Rolling Stones fans with scalped tickets may lose out on rescheduled shows

Rolling Stones fans with scalped tickets for the band's postponed Australian and New Zealand tour have been warned they may not be able to trade them for tickets to the band's rescheduled shows.

Following the sudden death of frontman Mick Jagger's girlfriend, L'Wren Scott, in New York at the weekend, the band announced yesterday that their 14 On Fire tour had been postponed, with new dates to be revealed at a future date.

Promoter Frontier Touring says ticketholders should keep their tickets until the rescheduled dates are finalised, when they will either be issued new tickets or given a refund.

Consumer group Choice says under Australian consumer law, ticketholders have an "automatic right to a refund" if an event is cancelled, but that this right does not extend to those who did not buy tickets from ticket agencies.

The ABC reported Choice spokesman Tom Godfrey stating "consumers must be able to show proof of purchase of tickets in order to be eligible for a refund.

"If you bought your tickets through a third party, such as through eBay or a ticket scalper, this may be difficult to get."

Tickets to the band's seventh tour of Australia ranged from $199 to $580 each and sold out within minutes of going on sale last year.

However, some tickets were offered for sale at a considerably higher price by ticket scalpers online and elsewhere.

In December, premium tickets to the sold-out Adelaide show were being offered online for more than $3,000 - about six times their initial cost.

Earlier this week, tickets to the Adelaide show, bought for $199, were being offered for sale on an online auction site for up to $100 above their original price. The advertisement says "no returns accepted".

Advising that consumers lose their rights with scalped tickets, Live Performance Australia (LPA) Director of Policy and Programs Suzanne Daley, stated "we always warn people against buying from second-hand ticket providers for these reasons.

"The shows are postponed at this stage and only the principal purchasers are entitled to replacement tickets or a refund.

"It's up to the person the ticket was bought from whether it is passed on. There are no guarantees in this case."

Currently each state and territory has its own laws governing ticket scalping.

Daley told ABC News online that the LPA is lobbying governments for uniform ticket scalping laws which can be more thoroughly enforced by authorities.

A spokesman for international ticket re-selling site viagogo, Alex Levenson, says its customers are covered by a guarantee in the event performances are cancelled.

In a statement, the Rolling Stones thanked fans for their support and said they hoped they would understand the reason for the announcement.

The cancelled shows were to have been held in Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Hanging Rock, Brisbane and Auckland in coming weeks.