Our top priority at Saffire is providing a secure and reliable platform for customers to purchase tickets to their favorite events. Unfortunately over the past couple years, the rise of fraud has made it increasingly difficult for folks to trust the ticketing industry. We’ll look at some of the common tactics used to swindle ticket sales and discuss how you can best protect your customers from falling victim to ticket scams.
So, what should you be on the lookout for?
- Fraudulent ticketing sites: These are websites that claim to sell tickets to events, but are not authorized by the event organizers as the official ticketing platform. These fake sites look legitimate and often use aggressive marketing tactics to lure unsuspecting customers into making a purchase. Once someone has paid for the tickets (typically at a price significantly higher than face value), they are sent either fake tickets or no tickets at all.
- Ticket scams: Similar to fraudulent ticketing sites, these scams also involve the sale of fake tickets or tickets that do not exist. However, it can also involve the sale of legitimate tickets that have already been sold to someone else. This can happen when a scammer purchases tickets to an event and then sells them to people, pocketing the money without delivering any actual tickets.
- Unauthorized ticket resellers: This constitutes any individuals or companies that buy tickets to events and resell them at a markup. While this is not inherently fraudulent, it can lead to fake tickets that can’t scan, overpriced tickets and other issues. In some cases, these resellers will use deceptive tactics to make it look like they are the official ticketing platform or that they are a legitimate secondary reseller.
Helping Customers Avoid Scams
Be sure to remind customers the only way to protect themselves from ticket scams is to only purchase tickets from authorized sources. Warn folks to be wary of sites that offer tickets at prices that seem too good to be true, as these offers are often fraudulent.
Some of our clients are adding messaging to their homepage or posting reminders on their social media to alert fans of potential scams, and remind customers that their site is the only place to purchase guaranteed tickets. We love how these clients are using the tools at their fingertips to get the message out! Check out the examples from Fond Du Lac County Fair and Cody Stampede Rodeo.
Fraudulent ticketing sites, ticket scams, and unauthorized ticket resellers can be a major problem for customers who are looking to purchase tickets to their favorite events. By reminding folks to be cautious and only purchase tickets from authorized sources, you can protect your guests from falling victim to these scams. And with a trusted ticketing platform, you can guarantee attendees safe and secure tickets!