When you are buying tickets for a highly anticipated tour or crucial game, it can be easy to miss red flags, like someone asking you to pay with cash or Venmo, in the heat of the moment.
At Vivid Seats, we provide a reliable and secure experience for fans looking to buy tickets for their next event. To help keep you safe from those selling illegitimate tickets, we put together a few tips on how to protect yourself from common ticketing scams. No matter where you buy your tickets, please follow the tips below to avoid any issues.
Buy From Trusted Sources That Offer a Buyer Guarantee
We recommend avoiding buying tickets on the streets outside of venues or on social media. Those avenues do not offer any type of built-in safety precautions like ticket-specific marketplaces do. At Vivid Seats, all sellers, their business practices, and their track records are rigorously evaluated by our team on your behalf, and we guarantee your tickets are valid and authentic or your money back. Our Buyer Guarantee is designed to give you full peace-of-mind, safety, and security.
Another simple way to ensure that you are buying from a trusted source is to check that the seller in question is a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB). The NATB is a partner of the Better Business Bureau that works to ensure safe, ethical ticket buying and selling. You’ll find Vivid Seats on that list alongside other trustworthy and verified sites.
Use Secure Payments
Be wary of any seller who asks you to pay with cash, CashApp or Venmo. Often, this type of transaction is not legit. Instead, buy tickets with a credit card and only from sites that will protect your transaction with a secure checkout process. At Vivid Seats, we use the latest technology to protect your payments and ensure that your transactions and information are safe. We will secure your tickets and make payments to the sellers for you. Keep in mind, we will never ask customers to pay cash or wire money.
Don’t Share Your Tickets on Social Media
We know how exciting it is when you officially buy your tickets for your next event. However, do not share photos on social media of your checkout and confirmation experience that could expose personal information like your name, order number, address or credit card.
Additionally, never share photos for your tickets online until you are at your event. They can be copied instantly and used by others. Wait until you get to the stadium, arena, theater or court to post; it never hurts to be extra cautious when it comes to sharing details online.
Keep Mobile Matters in Mind
If you’re buying from a site with an app, download the app and turn on your notifications to get updates about your tickets and event. Make sure your phone is fully charged when you arrive at the venue, since your tickets will likely be mobile. Keep in mind that extreme weather temperatures can drain your phone faster.
In general, pay attention to anything that seems “off” about a potential transaction. Unless the seller is someone you trust and know personally, it’s probably not a good idea to purchase tickets from them. At Vivid Seats, we provide a reliable, safe and secure experience for fans to shop for tickets for the live events they love. If you need us, our award-winning customer service team is here for you.