Look What You Made Me Do: Desperate Swifties abandon Ticketek in risky hunt for tickets

As Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated tour approaches, some fans still desperate to secure tickets appear to be losing faith in the official resale platform, choosing instead to purchase via unofficial avenues.

The pop star will kick off the Australian leg of her Eras Tour at Melbourne’s MCG on February 16. Since November, Swifties have been able to buy and sell tickets on Ticketek Marketplace – the only authorised resale platform available for Swift tickets in Australia. Both Frontier Touring, which promotes The Eras Tour, and Ticketek have said the reselling of any Swift tickets beyond Marketplace is strictly forbidden.

Taylor Swift tickets are only authorised for reselling via Ticketek Marketplace, but fans are looking elsewhere.Credit: AP

However, concerns around the platform’s waiting times and apparent lack of supply are gaining traction online. Sites like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) have become inundated with fans trying to buy or sell tickets, thereby increasing the risk of scalping and scams.

“I made it through [to Marketplace] yesterday after about 3 hours and there was one ticket up that was locked. Today, I logged on [at] about 9am, and I’m still in the queue now nearly 14 hours later,” one X user wrote.

Earlier this month, some fans questioned whether Marketplace had shut down, as the site no longer seemed to show any concert dates. In response, a Ticketek spokesperson said the site was “working as expected” and “fans are listing and buying tickets as inventory becomes available”. Marketplace has since reverted to its usual “lounge” loading system and fans are successfully gaining access.

Meanwhile, several Facebook pages have been created for people to buy and sell tickets, with some buyers’ requests accumulating over 150 comments from “prospective sellers”.

Rachel Chappell, a 45-year-old mother in Sydney’s upper north shore, lost $618 after trying to buy Swift tickets from someone on Facebook.

“There had been literally no tickets on Marketplace, I’d been scrounging that for weeks,” she said. “My friend knew that I was desperate for tickets, so they told me they’d just seen someone who was selling four on Facebook … I checked out the profile, and it looked completely legitimate.”

After paying for half of four tickets, Chappell found out the account had been hacked two months prior, and she had been scammed. She reported the incident to the police, her bank and to Facebook, but has noticed the hacked account still remains active.

“I felt sick and embarrassed … There’s subtle language that I should have picked up on, but didn’t because I was excited and I was about to make my daughters’ dreams come true.”

Rachel Chappell and daughter Ella are still hoping they get to see Taylor Swift next month.Credit: SMH

Under the anti-scalping legislation, tickets to a declared major event cannot be advertised for resale or resold for more than 10 per cent above their original value.

While Marketplace adheres to that, there’s no guarantee any alternative options will, meaning tickets could be inflated in price, counterfeit, or, as in Chappell’s case, non-existent.

“Under no circumstances should you buy a ticket from Facebook. Only do it via a trusted place, like Ticketek Marketplace,” Chappell said. “Don’t even buy tickets from friends on Facebook because you don’t know if the friend’s page has been hacked.”

Even tickets gifted from friends or family could be invalid if not exchanged correctly. According to Frontier, purchased tickets are only available through the Ticketek app, meaning fans must be able to access the Ticketek account the ticket was bought through on the day of the concert. No physical tickets will be accepted.

The original purchaser’s phone number will also be linked to the ticket. “If it’s resold in any method other than via Ticketek’s official resale platform, then the mobile phone number will not be linked to the ticket(s) and you will be refused entry to the venue,” Frontier said.

For a ticket to be properly transferred, fans must access the “share ticket” feature in the Ticketek app. However, this will not be enabled until closer to the concert dates.

If you are gifted a ticket and the correct steps are not taken, or you buy a ticket from an unfamiliar and unauthorised source, the ticket will be invalid.

“Except where expressly permitted under relevant state or federal trading laws, any Eras Tour ticket offered for resale elsewhere, either on or offline (including via unauthorised resellers or via social media sites), may result in all your orders and tickets cancelled without notice to you and your ticket price refunded,” Frontier’s website states.

The Victorian and NSW governments have both been approached for comment.

For those still unsure, here is a guide outlining the regulations around resold Swift tickets.

How does Marketplace work?

Once on Ticketek Marketplace you will be told to wait in the “lounge”. Refreshing the page will not affect your progress. There’s no guarantee tickets will be available, as it’s subject to fans listing their tickets for resale.

The waiting lounge for resold Taylor Swift tickets on Ticketek Marketplace.Credit: Ticketek

If you purchase a ticket, it will be cancelled from the original owner’s account and reissued to yours. It will also be linked to your phone number. The ticket will contain a locked barcode, which will be unlocked closer to the concert.

Why are resold tickets only valid through Marketplace?

The Eras Tour was formally declared a major event by the Victorian government in June, meaning all concerts planned for the MCG would fall under the umbrella of anti-scalping legislation.

Tickets can only be resold for up to 10 per cent above their original value, and only via authorised platforms. Anyone who breaches these rules could be fined between $925 and $554,760, depending on the nature of the offence.

Meanwhile, in NSW, tickets need to be issued subject to “resale restrictions” in order for an event to be covered by similar anti-scalping provisions. The mark-up on tickets on the secondary market is also capped at 10 per cent.

What if I have a valid ticket, but can’t access the app on the day?

If you lose your phone, or cannot access your Ticketek app for any reason, on the day of the concert, you will be able to visit the venue’s box office for assistance as long as you have valid photo ID.

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