Titanic Battle For Gig Tickets

Apr 27 2008 Additional Reporting By Jane Barrie

Couple's £500 Celine Briefs Are Lost At Sea

THIS is the husband and wife team at the centre of a bizarre concert tickets scandal.

They are Roberta and Jamie Hardiman and the firm is Global Events Direct, who offered briefs online for everything from massive arena pop gigs to motorsport's Grand Prix.

Roberta, 34, headed London-based Global but resigned last year leaving only a company secretary in charge.

The firm have gone to ground as furious customers queue up to complain after paying hundreds up-front for tickets but not receiving them.

Global took a whopping £477 from reader Sammy Hamilton last June for two tickets to see Celine Dion in Paris next month.

Sammy is rightly terrified he will never receive his tickets for the Canadian songbird, best known for singing the theme tune to movie Titanic, My Heart Will Go On.

Global have a history of leaving furious customers in the lurch. The firm are about to be struck off at Companies House for not filing accounts and Trading Standards are investigating complaints.

But there is another twist to this tale.

Some concert-goers who paid by credit card have found they never actually paid Global Events Direct.

Instead the money went to another firm - Camden Tourist Information Centre Ltd - run by Jamie Hardiman.

Trading Standards questioned Jamie last week and he promised to refund people who have not received tickets.

But it remains to be seen if he sticks to his word.

Sammy, 60, called me in a panic when he realised his Celine trip was sinking faster than the Titanic.

In addition to £477 for tickets he forked out £750 for flights and accommodation for himself and partner Margaret Ross, 56.

But with the gig less than a month away, Global's premises are deserted, their website is down and they are not answering their phone.

Sammy, of Dunfermline, said: "This is supposed to be the trip of a lifetime.

"Margaret is a huge Celine Dion fan and we have seen her in Las Vegas and Murrayfield.

"It was supposed to be a special treat...some treat it turned out to be."

Retired carer Sammy paid Camden Tourist Information Centre for his tickets.

He and Margaret, also a carer, tried contacting the firm but got nowhere.

He said: "I have emailed, phoned and sent a recorded delivery letter but have not heard a thing.

"My credit card company won't get involved until after the gig on May 25.

"I'm four weeks away from a trip to France. I have no tickets and no means of getting any. I don't know what to do."

I soon discovered Roberta Hardiman has been involved in nine firms - six of which are dissolved. They include Studio 47 Ltd and Westminster Contract Agency Ltd.

She currently heads Westminster Staff Services Ltd and Showtime Europe Ltd with Jamie as company secretary.

She resigned as a director of Global Events Direct in March last year.

Camden Council Trading Standards said: "We have received a number of complaints from consumers who have bought tickets via Global Events Direct but did not receive them.

"We met with Jamie Hardiman, who says he will refund those who have not received tickets. We are well aware of the disappointment fans feel when they pay for tickets then don't get them.

"In this case at least they will be getting back the money they paid, which can be used to purchase alternative tickets from a reliable source."

I contacted Jamie Hardiman, who claimed he had nothing to do with Global and was simply trying to help customers out.

He said: "I can categorically tell you now that your reader will have his tickets within the next fortnight, 100 per cent, special delivery.

"My wife was a director of Global. She resigned last year when she found out it wasn't being run properly.

"Unfortunately for us we have been dragged into something we have nothing to do with. I'm doing my best to deal with it." He also claimed he knew nothing about the payments being processed through his business.

He added: "Somebody put some orders through on our credit card machine and I wasn't aware of that.

"We have terminated the machine and terminated the facility and dealt with the matter swiftly."

Let's hope Jamie is as good as his word and comes up with the tickets and refunds.

Otherwise this Titanic battle will go on...and on.