How I Keep Getting Scammed When I Buy Tickets Online
I have attended live shows for as long as I could remember. I’ve been getting scammed for just as long. Bellow, I recount a couple of my own bad experiences with ticketing.
That Time I got Scammed on Stubhub
Its Saturday in December 2011. I took the train into New York City from Long Island to see some DJ whose name I can’t remember. Waiting in line outside Webster Hall, I had my printed StubHub ticket pressed against my heart. As an EDM-obsessed teenager, I knew this show would blow my mind. Even now, I remember the sharp, buzzing sound of the scanner when it rejected my ticket. I pleaded with the bouncer to let me in, telling him that I got scammed, that it wasn’t my fault. I jumped on the next train home, alone, brooding about how much of an idiot I was for paying over $100 for a fake ticket. I never got my money back.
Since 2011, StubHub has grown significantly, adding security measures and a sophisticated customer service team. Still, ticket buyers feel they are getting screwed.
That Time I got Scammed on Facebook
It’s Thursday in January 2017. All my friends are going to a Guy Gerber show in Tel Aviv, but the show is sold out. Fortunately, people are selling tickets on the Event’s Facebook page. I connected with a guy, also named Guy, who advertised face value tickets. Guy had a septum piercing and dreadlocks; seemed about right for an Israeli techno head. I paid Guy via PayPal and waited for him to send me tickets. And waited. And waited. Guy never replied to my messages after taking my money. He never intended to send me anything. I got scammed.
Looking through Guy’s facebook, I realized that there was very little content. Guy, or whatever his name is, created that account with the intention to scam people. Going back to the event page, I saw that many created accounts just like Guy. The entire event page was saturated with scammers. Needless to say, I never went to that show, but I certainly learned my lesson.
That Time Someone on Stubhub Forgot to Send me a Ticket
Fast forward to June 1, 2019: I’m back in New York, outside The Town Hall theater waiting to see Kevin Morby and his band. I opened the StubHub email that confirmed my ticket purchase, but quickly realized I had never received the actual ticket. So I called StubHub to complain that I never received the ticket I had bought on stubhub.com.
Was I scammed like I was 8 years ago, or did the seller simply forget to transfer their ticket? It was probably a mistake.
So how come StubHub didn’t deliver my ticket with the purchase confirmation email?
Well, Ticketmaster now issues tickets for mobile access only, meaning the tickets can only be transferred between peers via email. Though mobile tickets, Ticketmaster attempts to increase security and to fight scalping. However, scalpers simply adapted to selling transfers, opening the door for fraudulent promises and simple mistakes, like those which lead to experiences like mine outside The Town Hall.
Fans should take precautions to make sure they don’t become victims of fraud. Check out this article for tips for buying secondhand tickets.
Foria will give voice to any fan who has been wronged by scammers. Please reach out if you have any thoughts or stories to share.
Originally published at https://blog.foriatickets.com on June 18, 2019.
