Urgent warning for Taylor Swift fans over resold tickets

2023-07-27

Urgent warning for Taylor Swift fans as her promoter says ALL resold tickets bought so far will be cancelled

EXCLUSIVE: AEG events say that all Taylor Swift said resold tickets will be invalid
READ MORE: More confusion for Taylor Swift fans as price of VIP Eras tour tickets drop by two-thirds on Ticketmaster

Taylor Swift fans in the UK and Ireland hoping to go her Eras tour are now facing another hurdle as her promoter has said all resale tickets sold so far are invalid.

Fans have scrambled to get tickets to see the US megastar and headed to resale sites including viagogo where tickets are being listed for as much as £10,000.

But those who have splashed out on resale tickets will likely be refused entry to her gigs in Dublin, Liverpool, Edinburgh, London and Cardiff.

Speaking exclusively to FEMAIL, an AEG spokesperson said tickets that haven’t been sold through AXS or Ticketmaster will be cancelled.

They added that an official resale through Ticketmaster and AXS will begin on August 1 and ticket prices will be capped to stop touting.

Taylor Swift fans in the UK and Ireland hoping to go her Eras tour are now facing another hurdle as her promoter has said all resale tickets sold so far are invalid (pictured at recent Seattle show)

‘The only way to obtain a valid ticket for Taylor Swift’s shows is via the approved ticket agents,’ they said.

‘In the UK, the approved ticket agents are Ticketmaster, AXS or directly through the venue’s website. In Ireland, the approved ticket agent is Ticketmaster.

‘Any tickets found to be purchased via resale on the non-official secondary market will not be valid for entry into the concerts and will be cancelled in accordance with the terms and conditions of sale.’

‘Authorised resale for tickets begins on 1 August 2023.

‘Through official resale facilities, ticket resale prices are capped to help combat the inflation of ticket prices and put a stop to ticket touting.’

Fans have scrambled to get tickets to see the US megastar and headed to resale sites including viagogo where tickets are being listed for as much as £10,000 (pictured in Seattle last week)

Fans were left outraged this week when Ticketmaster updated its terms and conditions to make the sell-out tour a ‘lead booker’ event , meaning the person who purchased the tickets has to be present at the venue to get in – but they are still appearing on resale sites (shown)

‘These resale facilities enable fans to sell their tickets with confidence and empower fans to purchase resale tickets with the assurance that the ticket they are purchasing is genuine.’

AEG also clarified the confusing ‘lead booker’ policy that was listed on Ticketmaster’s website – saying that fans will be able to change the name on their tickets.

‘In addition to the official resale facilities, fans will also be able to transfer their tickets via their approved ticket agent, so they can share tickets with friends and family who are also attending the concert.

‘Ticket transfer will be made available much closer to the date of the shows and fans will be notified by email when ticket transfer is available. Fans in the UK and Ireland will then be able transfer all of their tickets. ‘

Ticketmaster, AXS and AEG have not clarified how they will know if tickets are resold but other artists, including Ed Sheeran, have pulled this off successfully in the past.

AEG also clarified the confusing ‘lead booker’ policy that was listed on Ticketmaster’s website – saying that fans will be able to change the name on their tickets. Taylor is pictured in Seattle

However, Ticketmaster and AXS were keen to clarify that Taylor’s promoter AEG events, decide on any policies with regard to reselling.

It comes after fans were left reeling after Ticketmaster dropped the prices of Eras Tour tickets.

Many early bird fans paid up to £662 for pricey VIP tickets, which come with exclusive merchandise alongside one of the best seats in the house.

But some of these same seats have now appeared without the VIP extras, and have been listed for the face value price of around £184.

Fans hoping to secure tickets revealed they were shocked by the price drop, which appears to be random, with some VIP packages still remaining on the site.

Some fans have revealed they have now bagged tickets for just 27 per cent of the original price, while others have been left fuming and saying they effectively paid nearly £500 for ‘a few posters’.

Tickets to Taylor’s UK shows appeared on platforms like Stubhub and Viagogo within minutes of the general sale release, with one lower bowl seat to Blank Space singer’s concert at Wembley Stadium in London next year listed for more than £9,800

The most expensive tickets – It’s Been A Long Time Coming Package – include one reserved seated ticket, a special set of four Taylor Swift prints, exclusive Taylor Swift VIP merchandise including a bag, pin, sticker and postcard set and a souvenir concert ticket. Fans will also get a VIP tour laminate and matching lanyard.

