Ticket Scam Hollywood Bowl Show

[Violin8]

I was scammed on tickets for the Hollywood Bowl show on Friday. I was provided with hard tickets that looked totally legitimate but when I got to the gate and they were scanned, they came up invalid. Apparently this guy prints these fake tickets on ticketmaster cardstock. I was actually able to obtain info on this guy who apparently has a ring of people and who has a long history of fraud and has been doing this for years. There is a detective who has been following up on this guy for a couple years. I plan on filing a police report. If you were scammed, hit me up and I can send you a photo and additional info on this guy and hopefully we can get some justice.

[Black Rose]

It's the same with dodgy sellers selling the same e-ticket over and over again. First person is all fine and dandy, 2nd+ person whom tries it gets turned away for having a bar-code which has been used before.

 

I hope you get something back from your money paid out

[ms1388]

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/fullerton-253772-police-lopez.html

 

http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2009/10/u2_ticket_fraud_duped_fan_says.php

[mmb064]

Holding my breath for tickets for the Toronto show that we bought through StubHub. (I'd have used the official Ticketmaster site, but I couldn't get four tickets together on a lower level.) StubHub does have a guarantee, so I would get most of my money back ... but that's the least of my worries. If I get there (7 hours from home) and can't get in, I know I will be a crying mess ... in front of my children.

[fakfak]

Holding my breath for tickets for the Toronto show that we bought through StubHub. (I'd have used the official Ticketmaster site, but I couldn't get four tickets together on a lower level.) StubHub does have a guarantee, so I would get most of my money back ... but that's the least of my worries. If I get there (7 hours from home) and can't get in, I know I will be a crying mess ... in front of my children.

 

StubHub is pretty much the safest of all the secondary ticket outlets, so you're probably ok.

[Atalanta]

Holding my breath for tickets for the Toronto show that we bought through StubHub. (I'd have used the official Ticketmaster site, but I couldn't get four tickets together on a lower level.) StubHub does have a guarantee, so I would get most of my money back ... but that's the least of my worries. If I get there (7 hours from home) and can't get in, I know I will be a crying mess ... in front of my children.

fak fak is right...you chose pretty much the best secondary seller.

 

You can check out your tickets, you know. Find any local Ticketmaster outlet, go in sometime when they are not terribly busy, and just ask them to scan the tickets for you.

 

I have sold extra tickets on StubHub over the years & they are very strict with sellers. They have seller's credit card, home address, etc. And the seller agreement is full of legal provisions that boil down to legal liability for any sellers trying anything out of line. The message is they expect sellers to be accurate and responsible--StubHub penalizes sellers for legal but annoying infractions like sending out tickets later than promised. I like selling there because it is less scary than talking to strangers and arranging meetings. And I've often bought tickets on StubHub--for the same reasons--and never had a problem with a ticket.

 

Craigslist is not so scary for selling Coldplay tickets, because Coldplay fans are so nice. I sold some tickets for this tour, and talked several times with my buyer so we could each be sure of each other, made sure they had my REAL name and my REAL phone number and even told them which night I was going to be at the concert and even what seats! Real buyers were clearly real fans (I had inquiries from obvious jerks that were probably working for one of the shadier resellers). And I made sure that they knew I was a real fan, too. I also found out that if you do a craigslist purchase and both parties are "Verified" on Paypal, both people get some protections through PayPal. (When you're "verified", PayPal has all that personal info that StubHub has, and so can "follow through" if there are problems at either end.) I've also sold on craigslist to teens--they were smart and brought a parent when we met. Don't let teens do "meet-up" purchases alone and make sure if they do online payments it's with something that has some security, like StubHub or verified paypal.

 

And if you totally end up buying tickets last-minute at the place--make the seller go to the ticket check-in with you! Learned that from friends who go to sporting events a lot.

[mmb064]

Thanks, all. That's all good to know and makes me feel a little better. And I certainly will heed your advice if we do end up buying tickets at the venue!! 77 days and counting!

[fakfak]

fak fak is right...you chose pretty much the best secondary seller.

 

You can check out your tickets, you know. Find any local Ticketmaster outlet, go in sometime when they are not terribly busy, and just ask them to scan the tickets for you.

 

I have sold extra tickets on StubHub over the years & they are very strict with sellers. They have seller's credit card, home address, etc. And the seller agreement is full of legal provisions that boil down to legal liability for any sellers trying anything out of line. The message is they expect sellers to be accurate and responsible--StubHub penalizes sellers for legal but annoying infractions like sending out tickets later than promised. I like selling there because it is less scary than talking to strangers and arranging meetings. And I've often bought tickets on StubHub--for the same reasons--and never had a problem with a ticket.

 

Craigslist is not so scary for selling Coldplay tickets, because Coldplay fans are so nice. I sold some tickets for this tour, and talked several times with my buyer so we could each be sure of each other, made sure they had my REAL name and my REAL phone number and even told them which night I was going to be at the concert and even what seats! Real buyers were clearly real fans (I had inquiries from obvious jerks that were probably working for one of the shadier resellers). And I made sure that they knew I was a real fan, too. I also found out that if you do a craigslist purchase and both parties are "Verified" on Paypal, both people get some protections through PayPal. (When you're "verified", PayPal has all that personal info that StubHub has, and so can "follow through" if there are problems at either end.) I've also sold on craigslist to teens--they were smart and brought a parent when we met. Don't let teens do "meet-up" purchases alone and make sure if they do online payments it's with something that has some security, like StubHub or verified paypal.

 

And if you totally end up buying tickets last-minute at the place--make the seller go to the ticket check-in with you! Learned that from friends who go to sporting events a lot.

 

Personally, I wouldn't ever buy secondary market tickets from any venue that doesn't guarantee their sellers are legit. Craigslist is full of bogus tickets (and other stuff for that matter). Any reputable re-seller will sell through a legit service like StubHub because it's to the benefit of their bussiness to have a third party verify their authenticity.

[parisienne]

I recently bought some tickets (not Coldplay) from StubHub too bc the concerts sold out within seconds on Ticketmaster and I would be absolutely devastated if they turned out to be fake, even if I do get my money back.

 

The whole concert ticket industry is so messed up, fans shouldn't have to resort to secondary sellers to buy tickets b/c tickets on Ticketmaster get sold out in seconds. I've literally tried during 5 different presales/sales/dates for this one music group I'm trying to see, and every time I've searched for tickets at the exact time sales opened up and came up with nothing. There's got to an easier way....

[fakfak]

I recently bought some tickets (not Coldplay) from StubHub too bc the concerts sold out within seconds on Ticketmaster and I would be absolutely devastated if they turned out to be fake, even if I do get my money back.

 

The whole concert ticket industry is so messed up, fans shouldn't have to resort to secondary sellers to buy tickets b/c tickets on Ticketmaster get sold out in seconds. I've literally tried during 5 different presales/sales/dates for this one music group I'm trying to see, and every time I've searched for tickets at the exact time sales opened up and came up with nothing. There's got to an easier way....

 

The problem is all the "better" ways are either logistical nightmares (will-call only tickets), or limit accesability to fans as well as touts (box office only sales etc.) As long as there's a market for secondary tickets at huge mark-up, there will always be people willing to meet that demand. There's just too much money on the table.:\

[LFDianne]

The problem is all the "better" ways are either logistical nightmares (will-call only tickets), or limit accesability to fans as well as touts (box office only sales etc.) As long as there's a market for secondary tickets at huge mark-up, there will always be people willing to meet that demand. There's just too much money on the table.:\

 

I've been to several shows that utilize paperless tickets. You must present the credit card you used to purchase the tickets, the card is scanned and you are issued your tickets on the spot. It's worked very well for those shows. If you purchase 4 tickets, all 4 people must be together to enter. Springsteen is one major artist who is doing this right now.

