This was at one stage incorporated into a limited company called FM Entertainment Ltd, the court heard.
Gary Lucie, prosecuting, said it was only in tiny print that it explained the “tickets”
were novelty souvenirs only (circled in red above).
Southampton Magistrates’ Court heard how Frost, 21, of Radcliffe Road, who was studying web design, and Martins, 21, of Milton Road, set up and ran the Internet site called Z Tickets between March and June last year.
Dale Frost and David Martins raked in £11,000 from the scam taking inspiration from consumer programme Watchdog, a court heard.
About 80 customers used the site, in some cases spending up to £500 on tickets for events last summer, which included the V Festival, Download Festival, Reading Festival and Isle of Wight’s Bestival. Acts topping the bill included megastars Lady Gaga and Kings of Leon.
The former Solent University students were found out after numerous complaints to Southampton City Council trading standards.