This means people who forked out £662 for the package, have paid £478 on the merchandise.

Now there is further confusion that tickets are still available from legitimate reselling sites despite the no-transfer policy.

Others have questioned whether AXS – the other official seller of Eras Tour tickets alongside Ticketmaster – will also become a ‘lead booking event’.

At the time of the presale on July 13th, the event was not listed as a ‘lead booker’ with Ticetmaster flip flopping on the decision

Fans were left outraged last week when Ticketmaster updated its terms and conditions to make the sell-out tour a ‘lead booker’ event , meaning the person who purchased the tickets has to be present at the venue to get in – but they are still appearing on resale sites (shown)

Both viagogo and AXS have said they’re waiting for confirmation on the situation, while Ticketmaster told FEMAIL the promoters, AEG events, decide on the lead booker policy.

‘We are currently reviewing the information distributed by Ticketmaster,’ a spokesman from viagogo told FEMAIL.

‘In any event, the viagogo guarantee is in place and we will ensure those who have purchased with us get in the door or their money back.

‘We strongly oppose these anti-consumer tactics employed by primary ticket outlets that limit choice and flexibility for fans.’

Taylor Swift Eras tour: EUROPE & UK GENERAL T&Cs (Ticketmaster)

1. Your ticket(s) are digital mobile tickets that will be delivered in the lead up to the show to the ticket agent’s app/your account which you will be instructed to download to your smart device.

2. Your ticket purchase constitutes a personal, revocable license and, at all times, remains the property of the event organisers.

3. When arriving in groups, the lead booker must be present in order for the whole party to enter the venue. All members of the party should enter the venue at the same time.

4. Each ticket holder must be in possession of their ticket on their smart device.

5. In order for tickets to be valid, on arrival at the show each ticket holder may be requested to provide all of the following items alongside their ticket(s):

i) Photo ID (valid government-issued ID, driving license, passport)

ii) Booking confirmation email

6. Your ticket(s) are sold by the event organisers directly to you the consumer. Any tickets purchased by businesses or traders in breach of the terms and conditions of ticket sale will be cancelled. By accepting these terms and conditions you confirm that you are a consumer.

7. Your ticket(s) will immediately become invalid if resold or offered for sale unless the sale is through the official ticket agent fan to fan exchange.

Tickets sold via third parties and other unauthorised outlets, including online auction sites, are not valid for admission.

The resale of a ticket via unauthorized outlets renders it invalid and may lead to refusal of entry.

8. Ticket sales are limited to a maximum of (four) 4 per access code and customer.

9. Only tickets purchased through approved ticket agents (eBilet, Eventim, See Tickets, Ticketmaster, AXS) and official venue ticket agents) are valid for admission. The venue reserves the right to refuse admission.

10. You will need to use a mobile smartphone to access tickets.

11. You may be required as a condition of entry, to comply with any Covid 19 regulations, restrictions and/or entry requirements imposed at the time of the concert by the event organiser or relevant authority (and the event organiser reserves the right to refuse entry to the event if these are not complied with).

A spokesperson for StubHub told FEMAIL: ‘It has become common practice for event organisers or primary ticket sellers to include terms and conditions which seek to allow them to void or cancel a legitimate ticket on the basis that it was transferred or resold. In our experience, these terms and conditions are often not enforced and this does not ordinarily prevent our buyers from entering the venue to enjoy their live event experience.

‘In the rare scenario, these restrictions end up being enforced, and you are as a result denied entry to the event, our FanProtect Guarantee will have you covered with a 100 per cent refund.’

Ticketmaster has come under fire for repeatedly changing policies ahead of the highly-anticipated tour.

In the US, Swift herself said she was ‘p***** off’ at the website after bots bought up the majority of tickets.

Fans hoping to secure tickets in Liverpool, Cardiff, London and Edinburgh have revealed they were shocked by the price drop, which appears to be random, with some VIP packages still remaining on the site

In the UK, Cardiff MP Kevin Brennan said that he was ‘appalled’ to see tickets being advertised on reselling sites within an hour of them going on sale.

‘As a father of a Swiftie, and I know that my honourable friend, the deputy shadow leader of the house, is also the mother of a Swiftie, I was appalled to see that within an hour of tickets going on sale for the Taylor Swift Concert at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, a ticket was on sale in the lower tier for £3,352,’ he said during business questions in the commons.

