Calgary How To Make Sure Concert Tickets Are Real Before You Buy Them Online | HuffPost Life - Action.News ABC Action News WestNet-HD Weather Traffic

In late 2022, Taylor Swift broke the internet by announcing the Eras Tour , a nationwide jaunt that celebrates her nine-album career. Swifties, as Swifts fans call themselves, were ecstatic that is, until Ticketmaster, the sole platform selling tickets for the tour, was unable to keep up with massive demand and crashed, resulting in a federal investigation, a Swifties-backed lawsuit , and a huge scramble among fans to get their hands on tickets in any way possible.

Thousands of Swifties were unable to purchase tickets from Ticketmaster and, as a result, began looking to third-party vendors and ticket sellers on social media to snag a seat on the resale market.

A similar thing then happened with Beyonc s Renaissance Tour, with utter chaos unfolding on Ticketmaster and fans taking to every corner of the internet in a hunt for resale tickets.

The major issue? Buying concert tickets from people on Twitter and Instagram is incredibly risky. Those platforms dont have the same type of built-in safety precautions as ticket-specific marketplaces like Stubhub and SeatGeek to ensure that tickets are legitimate and to protect fans from getting scammed.

With Twitter in particular becoming a hot spot for ticket resales and scams , Swifties have been spreading the word about how to buy legitimate tickets on non-ticketing platforms online. (Twitter does prohibit the promotion of unauthorized tickets, though there seems to be no consequence for doing it, or a way for scammed buyers to be made whole.)

While buying resale tickets on social media is a gamble, it can be cheaper than purchasing on secondary ticketing sites that charge fees. Multiple Twitter accounts have popped up with the aim of helping people find legitimate tickets. They and others have been sharing tips for how to make sure youre purchasing real tickets on social media.

1. Make your purchase using PayPal Goods and Services.

If you find someone on social media who appears to be selling legitimate tickets, you should only send them money using PayPals Goods and Services feature. This ensures you are covered by PayPals Purchase Protection .

As soon as a scammer sees the words paypal goods and services they run https://t.co/4j2tnAqZnF

Eras Tour Resell (@ErasTourResell) May 11, 2023","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Eras Tour Resell","author_url":"https://twitter.com/ErasTourResell","cache_age":86400,"description":"As soon as a scammer sees the words paypal goods and services they run https://t.co/4j2tnAqZnF Eras Tour Resell (@ErasTourResell) May 11, 2023\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Eras Tour Resell on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/ErasTourResell/status/1656671985353773065","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"life","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"645e8458e4b094269bb410c4","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/how-make-sure-concert-tickets-real_l_645e8458e4b094269bb410c4","entryTagsList":"social-media,taylor-swift,scams,ticketmaster,concert-tickets","sectionSlug":"huffpost-home","deptSlug":"lifestyle","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"money","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.huffpost-home","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/0e20161c-ee0e-4f6e-91db-914db5e0e1a4/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":24},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"645e8458e4b094269bb410c4","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Social Media","slug":"social-media","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/social-media","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/social-media","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/social-media"},"relegenceId":4993943,"department":{"name":"Life","slug":"lifestyle"},"section":{"title":"Tech","slug":"technology"},"topic":{"title":"Social Media","slug":"social-media","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/life/topic/social-media"},{"name":"Taylor Swift ","slug":"taylor-swift","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/taylor-swift","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/taylor-swift","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/taylor-swift"},"department":{"name":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"section":{"title":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"topic":{"title":"Taylor Swift","slug":"taylor-swift","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/entertainment/topic/taylor-swift"},{"name":"Scams","slug":"scams","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/scams","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/scams","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/scams"},"section":{"title":"Weird News","slug":"weird-news"},"topic":{"title":"Scams","slug":"scam","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/topic/scam"},{"name":"ticketmaster","slug":"ticketmaster","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/ticketmaster","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/ticketmaster","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/ticketmaster"},"department":{"name":"Impact","slug":"impact"},"section":{"title":"Business","slug":"business"},"topic":{"title":"Ticketmaster","slug":"ticketmaster","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/impact/topic/ticketmaster"},{"name":"concert tickets","slug":"concert-tickets","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/concert-tickets","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/concert-tickets","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/concert-tickets"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/concert-tickets"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">

As soon as a scammer sees the words paypal goods and services they run https://t.co/4j2tnAqZnF
Eras Tour Resell (@ErasTourResell) May 11, 2023

This payment method also keeps your financial information secure, monitors the transaction, and offers dispute resolution and fraud prevention. Youll be eligible for a full refund if you dont receive the tickets or if theyre illegitimate.

One popular Swifties-run Twitter account, @erastourresell , connects people selling Eras Tour tickets to fans who want to buy them. The three Swift fans behind the account also offer helpful advice about how to make sure the purchase is real.

As soon as a scammer sees the words paypal goods and services they run, they tweeted.

2. Ask the seller to forward their original purchase confirmation.

If the person youre talking to actually purchased a real ticket from Ticketmaster, they received a confirmation email. This email doesnt include the actual tickets, but states the initial order information. According to Ticketmaster , this confirmation email is sent to the email you supplied during your booking, up to 72 hours after purchasing your tickets.

A confirmation email from Ticketmaster will look like this: