Ariana Grande fans have already been hit by ticket scalpers. Photo / Supplied
Ariana Grande fans have already been hit by ticket scalpers. Photo / Supplied
Ariana Grande announced her New Zealand tour last Friday with tickets to officially go on sale this Friday, but already, issues of ticket markups have hit the event.
A limited number of tickets to the pop superstar's upcoming Auckland show went on pre-sale on Wednesday, and fans have already reportedmix-ups and mark-ups involving ticket reseller Viagogo.
One Grande fan, Vicki Canestri, says her mother went online to buy tickets for Vicki's daughter in the fan club presale but wound up on Viagogo "thinking it was an official ticket seller".
"It looks like the usual ticket sale site. You go in a queue for tickets and it says that tickets are selling fast. It creates a sense of urgency to buy," says Canestri.
Canestri's mother ended up paying $500 for two tickets which are actually priced between $99 and $149. But that wasn't the only issue.
"The confirmation showed the seating area and row, but no actual seat numbers. The 'frequently asked questions' on the website says they don't show seat numbers because the person onselling the tickets might not have received the tickets yet.
"I don't understand how they can resell tickets that they don't have. I'm also wondering how they can advertise so many tickets on their site when the Ticketmaster site shows a maximum of eight tickets per person."
"[Viagogo] are charging a huge mark up on tickets for a concert that isn't sold out. They are blatantly deceiving people and they need to be stopped."
Viagogo recently came under fire over Adele's three Auckland shows, among other concerts, when the site was found to be selling on mislabelled and over-priced tickets for thousands of dollars.
Just last week, Consumer NZ announced it is joining overseas consumer groups to help investigate complaints about ticket reselling sites such as Viagogo and Ticketmaster Resale.
The New Zealand Entertainment Operators Association (NEOA) has also made a bid to speak with relevant ministers and the Commerce Commission to change legislation in order to put an end to ticket scalping.
Ariana Grande tickets officially go on general sale on Friday, April 28 from 2pm. General tickets are priced between $99 and $149, while VIP packages range from $320 to $800.
To be sure you're buying legitimate tickets, see livenation.co.nz for all information and for ticket sales.
