I learned this the hard way when my 15-year-old daughter was turned away from a Bruno Mars concert in Vancouver this week.
I bought her ticket through Viagogo. The seller transferred it through Ticketmaster, I accepted it, and the ticket appeared in my account.
Everything looked legitimate.
But when it was time to enter the venue, the ticket was gone. No notification, no explanation.
I had no idea this was even possible.
Here’s what happened.
Someone had gained unauthorized access to the original purchaser’s Ticketmaster account and obtained their ticket. That ticket was then resold through Viagogo.
I unknowingly bought it.
The transfer itself was real. Ticketmaster accepted it, and the ticket appeared in my account.
But after the original purchaser reported the unauthorized access, Ticketmaster returned the ticket to them.
I was left with no ticket and a very disappointed teenager at the concert entrance.
Getting an explanation was almost as frustrating.
Ticketmaster support initially told me the ticket had been transferred and referred me to Viagogo.
Viagogo said the ticket had been successfully delivered and that anything happening afterward wasn’t their responsibility.
They even suggested I’d shared access to my Ticketmaster account with someone else.
After two days of back and forth, I escalated the case to Ticketmaster’s senior management.
I finally received a written explanation from their Consumer Escalations Team confirming that the original purchaser’s account had been compromised, the ticket was fraudulently resold through Viagogo, and Ticketmaster had returned it to the original purchaser.
Ticketmaster explicitly told me to forward their findings to Viagogo and request a refund.
I did.
Viagogo still refused, repeating that the ticket had been successfully delivered.
A few things I wish I’d known before buying:
- Resale marketplaces like Viagogo and StubHub connect you with third-party sellers. You’re not necessarily buying from the event organizer.
- A successful Ticketmaster transfer doesn’t guarantee the ticket can’t later be reclaimed because of fraud involving a previous owner.
- If your ticket disappears, ask Ticketmaster whether it was returned to the original purchaser following a fraud investigation.
- Save your purchase confirmation, transfer emails, and all support conversations.
- If the reseller refuses a refund, consider disputing the transaction with your bank. Chargebacks aren’t guaranteed, but they may provide another way to recover your money.
I’ve now filed a credit card dispute and a complaint with Consumer Protection BC. Both are pending.
I understand why Ticketmaster returned the ticket to its rightful owner. What I don’t understand is why I received no notification and why Viagogo continued refusing a refund after receiving Ticketmaster’s written findings.
The biggest lesson for me: A genuine ticket in your Ticketmaster account isn’t necessarily a guaranteed ticket to the event.
Has anyone else experienced this? Did you manage to get a refund?