Geoff Helisma|

 Yamba Bowling Club manager Phil Boughton and Clarence MP Chris Gulaptis have welcomed NSW Fair Trading’s announcement that it is investigating ticket reseller Viagogo, as a result of consumer complaints.

Tickets for the August 14 Paul Kelly concert at Yamba Bowling Club sold out in six minutes.

Mr Boughton reiterated his warning, that any tickets purchased through Viagogo would not be honoured.

He said that while the bowling club was a “small player” in the overall scheme of the NSW Fair Trading investigation, he hoped that “most of the people who turn up for the Paul Kelly concert have genuine tickets”.

Mr Gulaptis, who previously told the Independent that a “lot of the NSW public are not happy with Fair Trading and how it responds to community and public concerns; I hope the minister pulls it into gear”, said, “they are taking action as they should”.

“Every government department or agency that receives complaints should investigate those complaints and take them seriously,” he said.

“I’m pleased [NSW Fair Trading] is doing its job … and I thank the public for their vigilance in raising the matter, so it could be addressed.

“Hopefully, it will never happen again.”

On the day tickets for the Yamba concert went on sale, they were listed on Viagogo for more than $500; on Friday June 11 tickets were priced at up to $924 each.

It is illegal in NSW to sell tickets for more than 110 per cent of the original purchase price.

A viagogo spokesperson said: “viagogo has taken prompt action to remove tickets from our platform that do not comply with the state’s regulatory regime.

“viagogo is committed to complying with legislation in all markets we operate in, including NSW, and when we are notified of listings that are not compliant, we act quickly to remove them.  We look forward to continuing to productively engage with regulators to ensure that our website is compliant and the safe and transparent marketplace we offer continues to help customers gain access to events worldwide.”