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The latest and hottest gigs sell out almost instantly, with people willing to shell out big bucks to buy other people’s tickets. At the center of that is Ticketmaster, the ticket company most folks love to hate.
Unfortunately, scammers use Ticketmaster to separate fans from their hard-earned money, but you can learn how to spot and avoid Ticketmaster scams.
How Do Ticketmaster Scams Work?
Ticketmaster scammers have several methods to part you from your money, but most fit into four categories.
1. Selling a Nonexistent Ticket
Sometimes, a scammer has no tickets for sale; they just claim they do. They may try to convince you they have a legitimate ticket with faked photos or images, but they don’t have one.
If you buy the ticket from them, they may either send you a fake or promise to deliver it “later.” Either way, you’re left without a ticket.
Alternatively, a scammer might sell a “speculative ticket,” where they sell a ticket they intend to purchase when sales go live. They’ll often put tickets up for sale before the box office opens, but there’s no guarantee you’ll get what you pay for.
2. Selling a Stolen or Used Ticket
Sometimes, the ticket is legitimate, but the scammer acquired it using dishonest means (i.e., another scam). While you may buy a real ticket, it still ends poorly.
For one, the ticket might be stolen or purchased viacredit card fraud. If it is, the original ticket or credit card owner can report it as stolen, and Ticketmaster will void it. By the time the scammer sells the ticket or by the time you attempt to use it, it may have been marked illegitimate and can’t be used for entry.
Sometimes, a scammer will sell a legitimate ticket to multiple people. When this happens, it becomes a race between everyone who purchased a copy of the original. As soon as someone uses it for entry, nobody else can use their copy, while the scammer gets paid for the same ticket multiple times.
3. Fake Ticketmaster Customer Support Lines and Websites
In this particularly nasty variant of the Ticketmaster scam, scammers set up fake Ticketmaster support websites and phone lines, scamming all that contact them.
The scam begins when someone has an issue with Ticketmaster, either because something didn’t work as they intended or they’ve been scammed already. They search for Ticketmaster’s support page online and end up on a fake website or phone line run by scammers.
Once the scammer is on the line, they attempt to convince the victim to send them money. A common trick is telling people they need to pay an “activation fee” so they can “activate the ticket.” Of course, there is no fee; it simply lines the scammer’s pocket.
4. Taking the Payment Process Away From Ticketmaster
Scammers hate using official payment methods. All trusted payment methods have anti-scam measures that protect consumers if someone reports a scam. As such, scammers will attempt to take you away from officially supported payment methods and offer their alternate methods.
For example, a scammer may ask you to use Venmo for payment. Venmo is not a scam service, but it is not designed around selling products online. It’s meant to be used between friends to send money, which implies a level of trust between you and the person asking for money. As such, it doesn’t have the same anti-scam precautions as services like PayPal.
The scammer may also ask you for gift cards for payment. Once you give the codes on the gift card, they can redeem it for whatever they like and leave you without a ticket.
How to Avoid Ticketmaster Scams
As scary as these scams sound at first, don’t fret. There are ways to ensure the Ticketmaster tickets you buy are legitimate.
1. Purchase Through Ticketmaster Whenever Possible
Ticketmaster does allow people to sell their unwanted tickets through its website. If you buy your tickets through Ticketmaster, you’re covered by all the protection the service can offer you.
Unfortunately, some ticket providers won’t allow reselling through Ticketmaster, so legitimate sellers outside the platform are still trying to sell their tickets. However, if you only buy through Ticketmaster, you’ll be better equipped to deal with scams.
2. Never Pay for a Ticket Using Insecure Payment Methods
If you need to venture off Ticketmaster, never pay for a ticket where the seller isn’t using asafe online payment service. If someone asks for a payment via Venmo or gift cards, there’s a good chance it’s a scam.
Only pay using a secure payment method, using Ticketmaster, where possible. If the seller pushes back, do not continue; there’s a high chance you’re in the middle of a scam.
3. Never Buy Tickets Sold Before the Box Office Opens
Nabbing a ticket before the box office opens may seem like a great way to beat the crowds, but you’ll be buying from a “speculative ticket” seller. There’s no guarantee the seller will get their hands on the ticket you just bought, so don’t risk it.
A quick Google search for “[event name] ticket sales start” or something similar should reveal whether those enticingly priced tickets should be on sale.
4. Double-Check the Validity of Any Ticketmaster Websites You Visit
If you want to contact Ticketmaster’s customer support, be sure to visit the right website. The best way to do this is to go toticketmaster.comand click on the “Help” button at the top right. you may also visit the support page directly athelp.ticketmaster.com.Browser searches can lead you to scams, so exercise caution before you click any search result links.
It’s easy to get scammed when buying tickets online, but if you follow these guidelines, you should be safe. And if you’ve been hit by a Ticketmaster scam, not all is lost yet. you may still visit theTicketmaster contact pageand contact an official agent.