[fakfak]

I've been to several shows that utilize paperless tickets. You must present the credit card you used to purchase the tickets, the card is scanned and you are issued your tickets on the spot. It's worked very well for those shows. If you purchase 4 tickets, all 4 people must be together to enter. Springsteen is one major artist who is doing this right now.

 

 

It does work, but it's not without it's own (sometimes major) problems. Depending on the size of the show, it can be very difficult to process 10-20,000 paperless tickets efficiently and get everyone into the venue on time. There are also issues with things like people who want to buy tickets as legitimate gifts to others etc. It's a very good idea, but the actual mechanics needed to execute it well are often currently lacking. In fact, I believe Springsteen (who is probably the biggest single supporter of this system right now) has actually had to invest in providing the infrastructure needed to support it in many places.

[thatcoolguynamedreid]

ticketless tickets

 

It does work, but it's not without it's own (sometimes major) problems. Depending on the size of the show, it can be very difficult to process 10-20,000 paperless tickets efficiently and get everyone into the venue on time. There are also issues with things like people who want to buy tickets as legitimate gifts to others etc. It's a very good idea, but the actual mechanics needed to execute it well are often currently lacking. In fact, I believe Springsteen (who is probably the biggest single supporter of this system right now) has actually had to invest in providing the infrastructure needed to support it in many places.

 

I personally saw Radiohead just in april in seattle and the ticketless ticketing method worked perfectly, 20000+ no hassle. My brother and i just took my dads credit card for the evening and entered, it was just like having a ticket. This is something coldplay should start doing. Radiohead sold out all of their shows in 20min or less, the seattle one sold out in the matter of a few minutes. coldplay shows could still sell out just as quickly, but instead of those tickets going to scalpers and cheap sakes trying to get money, they'd go to true fans, just as it should be!:)

[Corkus]

The paperless ticket method actually has many flaws. For one, prepaid cards are scalped as tickets instead. It's an extra step for the scalper, but that didn't stop hundreds and hundreds of Radiohead tickets PER SHOW being sold through 3rd parties.

 

Second, if you're suddenly not able to make the show (because let's be honest, that happens to most of us every now and then), you're completely screwed.

 

And will call works for smaller shows, but not arenas, so the paperless ticket concept still needs to be refined a lot.

[fakfak]

I personally saw Radiohead just in april in seattle and the ticketless ticketing method worked perfectly, 20000+ no hassle. My brother and i just took my dads credit card for the evening and entered, it was just like having a ticket. This is something coldplay should start doing. Radiohead sold out all of their shows in 20min or less, the seattle one sold out in the matter of a few minutes. coldplay shows could still sell out just as quickly, but instead of those tickets going to scalpers and cheap sakes trying to get money, they'd go to true fans, just as it should be!:)

 

That's as may be, but none of what you wrote there really addresses the issues I have with the current state of paperless ticketing. It still is dependent on a venue that has both the infrastructure and trained staff to process the audience in a timely fashion, makes it difficult (if not impossible) to conduct legitimate transfers of tickets, and generally has the potential to create a lot of hassle for the people it's supposed to benefit. Like I said, a good idea, just not ready for prime time quite yet.

[Caroline]

I had a counterfeit ticket for the San Jose show. I bought it off eBay from someone with over 6000 reviews and 100% feedback. I was furious when it didn't work, but I was able to get in and I even got better seats! The lady on eBay said her friends had bought the tickets off of stubhub, so she was horrified. Thankfully, she refunded all my money ASAP.

[fakfak]

I had a counterfeit ticket for the San Jose show. I bought it off eBay from someone with over 6000 reviews and 100% feedback. I was furious when it didn't work, but I was able to get in and I even got better seats! The lady on eBay said her friends had bought the tickets off of stubhub, so she was horrified. Thankfully, she refunded all my money ASAP.

 

At least your situation worked out in the end.:D

[LFDianne]

The paperless shows I've bought tickets for don't allow the use of prepaid cards. As far as the scanning process goes, it's very similar to scanning paper tickets. There are flaws and restrictions, I'm sure, but it gives fans another layer of protection.

