbour on the Isle of Dogs.
Frustrated customers found themselves without tickets for the tournament and
out of pocket when instead of having their money returned they were issued
with credit notes.
At London’s Southwark Crown Court John Sullivan, 51, of Rutland Road, Snaresbrook, and Paul Sullivan, 36, Redmans Road, Stepney, jointly deny four charges recklessly making false statements in the course of trade or business between January and June 1998, the elder brother further denying a similar charge alone.
It is alleged they promised:
+ All money would be held in trust accounts until tickets were delivered.
+ Tickets Impossible held seats for every game from the group stages to the
final.
+ The company purchased seats from four official FIFA agents and 192 football associations around the globe.
But clients were never told that Tickets Impossible was itself an agent for
another outlet, Great Portland Entertainment (GPE).
The court heard that Jon Dutfield, of Dorycourt Events, Caterham, Surrey, lost pnds stlng 31,255; Michael K Howard Ltd, of Harpenden, Herts, lost pnds stlng 1,938; Neal Beagles, of Rowntree Incentive Marketing, High Wycombe, Bucks, lost pnds stlng 6,256; and Murray Bailey, of Bislands Travel, Renfrew, Scotland; was out of pocket to the tune of pnds stlng 7,452.
When interviewed, John Sullivan revealed that Tickets Impossible was itself an agent for GPE.
Mr Charles Gratwicke, prosecuting, said asked why customers were not told this, Sullivan said ‘it was because clients would then byepass Tickets Impossible and go straight to GPE.
‘
The defendant said GPE had agreed to supply his company with world cup tickets back in October 1997.
‘He said Tickets Impossible paid deposits of pnds stlng 199,000 to GPE, but GPE was closed down on June 4, 1998, by the DTI,’ said counsel.
‘He said Tickets Impossible was able to supply 18-20 percent of the tickets
ordered but he knew from June 4 that GPE would not be able to supply further tickets.
‘
Sullivan explained his company had simply passed on to its customers guarantees given by GPE.
He claimed it was GPE that told him it bought tickets from the FIFA agents and the football associations ‘and Tickets Impossible did not themselves by from those sources.
‘
Likewise the defendant said it was GPE who held the money in a French trust
account ‘and money would not leave the account until GPE received the tickets.
‘
Sullivan said of around pnds stlng 200,000 received for bookings by Tickets
Impossible, some pnds stlng 50,000 was refunded.
But he admitted that his agency did not have or set up an account to hold money coming from clients.
He said the words ‘trust account’ were used by Tickets Impossible in its
literature because ‘it was nice and reassuring.
‘
Howard Walters, financial director of Michael K Howard, told the jury: ‘I
believed we would get tickets or get our money back because there was a trust account.
‘That gave us more faith in the transaction.
‘
The trial continues.
ends
