Afraid of getting scammed

fionaod

I was looking for Lady Gaga tickets for a present for my little sister for Christmas. I was on to a guy on gumtree and got a pair. I'm supposed to pay for them and collect them tomorrow...but I'm worried because how can I be sure they're legit?

The money is one thing, but imagine turning up to a concert with a really excited little girl and getting turned away...awful!

Was talking to the guy and he seemed grand (but what can you tell from
a 5 min conversation) but couldnt help but notice they're not the only tickets he's selling.

Should I go for it or just buy something direct from ticketmaster?

bluskut

fionaod wrote: »

I was looking for Lady Gaga tickets for a present for my little sister for Christmas. I was on to a guy on gumtree and got a pair. I'm supposed to pay for them and collect them tomorrow...but I'm worried because how can I be sure they're legit?

The money is one thing, but imagine turning up to a concert with a really excited little girl and getting turned away...awful!

Was talking to the guy and he seemed grand (but what can you tell from
a 5 min conversation) but couldnt help but notice they're not the only tickets he's selling.

Should I go for it or just buy something direct from ticketmaster?

I'd be wary of this. Guy may be a tout and while there may be no issue with the tickets being genuine, you are likely paying a good deal more than face value and funding an industry that rips off genuine gig goers.

While the gig does appear to be sold out on ticketmaster, they sometimes release tickets as the event gets nearer, though that will be no help if you want them as an xmas present.

There are also early entry and meet & greet packages still available on TM but that depends how much you want to spend!

You might also try http://www.toutless.com who enforce a face value only policy, there'll always be people with tickets who need to sell for a genuine reason.

If you do buy from a private seller some important points:

Clarify beforehand if they are physical tickets or e-tickets. I'd be very wary of buying an e-ticket as what's stopping the guy printing a load of them and selling them all, leaving you being refused entry?

Also remember that seated tickets can be reissued so he could sell that to you, report them stolen and get them reissued and yours would be cancelled. If they are General Admission Standing this can not be done.

Inspect the tickets before handing over cash, maybe bring along a ticket you have bought from TM to compare. Just remember that tickets for the o2 are sometimes on different paper than from TM outlets.

Also, ask for the receipt from his TM transaction.

You probably already have his number, maybe for peace of mind you could get his address?

I've heard people suggest going to a police station and have a cop witness the transaction. Don't know if the cop would entertain the idea and doubt the guy would be up for it.

Good luck with whatever you do.

old gregg

it's a long shot and based on rampaging paranoia but would it be possible to arrange for the transaction to take place close to the O2 or a ticketmaster office so you could have them verified before handing over cash?

yea it's probably not feasible but I'd lose sleep over something like this if it were me
Toutless.com is well worth a shot

best of luck though and hope it all works out perfectly.

el tel

Don't buy a ticket if it was originally paid for by credit or debit card. If the gig is cancelled the refund will likely go to the card it was bought with.

AnonoBoy

Don't pay for anything until you get it.

Personally I wouldn't buy anything off Gumtree - it's swarming with pervs who think the whole site is some many of pick up site.

niamh86

I got scammed 2 weeks ago from a guy selling on Gumtree. Personally i'd avoid it at all costs.

Lucky for me I bumped into the scumbag who sold me the tickets a few days later & got my money back but still missed out on the gig.

fionaod

Thanks a million for all the replies... I decided to leave it and go for another gig instead (Black eyed peas) that I could buy direct.
Whether or not the other tickets were genuine, he was definitely overcharging me and I would have been worrying about it.

Cheers for yer help!