A whopping £6.7 million was lost to ticket scams last year. With festival season just around the corner, Feedback did some digging into how music lovers can stay safe when buying tickets
It’s always a gamble when you’re desperate to see your favourite artist live. Tickets are sold out. You’re on a mission. Who is selling? If someone is promoting that golden ticket at a reasonable price, it’s game time. You click and you pay. No second thought. As long as you get to be inside that venue, or in the crowd of that festival, that’s all that matters at that moment.
But the aftermath can be quite disheartening- You’ve just been scammed, and you can’t get into your dream concert because of a duplicated ticket or a ticket that never arrived. It sucks. It’s frustrating. But it happens to the best of us. How do music lovers spot scams and where can you buy resale tickets safely?
Some Tips
We’ve gathered together some key tips, suggested by moneymagpie.com and Lloyds Bank, to secure those tickets without losing your money:
Going straight to the Venue websites is way safer. They will always have the correct information, so use their websites to buy from.
Do not buy off of social media- most scams start here. Never buy from an online forum, or from a website that offers too-good-to-be-true resale prices. If it’s a bargain, look again. Dodgy websites can be spotted by hovering over the URL- if it’s not the website you want to visit after checking, don’t click it guys.
Experts also recommend using a debit or credit card. It’s safer than paying in cash or bank transferring. Worse comes to worst, you can claim your money back from your bank.
Always check your ticket Ts & Cs – check them before you buy. Real tickets will always have resale or refund instructions. Look for a resale policy, buyer-specific QR codes, or anything that identifies the ticket buyer. This will save you from buying a ticket you might never receive, or a ticket that might appear real, but it doesn’t allow you to enter the venue.
Scam websites don’t have customer service you can chat with if an online payment fails. Stop, because they could take multiple ‘failed’ payments from you.
The Safe Spots
Go to the verified websites. Don’t get too excited and click on any old link or post. For a few trusted sources, check out Ticketmaster, LiveNation, ATG Tickets, or See Tickets. For ticket resellers, go to ViaGoGo or TicketSwap.
Lloyds Bank research showed a huge 529% surge in reported scams between March 2022 and February 2023. The scams for music festivals more than doubled, showing a 128% increase from the previous year. Festivals like Reading and Leeds, Wireless in Finsbury Park, London, and Parklife in Manchester were the most targeted events. Popular events, like Glastonbury Festival, are getting closer and closer, but the scams also happen in these peak times- when tickets first go on sale, and when the event in nearing the date.
With summer fast approaching, festival and concertgoers need to be on their A-game when buying those last-minute tickets. Stay vigilant. Stay safe.
If you think you’ve been scammed, report it to Action Fraud or give them a call anytime between Monday to Friday 8am and 8pm.
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