INDIANAPOLIS — Many Swifties are still looking for concert tickets for Indy's Eras Tour stops.
Some are hitting refresh on their Ticketmaster accounts hoping for last-minute “drops,” while others are turning to online resellers like StubHub, Vivid Seats and Seat Geek.
As of Thursday, the cheapest seats on resale sites are listed for more than $2,000 a piece plus fees.
A Maryland woman says she had a “frustrating and terrible experience” using a ticket resale website.
Julia Zeroth did not try to buy tickets to Taylor Swift until mid-October.
“My only option was resale,” said Zeroth. “I really wanted to go, so I did go ahead and make that decision to get tickets.”
Zeoth used the resale site Viagogo to buy tickets for her and her mom to see Taylor Swift in Miami.
The total price tag was $4,441 including $1,272 in fees.
When she received a link to download her tickets, Zeroth says only one of her two tickets was there.
“I let them know right away,” said Zeroth. “They said ‘OK, we're escalating this, we know the concert is coming up.’"
Zeroth says despite repeated phone calls and messages, the issue was still not resolved hours before the event.
“The entire drive to the concert, I’m on the phone with them,” said Zeroth. “They're really not giving any information. They're just saying check your email, nothing is in my email. I'm getting very worked up and emotional."
Zeroth says the second ticket never did work.
Thankfully, she had a backup ticket for her mom, but they had to sit in separate sections.
“I couldn’t even sit with my mom for this concert I had spent all this money on,” said Zeroth.
She contacted WRTV Investigates for help in getting her $2,220 refund and to support other Swifties looking for last-minute tickets.
“They said ‘You violated the terms by accepting the wrong quantity of tickets and so you aren't eligible for any refund,'” said Zeroth.
After WRTV Investigates contacted Viagogo, the company issued a refund to Zeroth for the one ticket she couldn’t download.
“We are not fully done exploring, but I can confirm that a refund was processed for the one ticket," read an email from a Viagogo spokesperson.
Zeroth recommends choosing the “Instant Download” option, meaning you should get your tickets within minutes, versus “Electronic Tickets,” which will give you a future date when your tickets will be ready.
She said instant download was not available when she bought her tickets due to Ticketmaster's rule that says tickets can't be transferred until 72 hours before the event.
The Better Business Bureau says you should review policies before making a purchase and should only buy tickets from a ticket reseller that provides clear details about the terms of the transaction and how you will be refunded if the tickets are fake.
Zeroth recommends fans document everything including phone conversations with customer service.
“I feel people should know ahead of time what they’re getting into. It's just so frustrating and a terrible experience,” said Zeroth.
Live Nation, owner of Ticketmaster, is calling on Congress to pass legislation to crack down on ticket resales.
The Fair Ticketing Act would address “resale sites that turn a blind eye to illegally acquired tickets, allow ticket speculation, and ignore artists’ rules need real consequences from policymakers to curb their bad behavior,” according to a statement from Live Nation.
WRTV Investigates reached out to the Federal Trade Commission to find out how they're helping ticket buyers, including websites that have similar names to Ticketmaster.
The FTC says they proposed a rule that would crack down on business impersonators and allow the FTC to recover money from violators.
“The proposed rule will expand the Commission’s toolkit to combat the significant harm caused by government and business impersonation frauds,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “We look forward to comments from the public on our efforts to deter fraud, hold impersonators accountable, and secure redress for consumers.”
The FTC is also taking legal action under the "Better Online Ticket Sales Act.”
They sued ticket brokers who used software to illegally buy up thousands of tickets and resold them to fans at higher prices.
The Better Business Bureau provided the following tips on buying tickets from resellers and avoiding scams:
- Look for ticket resellers that protect buyers. Ticket resellers should have a consumer protection policy and/or be registered with the National Association of Ticket Brokers. Most major ticket resellers will typically provide a full refund if the ticket turns out to be a forgery. It’s a service that’s covered by charging a commission on the sale.
- Buying from a reseller that also sells primary tickets adds a layer of protection. For example, Live Nation or TicketMaster will invalidate the original ticket and create an entirely new bar code for you to use. This ensures you are the only one in possession of the resale ticket.
- Review the policies before making a purchase. You should only buy tickets from a ticket reseller that provides clear details about the terms of the transaction and how you will be refunded if the tickets are fake. Also, if the tickets are not available immediately, the reseller should disclose when the tickets will ship or be available for pick up.
- Buy tickets with a credit card. Using a credit card helps protect you if the tickets are not as promised. Watch out for resellers who ask for unusual payment methods, such as sending gift cards or wiring money. This is a red flag. Learn more about payment types and how to protect yourself.
Here are tips for getting the best deal on resold tickets:
- Compare prices. Like with many other purchases, it pays to shop around for tickets. Compare major resellers and look for the best deal. This list of online ticket resellers from Consumer Affairs is a good place to start. Check the business's profile on BBB.org to be sure they are a reputable business.
- Account for extra fees. Don’t let hidden fees foil your comparison shopping. Be sure that you include fees into your calculations by navigating all the way to the checkout page. Some resellers don’t disclose their fees until you are almost ready to pay.
- It (probably) pays to wait. Buying tickets within a week of the event, rather than securing a ticket more than a month in advance, will likely get you a lower price. However, this tactic could backfire if the event proves popular enough.
