MUSIC lovers have been told to watch out for V Festival ticket “rip-offs”.

MUSIC lovers have been told to watch out for V Festival ticket “rip-offs”.

Trading standards officers issued the warning after receiving complaints last year from disappointed rock fans who bought tickets for the festival from unauthorised vendors on the internet and did not receive them.

Tickets for this year's festival, to be held near Chelmsford on the weekend of August 22 and 23, sold out within two hours and with Oasis and The Killers among those headlining, fans may be tempted to pay over the odds for tickets from unofficial vendors.

Tracey Chapman, Essex County Council's head of environment, said: “Unauthorised agencies may say they have tickets available, but you should think twice before buying.

“We don't want music fans left out of pocket come August.”

Trading standards urge consumers to check the V Festival website, www.vfestival.com, for a list of approved vendors and ensure that ticket agencies provide full contact details as well as a list of terms and conditions.

They also recommend that online buyers check where the website offering the tickets is based and ensure that the padlock symbol appears at the bottom of the screen showing the site is secure.

Officials also advise fans to check the ticket price, including booking fee and postage costs, as a high price can be a tell-tale sign that something might be amiss.

And as tickets cost over �100 consumers are advised to pay by card because they may be able to claim the money back from credit card companies if anything goes wrong.

Bob Angus, director of V Festival, said: “We're really pleased that despite these uncertain times V Festival has clearly been embraced once again by music fans looking for a great weekend of entertainment.

“It's a fantastic endorsement of the format of the festival and the strength of this year's bands set to perform.”

Last night dozens of sellers on internet auction site eBay were advertising tickets for more than �400 a pair, with one hopeful trader advertising a single ticket for the Chelmsford event for �550.