An Auckland woman spent more than $1000 on what she thought were VIP Adele tickets - only to discover she had been sold stall tickets worth $100 each.
Deborah Light, 62, bought two tickets for Adele's Mt Smart Stadium show tomorrow night from Australia-based ticket re-selling website Viagogo, when tickets went on sale last November.
Light says she selected seats two blocks from the centre stage, but was shocked to discover when printing her tickets on Monday the tickets were for the Upper South Stand, where tickets cost $99.90.
Each ticket cost her AU$359.10, with an added $199.50 booking and $4.95 handling fee, totalling at AU$922.65 ($1012.92).
Light was recommended Viagogo by a colleague, and she assumed it was part of Ticketmaster.
"The fact that they were released on the same day, and you could get the same tickets; the stadium came up, they showed me the tickets that I was going to receive, and I just presumed it was part of Ticketmaster," she says.
The tickets were intended as a combined Christmas and birthday present from her husband, and Light says the experience left her in tears.
She says this is a case of buyer beware, and warns other consumers "not to buy in a frenzy".
"When you're going on to these other websites just make sure that they are a legitimate site," she says.
Viagogo did not respond when requested for comment.
Concert promoter Live Nation told the Herald: "Only tickets purchased via the respective approved ticketing agent [Ticketek or Ticketmaster] are valid for entry to the show.
"Tickets purchased via onseller sites such as Viagogo, Ticketblaster, Queen of Tickets, or e-Bay may not gain entry into the event and we do not encourage anyone to purchase via these third party agencies."
Hundreds of Trade Me listings offering Adele tickets have appeared ahead of her shows this week, with some asking for $850 for single tickets.
Live Nation restricted ticket printing for Adele to one month out from the concert in an effort to keep a lid on reselling.
Trade Me officials told Fairfax last November they were removing Adele ticket listings, but that tickets listed for "genuine reasons" would be allowed from February.