Desperate Taylor Swift fans pay over £600 from the resale site | Music | Entertainment

With just over three weeks to go until Taylor Swift kicks off the UK leg of her Eras tour, Swifties who missed out in the official ticket release are turning to resale sites to get their hands on those golden tickets. 

Undeterred by sky-high prices, some fans are shelling out more than £600 a ticket for the London shows on Viagogo.  For fans desperate to see their idol the site, which acts as a third-party intermediary that lets consumers list tickets for sale, is fast becoming their only option. 

As a fellow desperate music fan, I took a leap of faith back in 2018 and purchased tickets to see another sold-out show through Viagogo. With so many Taylor Swift fans nervously hovering over the ‘buy now’ button on the resale sight that has faced tough criticism, I thought I’d share my experience. 

An ardent fan of the Foo Fighters, I was delighted when I managed to bag three tickets to their London Arena show back in June 2018. Giddy with delight when I received the confirmation email from Ticketmaster, I felt like the kid at sports day who won all the prizes. 

As anyone who has snapped up gig tickets on the first release knows, very little can compare to the dopamine rush of knowing that you emerged victorious in the increasingly complicated ticket-buying Olympics.

Legitimately purchased and paid for, I never thought I’d have to worry about dancing with doubt on a poorly rated resale site, but as the seasons change so life takes over.  The friends I was due to go with ended their relationship about a week before the gig and bereft by their mutual loss, they sold their tickets to work colleagues. 

Never usually one to shy away from a solo trip, I became gripped with fear about going to a massive stadium gig all on my lonesome.  On the brink of tears at the thought of being unable to see my favourite band,  the desperate search for fellow fans and last-minute ticket grabs began.

I hastily cobbled together a newly formed Foo’s fan family including my gig-shy husband and some distant acquaintances from the pub on the promise that I could easily get them tickets, despite the show being sold out.  

Panicking at the lack of availability on Ticketmaster, I turned to Viagogo, with the less-than-positive reviews I’d seen online ringing in my ears. Fuelled by adrenaline and that “whatever it costs” attitude that takes over when buying tickets, I put my fears aside and went for it. 

To my eternal surprise and unwavering relief, the experience was easy, timely and, most importantly, definitely not a scam.

How I successfully purchased tickets from Viagogo

It’s super easy to navigate the site, I simply popped Foo Fighters into the search box and selected the London date I needed.  I was prompted to select how many I needed and opted for three tickets seated together (although for standing tickets that wasn’t necessary.)

In the blink of an eye, a list of available tickets appeared and I selected three for the standing zone that cost less per ticket than I had paid for mine. Purchased and paid for, I received a confirmation email from Viagogo in an instant. 

Breathing a sigh of relief and buoyed on by the fact that I would be there on the night to lose my dignity in a middle-aged fan-girl frenzy, the initial feeling of euphoria slowly turned into a dull sinking feeling in my gut as the tickets took a while to arrive in my inbox. 

But they did, and they were perfect.  While thrashing about drinking overpriced beer I was just delighted to be there and that Viagogo had come up trumps.

But now for my disclaimer.  You don’t have to search very hard to find numerous poor reviews from buyers whose experience of Viagogo was far less positive than mine. Over the years, the website has been the subject of significant controversy, with accusations of inflated ticket prices from touts and even non-existent or fake tickets being available for sale. 

The company has even faced legal challenges and was forced to make changes to its business practices following pressure from The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) back in 2019. 

While most tickets on Viagogo are legitimate, there’s always a risk of encountering fraudulent sellers. However, Viagogo now offers a 100% guarantee designed to protect buyers from scams to ensure that fans get in the door or get their money back. 

Before fans part with a single penny of their hard-earned cash, dropping hundreds of pounds on tickets to see Taylor, they should be aware that no transaction is without risk.

Sites such as Viagogo and Vivid Seats allow fans to buy resale tickets from other fans. However, it is important to note that many event promoters say tickets should not be resold after initial purchase and will not be valid for admittance to gigs.

Fans attending live events with tickets acquired through resale websites are advised to double-check the ticket terms and conditions at the point of sale – such as Ticketmaster or Live Nation – to ensure a smooth live event experience. Tickets could be voided if they were found to be bought second-hand. As a result, fans are buying at their own risk.

With that said, viagogo also commented: “Viagogo is a regulated marketplace where fans have the freedom to buy and sell tickets to their favourite live events, safely and securely, backed by a guarantee.”