A fiasco such that Taylor Swift herself complained about it. In July, when tickets for Taylor Swift concerts were put online, the site of Ticketmaster, the subsidiary of its tour operator Live Nation, failed. The sale was interrupted, then postponed and spread over four days, allowing tickets to be purchased for only one date at a time. But between the attacks of “bots”, these programs which seek to buy as many tickets as possible to resell them and the endless queue on the site, the experience left a bitter taste for the singer’s fans. However, they were not at the end of their surprise…
A few days ago, hundreds of British “swifties” reported being victims of counterfeit banknote scams on social media, according to Lloyds Bank. They all sent money by bank transfer without ever receiving a receipt in return, each losing an average of 332 pounds, or 389 euros. And in total more than a million euros. In France, a festival was announced on the Pilat dune with a promising poster: Taylor Swift, Indochine and Aya Nakamura. Tickets were priced from 315 to 950 euros for three days. But the festival did not exist.
A few days before the American star’s concerts at La Défense from May 9 to 12 and in Lyon on June 2 and 3, what you need to know to avoid being cheated.
Tickets were sold last summer on Ticketmaster, on a first-come, first-served basis and “while supplies last,” the site specifies. To access this sale, fans must have an access code, sent by the platform in advance. Since this first sale, places have regularly been offered online on the site. The last sale was on April 26. Ticketmaster does not specify whether final sales will take place.
Ticket prices for the six concerts given by Taylor Swift in France ranged from 69.50 euros to 245.50 euros, for single seats, and up to 827.40 euros for certain VIP packs (with goodies, bag, stickers…). The prices are the same for the two concerts given by Taylor Swift in Lyon, on June 2 and 3. Seven VIP packs were also put on sale.
With French regulations, tickets available during official sales have fixed prices. Whereas in the United States, they fluctuate according to the law of supply and demand. As a result, if you decide at the last minute to attend a Taylor Swift concert in North America, you risk paying around $1,000, according to Fox10.
No. Tickets purchased are neither refundable nor exchangeable at the request of the buyer, whatever the reason given. Exchange or refund procedures are possible, but only if the concert itself is canceled or postponed, as Ticketmaster specifies. There remains the possibility of reselling your tickets but it is regulated. With Ticketmaster, you must proceed via the purchasing platform. But this functionality “has not (yet) been activated” on the site.
The temptation is great but it is at your own risk. Viagogo, StubHub, Ebay, Rakuten… On many online sales platforms, specialized or not, ads offer tickets for sale for Taylor Swift concerts. Relayed on social networks, they promise “secure” and guaranteed conditions of sale, promising “access to the Ticketmaster account” to receive tickets. Sold at often exorbitant prices (several hundred euros), these tickets will not necessarily open the doors to the concert hall for you. Firstly because there are outright scams, sometimes fake tickets or tickets sold to several people. Finally, even if the ticket is true, Ticketmaster claims that “tickets sold by third parties and other unauthorized outlets (including online auction sites) will not be admitted to the venue.” As the tickets are nominative, the identity of the buyers would be verified upon entry. “All members of the same command must report to the room control at the same time,” concludes the platform.
If you did not purchase your tickets on the official sites, there is no way for you to simply verify the authenticity and validity of a ticket. You will have to appear in front of the concert hall on the day of the event and wait for an organizer to scan your ticket and let you – or not – enter the hall. You should know that any person selling tickets without the authorization of the producer is guilty of an offense and risks a fine of up to 15,000 euros.
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