Taylor Swift fans are in need, at the moment. Tickets for the UK leg of The Eras Tour came out in August 2023, but they quickly sold out from official retailers such as Ticketmaster and AXS.
As a result, many excited Swifties have been looking for tickets from alternate avenues.
Unfortunately, that has led to some fans being duped by cunning crooks over the past two weeks. Edinburgh police even just put out a warning against buying from dodgy-looking sellers.
Thankfully, the experts from viagogo have just dropped some wisdom on how to buy your perfect tickets to any gigs – not just Taylor Swift’s shows – and how to avoid losing out on your hard-earned cash to ticket scammers.
Firstly, the ticket-reseller site points out fans should “not trust social media profiles”. “Fraudsters sometimes create fake social media profiles to give the illusion of a genuine fan selling a ticket,” they went on. “With a story behind why they can no longer attend and try to rush fans into transferring money.”
Speaking of social media, viagogo’s experts went on to urge fans not to post photos of their tickets on social media. Of course, it’s common sense not to post your unique bar code or order number, but some people may need a reminder.
The company also advised Swifties to, where possible, buy tickets with a credit card.
“Direct payment methods do not provide protection or allow you to track your order and limit your ability to recoup your money if you end up getting scammed,” they said. “Using a credit card to make your purchase offers an added layer of security since most are obliged to offer a refund if your purchase doesn’t arrive or is faulty (over £100 and up to £30,000).”
On top of that, viagogo points fans towards checking the websites they are looking at are legitimate.
viagogo said: “Fraudsters have been known to create fake websites featuring copycat logos to lure in prospective buyers. Many of these websites have unsecure URLs, meaning that not only are you at risk of getting scammed when buying from them — but your banking details could also be at risk.”
The company’s MD Cris Miller went on to talk about the regulation of the country’s ticket sales. He said: “Today, the UK’s ticket resale market is highly regulated and viagogo provides fans a secure platform to buy and sell tickets. However, Labour’s proposals to introduce price caps will harm consumers. Evidence warns that they will push ticket resales underground, increasing the risk of fraud, leaving fans unprotected.”
He added: “A safe marketplace that doesn’t put consumers at risk is in the best interest of fans and the industry.”
viagogo are one of very few resale websites that have tickets on sale for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in the UK right now.
