Ticket hikes: The Garda looks set to join artists, concert promoters, venues and ticket vendors in demanding a wedge of music and sports fans' cash. The price of tickets for many events is set to increase this summer after the introduction of three pieces of legislation.

A seminar for event managers was last week told that costs will rise from June 1st following the implementation of the Garda Síochána Act, 2005, which allows gardaí charge for providing their services to outside concerts and sporting events. Two other pieces of legislation, the Private Security Services Act, which requires security staff to be trained and registered with the Private Security Authority, and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005, will also affect the cost of tickets for such events.

Gone phishing

Bank of Ireland was forced to send out an e-mail last week warning its customers to ignore any correspondence they may have received from a source claiming to be Bank of Ireland or www.365online.com. A number of customers and non-customers alike had recently received emails directing them to a website posing as its personal banking online service where they were asked to input personal banking information. "Bank of Ireland never requests customer information in this manner and strongly warns customers to ignore them. Under no circumstance should anyone log-on to this spurious site or enter any details," the company said.

Calling in vain

Customers trying to make contact with Vodafone stores in Dublin city centre last week had their work cut out for them. Telephone callers to the store on Grafton Street could only get through to an answering service which said that as the mailbox was full it could not accept any more messages. It was even worse trying to contact Vodafone's Henry Street outlet. The message explained: "I'm sorry but the person you have called has a mail box which they have not yet activated."