Show tickets: avoid scams on websites selling tickets to individuals!

More and more of us are turning to other individuals to buy tickets for shows, concerts and other events. And with good reason: prices are often high and seats are scarce, so buying from other people can save you a lot of money, or you can get tickets even though they have already been distributed through the official sales outlets.

Incredible but true: 9 out of 10 tickets sold on classified ad sites are fakes! Often guided by their emotions and their hearts, many people pay without asking too many questions to see the show of their dreams, and crooks play on this to rip off buyers.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of the most common scams:

Period of validity

Very often, a ticket has a limited lifespan, and many crooks play on this. Out-of-date theme park tickets, concert tickets from last year's tour... anything goes to sell these tickets to people who are so desperate to attend the event that they don't pay much attention. So it's vital to ask whether the ticket is valid, even if some don't display this information.

Registered tickets

A certain number of tickets are nominative, and counterfeiters will assure you that this doesn't matter... It sometimes doesn't! For some events, you may be asked to show proof of identity at the door. Of course, if your identity does not match the name on the ticket, you will be unable to attend the event.

Unauthorised resale websites:

Unauthorised resale sites have a well-known practice: buying in bulk to resell tickets at unreasonable prices. Buying a ticket from an unauthorised online reseller can be dangerous. As well as paying a lot more for your ticket, you could end up with a ticket in someone else's name and risk being refused entry to the concert hall or stadium.

Reproductions

Many ticketing scams involve reprinted tickets. Counterfeiters can operate in a number of ways, including the following:

• Print banknotes made from scratch (a complex method, as the banknotes have holograms just like banknotes),
• Print original e-tickets after changing the validity date,
• Print e-tickets found on social networks, which have been posted by other sellers who have not hidden their information.

Many other methods exist, so it's important to be very vigilant! Here are a few tips to help you avoid falling for it.

Avoid overly tempting offers

Basic but true: it's unlikely that someone will sell you a ticket for €50 when the ticket office is offering it for €100. A good deal always makes you want to go, but too good a deal is often synonymous with a rip-off.

Avoid electronic tickets

As already explained, in the vast majority of cases these are counterfeit notes. Be especially wary of notes whose barcode is visible in the ad! Genuine physical notes are much more difficult to counterfeit (thickness of paper, quality, holograms, etc.).

Ask for the purchase invoice

All tickets sold officially must be accompanied by proof of purchase. Always ask for this, so that you have a document in your possession to support the seller's good faith and help you get rid of counterfeiters (even if this may not be enough).

Don't let yourself be influenced:

Some ticket resale sites will try to influence you by putting pressure on you. Beware of statements like "only two seats left" or "180 people are looking at the site at the same time as you". These are sales techniques to encourage you to take the seat without looking at all the details.

Demand secure payment with Obvy

Don't accept payment by means that are difficult to trace (cash, money orders, etc.) and pay the seller with Obvy so that you have real traceability of the transaction in the event of a problem. Our payment system provides sellers and buyers with real security, even remotely, and protects against scams, whatever the method of payment.

Enjoy the show!