St. Louis, Mo., Nov. 21, 2022 – Taylor Swift’s long-awaited tour has overwhelmed ticket sellers, with the fallout making headlines nationwide. Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) warns fans to beware of scammers seeking to cash in on the news by selling fake tickets.
The opportunity for concert ticket fans to be scammed by fake ticket sellers occurs most often when people buy tickets from individuals outside the arena, on the street, or through online auctions, classified ads or bulletin boards.
“Concert fans can get burned by purchasing counterfeit tickets or paying in advance for tickets that never arrive,” said Michelle L. Corey, BBB St. Louis president and CEO. “BBB cautions ‘Swifties’ still hoping to score tickets to do their homework and buy only from legitimate sellers.”
In the case of Taylor Swift’s tour, the secondary ticket market is likely to be even hotter than usual, as ticket sales to the general public were canceled due to unprecedented demand during a pre-sale that left thousands of fans disappointed.
The secondary market for sports and entertainment tickets has exploded in recent years, including tickets bought and sold by professional brokers as well as those purchased and resold by speculators and season ticket holders. Tickets purchased for sports and entertainment events are the source of thousands of BBB complaints by consumers nationwide.
A survey of reports filed to BBB Scam Tracker in November 2022 shows the range of tactics used by ticket scammers. One consumer responded to a post in a local Facebook group that offered concert tickets; another consumer reported being targeted by an ad on Craigslist selling concert tickets; a third was directed to a fake website to purchase tickets for the musical Hamilton. In every case, after the consumer sent payment, the tickets were not delivered. These scams can be extremely costly – the would-be theatergoer reported losing nearly $1,200.
BBB’s database of BBB Business Profiles at BBB.org includes ratings on ticket firms on the secondary market that provide buyer protections, including money-back guarantees if tickets are fake. On some sites, sellers also must provide credit card numbers so the site can charge a seller’s card for the cost of replacement tickets if they sell fake tickets.
“The internet has become the arena of choice for concert fans looking to buy or sell tickets,” Corey said. “Unfortunately, it also has become a breeding ground for scammers looking to take advantage of eager music lovers.”
BBB offers the following advice for fans seeking tickets:
For assistance, go to BBB.org or call 888-996-3887.
- Be careful buying tickets from someone on the street. When you get to the gate and find out your tickets aren’t real, the seller will be long gone.
- Before buying from an online ticket broker, look for BBB’s Accredited Business seal on the website and click on it to make sure it is real. BBB’s dynamic seal will take you directly to a company’s BBB Business Profile, where you can read about the company’s record for responding to complaints. Make sure the website has a secure payment processing system, usually denoted by “https://” at the start of its website address or URL or a small closed lock icon at the bottom of the screen.
- If you buy tickets through an online auction site, choose a seller with a history of satisfied customers. Scammers can hijack old accounts, so make sure the seller has recently sold other tickets.
- Ticket buyers also should be wary of sellers who try to lure buyers from a legitimate site to another site for a “private” transaction. Scammers often want to conduct their business on sites with names that mimic well-known companies but actually are fakes.
- Pay with a credit card in case you need to challenge the purchase later. If you are buying tickets through an online classified ad site, avoid paying the seller by wire transfer. You will have no way to get your money back if the tickets do not arrive or are counterfeit.
- Report scams to BBB Scam Tracker.