Fans have been left fuming at the changes, as at the time of the pre-sale Ticketmaster did not list the tour as a ‘lead booker’ event.

Tickets to Taylor’s UK shows appeared on platforms like Stubhub and viagogo within minutes of the general sale release, with one lower bowl seat to Blank Space singer’s concert at Wembley Stadium in London next year listed for more than £9,800.

Fans, pointed out how tickets with a face value of £170 were being sold for nearly £3,000, slammed the scalpers and so-called ‘vile’ fans for buying additional tickets and ‘selling them on for profit’.

Seats to Taylor’s European gigs were released in waves – first last week in a presale to fans who had purchased her Midnights album and then in this week’s general sale – in an attempt to prevent online bots from snagging all the tickets.

But experts say the gold rush for Taylor tickets has revealed just how ‘sophisticated bots have become’ and how they are able to use ‘residential proxies’ in the UK to bypass the selling platform’s protective measures.

The Eras Tour UK and European dates

May 9, 2024 – Paris, France – Paris La Défense Arena
May 10, 2024 – Paris, France – Paris La Défense Arena
May 11, 2024 – Paris, France – Paris La Défense Arena
May 12, 2024 – Paris, France – Paris La Défense Arena
May 17, 2024 – Stockholm, Sweden – Friends Arena
May 18, 2024 – Stockholm, Sweden – Friends Arena
May 19, 2024 – Stockholm, Sweden – Friends Arena
May 24, 2024 – Lisbon, Portugal – Estádio da Luz
May 25, 2024 – Lisbon, Portugal – Estádio da Luz
May 30, 2024 – Madrid, Spain – Estadio Santiago Bernabéu
June 2, 2024 – Lyon, France – Groupama Stadium
June 3, 2024 – Lyon, France – Groupama Stadium
June 7, 2024 – Edinburgh, UK – BT Murrayfield Stadium
June 8, 2024 – Edinburgh, UK – BT Murrayfield Stadium
June 9, 2024 – Edinburgh, UK – BT Murrayfield Stadium
June 13, 2024 – Liverpool, UK – Anfield Stadium
June 14, 2024 – Liverpool, UK – Anfield Stadium
June 15, 2024 – Liverpool, UK – Anfield Stadium
June 18, 2024 – Cardiff, UK – Principality Stadium
June 21, 2024 – London, UK – Wembley Stadium
June 22, 2024 – London, UK – Wembley Stadium
June 23, 2024 – London, UK – Wembley Stadium
June 28, 2024 – Dublin, Ireland – Aviva Stadium
June 29, 2024 – Dublin, Ireland – Aviva Stadium
June 30, 2024 – Dublin, Ireland – Aviva Stadium
July 4, 2024, Amsterdam, Netherlands – Johan Cruijff ArenA
July 5, 2024, Amsterdam, Netherlands – Johan Cruijff ArenA
July 6, 2024, Amsterdam, Netherlands – Johan Cruijff ArenA
July 9, 2024, Zurich, Switzerland – Stadion Letzigrund Zürich
July 10, 2024, Zurich, Switzerland – Stadion Letzigrund Zürich
July 13, 2024, Milan, Italy – San Siro Stadium
July 14, 2024, Milan, Italy – San Siro Stadium
July 17, 2024 – Gelsenkirchen, Germany – VELTINS-Arena
July 18, 2024 – Gelsenkirchen, Germany – VELTINS-Arena
July 19, 2024 – Gelsenkirchen, Germany – VELTINS-Arena
July 23, 2024, Hamburg, Germany – Volksparkstadion
July 24, 2024, Hamburg, Germany – Volksparkstadio
July 27, 2024, Munich, Germany – Olympiastadion
July 28, 2024, Munich, Germany – Olympiastadion
August 1, 2024, Warsaw, Poland – PGE Narodowy
August 2, 2024, Warsaw, Poland – PGE Narodowy
August 3, 2024, Warsaw, Poland – PGE Narodowy
August 8, 2024, Vienna Austria – Ernst-Happel-Stadion
August 9, 2024, Vienna Austria – Ernst-Happel-Stadion
August 10, 2024, Vienna Austria – Ernst-Happel-Stadion
August 15, 2024, London, UK – Wembley Stadium
August 16, 2024, London, UK – Wembley Stadium
August 17, 2024, London, UK – Wembley Stadium

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