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It’s time to rethink our strategy to purchasing gig tickets. Although 54 per cent of customers think about social media a protected area for ticket purchases – or a minimum of really feel impartial about it – 17 per cent have had a damaging expertise when doing so.
Much more shockingly, one in eight customers have fallen sufferer to scams when attempting to purchase tickets on social media, in line with information launched by Get Secure On-line (the UK’s main on-line security recommendation useful resource).
Gen Z and millennial music followers are particularly susceptible to social media scams as a result of they’re the age group (18 to 34) most definitely to purchase tickets by way of these platforms.
So, with this in thoughts, listed below are some easy methods to scale back the danger of getting scammed once you purchase tickets on-line. And if these aren’t sufficiently safe for you, there’s at all times Get Secure’s on-line internet checker right here.
Be careful for unusual and aggressive behaviour from sellers
It’s robust to belief your intestine when shopping for on-line as a result of you’ll be able to’t learn a vendor’s non-verbal cues like physique language and voice inflections. Because of this, it is smart to view pushy and pressurising gross sales ways from social media sellers as a possible purple flag.
In February 2023, Chelsea fan Hannah O acquired scammed by an illegitimate vendor she discovered on X (previously Twitter). Hannah admits she was initially skeptical as a result of the vendor was providing three match tickets for £30 every – approach under face worth. So, she determined to proceed with warning and switch cash for simply one of many tickets.
Regardless of receiving this fee, the vendor did not ship Hannah a ticket. As a substitute, they claimed their tickets might solely be dispatched as a set of three. After the vendor turned more and more blunt in a bid to finish the sale, Hannah determined to ask for her a reimbursement. However at this level, the vendor deleted their account and utterly disappeared, leaving Hannah out of pocket.
Reflecting on what occurred, Hannah says: “We performed it as fastidiously as we might and we all know we might have misplaced much more cash. It confirmed the dearth of safety and the way straightforward it’s to rip-off somebody on social media.”
Don’t ship cash to strangers by way of financial institution switch
This can be a golden rule, partly since you don’t actually know who you’re sending cash to, and partly as a result of your switch might not be protected. Typically, bank card transactions include a a lot increased stage of safety than financial institution transfers.
In September 2023, Fred Once more.. fan Carly J was determined to catch the DJ-producer’s upcoming headline present at London’s Alexandra Palace. She thought she’d discovered a legit ticket on Fb Market, however acquired scammed after sending cash to the dodgy vendor by way of financial institution switch.
“After I paid, the vendor vanished and deactivated their account,” Carly remembers. ” I reached out to Fb for assist however acquired no response. The expertise has actually opened my eyes to how susceptible we’re with out the safety of anti-fraud measures on social media.”
Test each little element
Severely, some scammers are sloppier than you would possibly count on, particularly after they’re operating a number of ticket cons without delay. Because of this, it at all times is smart to look carefully on the (supposed) ticket being provided.
Listed here are some inquiries to tick off – does the date and venue correspond with the tour particulars on the artist’s web site? Does the value level appear practical – not too costly but additionally, not ridiculously low cost? And does the part quantity/row/seat really exist on the venue in query? It’s straightforward to seek out venue plans on-line so checking this time takes no time, and it’ll do wonders in your peace of thoughts.
Purchase by way of a regulated secondary market as an alternative
It sounds apparent, however one of the simplest ways to keep away from social media scammers is to not purchase tickets from X, Fb or Instagram in any respect. Some secondary ticketing web sites supply higher safety and safety, however you’ll nonetheless have to ensure you’re utilizing a legit one.
You are able to do this by shopping for from a market that gives a ticket assure and 24/7 buyer assist. You’ll additionally wish to make it possible for fee pages have “HTTPS” within the URL so you’ll be able to enter your bank card particulars safely. Simply bear in mind: you wouldn’t purchase a TV from an internet site that appears sketchy, so apply the identical logic when buying gig tickets and do a little analysis earlier than making your determination.
Hold your receipts
That is vital as a result of if you happen to do get scammed, you should still have an opportunity of getting your a reimbursement. Hold data of each fee and affirmation from the vendor – a screenshot will do the job – and report a suspected rip-off instantly to your financial institution or Motion Fraud, the UK’s nationwide reporting centre for cyberscamming.
However above all, attempt to not beat your self up about it. Scammers have gotten more and more subtle and it actually can occur to anybody, even essentially the most vigilant ticket patrons.
Observe: viagogo is a protected, safe and controlled world on-line market utilized by thousands and thousands of individuals from greater than 195+ international locations and in 48 currencies to purchase and promote tickets to reside occasions, backed by the reassurance of the viagogo assure that may get you within the door or your a reimbursement. Extra data right here and right here.
