Tips to avoid getting ripped off and missing the show – NBC Boston

More places are reopening after being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But before you start buying tickets for concerts, shows, and events, you might want to think twice about where you buy them.

“I went to concerts before Woodstock,” says Greg Ferrier of Middleborough, Massachusetts. “I’ve never had a problem before.”

But Ferrier recently bought tickets for a concert on a site he had never used before. He paid, but the tickets were never delivered.

“They were supposed to send us a link to get the tickets, that never happened, so we kind of got close to $ 400,” he said. “You learn the hard way, I guess. “

Caroline Andrews, who lives in the Roslindale neighborhood of Boston, said her digital concert tickets had not arrived either.

“I bought five tickets. One for me, my husband and three friends,” she said. “I felt bad for them for letting them down using a third-party vendor. “

She says she tried to reach customer service, but had no luck.

“You would call the number and then you would be put on hold,” she said.

And Wayne Banks of Essex admits he shouldn’t have gone so fast to grab tickets from a site he didn’t know about.

“She really wanted to be close to the stage, so we paid a bit more for the third row seats,” he said. “And in all fairness, we didn’t read the fine print in the heat of the moment.”

The show Banks bought tickets for has been postponed indefinitely, but he can’t get his money back.

“They hold our money, collect interest on our money, and we’re just in limbo here with no resolution in sight,” he said.

The Better Business Bureau has received hundreds of ticket fraud reports and has partnered with the National Association of Ticket Brokers to educate fans on the smarter ways to buy tickets in the secondary resale market.

“The excitement around reopening theaters, returning favorite artists and performing really makes people vulnerable because they don’t take the time to research,” said Paula Fleming, Director of Marketing and sales for the New England region of the BBB.

There are plenty of places to buy tickets for a show like online marketplaces, ticket sellers, and resellers, but there are also ticket scammers out there, so be sure to buy from a trusted source.

“Doing your research ahead of time is the best way to prevent yourself from becoming a victim and potentially losing a lot of money,” Fleming said. “If you’re dealing with a legitimate website you might have to pay a bit more, but at least you know you’ll be entering the venue during the event.”

Many Boston sites post warnings on their websites about tickets sold by unauthorized brokers, saying they can’t help you if you show up with a fraudulent ticket.

To be on the safe side, buy tickets on site whenever possible. Buy only from trusted suppliers and never click on emails or online advertisements to go to any site.

Make sure you are on a legitimate website before making a purchase. And, if you’re dealing with a seller or broker, check them out on BBB.org and with the National Association of Ticket Brokers before you buy anything.

Always read the details of the refund policy to see if you can get your money back if the show is postponed or canceled, and pay with a credit card, so you have recourse if something goes wrong.

Also beware of really cheap tickets.

“If the ticket is significantly lower than what you find, that’s a huge red flag to be careful about buying,” Fleming said. “If they ask you to pay through an app in cash, there is no way to get that money back once it is taken out of your account, so you have to be extremely careful when doing this.”

If you are concerned that the tickets you have purchased are fake, check them before the show by calling the venue box office.