Presale tickets have gone up on Ticketmaster as thousands of lucky Swifties who have received a presale code rush to secure themselves a spot at her UK shows next year. General ticket sales are due to kick off next week, with demand expected to be incredibly high.
When tickets to the US leg of the popstar's tour went on sale last year, demand was so high that Ticketmaster's systems crashed - with a similar situation expected to potentially occur again on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as fans hurry online. When the tour began back in March, there were numerous reports of fans getting scammed.
Some fans lost as much as $2,500 (£1,934) for tickets that don't exist or never arrived, according to reports. The Better Business Bureau also is said to have received almost 200 complaints in the US related to the Eras tour, ranging from refund struggles to outright scams.
With millions expected to turn to resale sites to buy their tickets for UK shows over the coming days, they could become prime targets for scammers. Experts at Scams.info have provided some helpful tips on how to detect a scam to ensure you don’t fall for one.
Top five useful ways to avoid a reseller site scam
1. Pay attention to the payment method
When shopping for resold Eras tour tickets online, it is crucial to make payments through the actual website itself. Often online scammers might put pressure on a buyer not to use a site’s secure payment methods, and instead pay through a bank transfer before the product has been seen or received.
Such seller practices should always raise a red flag. Try to avoid sellers advertising through social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
2. Demand current photos of the product
Whatever ticket you’re trying to purchase, request that the seller send you a recent photo of it or a screenshot of the ticket confirmation. Ask them to set the printed-out ticket(s) or confirmation next to a piece of paper with your name written on it, for example.
If they’re unwilling to do so, chances are they don’t have the product at all, so don’t proceed with the transaction.
3. Look out for extremely low-priced products
Tickets sold for unbelievably low prices are a definite warning sign. Do your research and look around other websites to check the average price of the tickets you’d like to buy.
With the demand for the Eras Tour set to be so high, resold tickets will most likely be overpriced. Remember, if the price seems way too good to be true, it most likely is.
4. Check the seller’s profile
Ideally, the seller should have reviews on their profile from previous buyers that you can read. Also be aware of too many positive reviews which sound the same.
Inspect the profile carefully for anything that might look suspicious and if you see something, don’t risk buying from that seller.
5. Decline overpayments if you’re the seller
While it might not happen too often, scammers may target sellers as well. They may pay more than the set price and then say they’ve made a mistake before asking for a partial refund.
The seller will send the refund, only to discover the original payment had been cancelled. If a person is acting suspiciously when you decline an overpayment and ask for the correct amount, it could mean they’re a scammer.
