Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»police are warning Taylor Swift fans to take extra precautions when purchasing resale tickets to the songstress' upcoming shows.
The global pop star will play three shows at BC Place on Dec. 6, 7, and 8, 2024, bringing scores of diehard Swifties from across the province and the country (and the other side of the border).
Tickets quickly sold out for all three shows for The Eras Tour, despite the stadium's 54,500-seat capacity.
Hotel prices have also skyrocketed over the weekend Swift will be in town, with prices for budget hotels soaring ten times the usual rate.
With Ticketmaster's "verified fan" ticketing process, many Swifties were left without a chance to see the concert in Vancouver, and many are looking for other ways to score seats. However, tickets sold on the resale market aren't always legitimate.
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Police Department (VPD) Spokesperson Courtney Park said buyers should look out for several red flags when purchasing tickets from another individual.
"Buyers must always be vigilant when purchasing event tickets and unless you deal with a reputable ticket broker or re-seller that offers you a guarantee, you can’t determine if the tickets are genuine or not," she told V.I.A.
Facebook Marketplace scams for ticket resales
West Shore RCMP, based in the Victoria suburb of Langford on Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Island, say they received at least four complaints involving fraud on Facebook Marketplace and other community groups.
Two North Shore Swifites also due to Facebook Marketplace scams.
Those who fell victim told police they sent the money to the supposed seller for Swift tickets but received nothing back.
Meta, the company that runs Facebook and Instagram, has restricted the sale of event or admission tickets. However, some "users navigate these restrictions by phrasing their listings ambiguously," Park noted.
For instance, an advertisement for what appears to be one or multiple tickets to a BC Place show is listed under the subject "Taylor Swift/November 14." The word ticket does not appear anywhere in the description but the image shows a layout of BC Place highlighting section 210. The price is $850 and the seller writes "Message me for more details" (see slide two).
Social media platform X, formerly Twitter, has numerous posts for ticket resales daily for the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»shows. However, many posts are removed the day they are listed or several hours after and often include similar phrasing.
In a post that was listed on Tuesday, May 28, user EmmaSwift22235 wrote, "Hi Swifties. Anyone in Vancouver, Canada looking to buy Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams The Eras Tour tickets for Dec. 7 at the BC Place should [please] reach out to my DM I’m selling cheap" (see slide three).
X user coxxx55 also made a listing for the same show (Dec. 7), writing that they were selling a pair of tickets. Both posts were later removed, by the administrator or the sellers, within hours on the day they were listed.
A quick scroll through X's search results for the word "Vancouver" reveals additional listings but most are removed the day they are listed (see slide four).
Tips for purchasing resale tickets to Taylor Swift's Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»shows
Park says locals can avoid scams by looking for common tactics.
- Tickets that are deeply discounted
- Any deal that seems too good to be true
- A seller who reaches out to you
- Payment methods with no protection (cash, gift cards, peer-to-peer payment apps)
The VPD suggests several resources for buyers who want information regarding scams, including the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Better Business Bureau, Consumer Protection BC, and ScamBusters.org.
The VPD also has a section on .
With files from the Canadian Press.