[thatcoolguynamedreid]

The paperless ticket method actually has many flaws. For one, prepaid cards are scalped as tickets instead. It's an extra step for the scalper, but that didn't stop hundreds and hundreds of Radiohead tickets PER SHOW being sold through 3rd parties.

 

Second, if you're suddenly not able to make the show (because let's be honest, that happens to most of us every now and then), you're completely screwed.

 

And will call works for smaller shows, but not arenas, so the paperless ticket concept still needs to be refined a lot.

 

The radiohead show's tickets, all of which were sold through ticketmaster didnt allow pre-paid cards, to prevent scamming. i'm not saying it doesnt have its flaws, but paperless tickets are the best way to make sure that the fans get the best seats possible, not scalpers.

[fakfak]

The radiohead show's tickets, all of which were sold through ticketmaster didnt allow pre-paid cards, to prevent scamming. i'm not saying it doesnt have its flaws, but paperless tickets are the best way to make sure that the fans get the best seats possible, not scalpers.

 

 

We'll have to agree to disagree there. I still say paperless ticketing as it's currently done has the potential to inconvience legitimate fans at least as much as scalping, albeit in different ways, and as Crokus said, only really slows down the scalpers for a little while until they devise ways to game the new system. The reason that scalping exists in the first place is that there are people out there who will pay way over face value for premium seats, and no amount of fancy ticketing procedures will do away with that mentality which is the root of the issue.

[Black Rose]

I recently bought some tickets (not Coldplay) from StubHub too bc the concerts sold out within seconds on Ticketmaster and I would be absolutely devastated if they turned out to be fake, even if I do get my money back.

 

The whole concert ticket industry is so messed up, fans shouldn't have to resort to secondary sellers to buy tickets b/c tickets on Ticketmaster get sold out in seconds. I've literally tried during 5 different presales/sales/dates for this one music group I'm trying to see, and every time I've searched for tickets at the exact time sales opened up and came up with nothing. There's got to an easier way....

 

Replace "the concerts sold out within seconds on Ticketmaster" with "The tickets Ticketmaster put aside to sell on the primary market sold out within seconds, but unsurprisingly within seconds tickets were appearing on Get Me In at twice the face value as Ticketmaster or the promoter tries to get more money from the tickets.

[Black Rose]

How do the "paperless" shows work anyway, I'm guessing it's paperless as in it's not even e-tickets.

 

Only problem is when you can't make it to the show, or you got the tickets for a gift for someone or you lose your card.

 

E-tickets are very easy to scam, one seller could sell the same ticket over and over again, giving out the same link. The only time the buyer is any of the wiser is when they get turned away at the door for having a ticket which has been used already.

[fakfak]

How do the "paperless" shows work anyway, I'm guessing it's paperless as in it's not even e-tickets.

 

Only problem is when you can't make it to the show, or you got the tickets for a gift for someone or you lose your card.

 

E-tickets are very easy to scam, one seller could sell the same ticket over and over again, giving out the same link. The only time the buyer is any of the wiser is when they get turned away at the door for having a ticket which has been used already.

 

 

Exactly. Assuming that the venue/promoter/production are well set up to process e-tickets, they do (for the most part) eliminate or cut down on some common ticketing issues, but they give rise to a whole new set of issues. Nothing's perfect unfortunately.:confused:

[BruinMel]

I was scammed on tickets for the Hollywood Bowl show on Friday. I was provided with hard tickets that looked totally legitimate but when I got to the gate and they were scanned, they came up invalid. Apparently this guy prints these fake tickets on ticketmaster cardstock. I was actually able to obtain info on this guy who apparently has a ring of people and who has a long history of fraud and has been doing this for years. There is a detective who has been following up on this guy for a couple years. I plan on filing a police report. If you were scammed, hit me up and I can send you a photo and additional info on this guy and hopefully we can get some justice.

 

I got scammed too. Would love to follow up on this if you could give me the name of the detective working on it.