Where not to buy your concert tickets this summer

Watch out if you're buying tickets for a concert or sporting event because you could be ripped off if you deal with a reseller.

"Tickets purchased in Australia from resale sites such as Viagogo, Ticketmaster Resale and StubHub were sold higher than face value in 83% of cases, had hidden fees tacked on in 68% of cases and were for the wrong seats in 8% of cases," says the consumer group Choice.

"But four out of five Australians who purchased a ticket from these resellers believed they were buying it from an official vendor, in part because of how they were marketed and because of the design tactics used by these sites."

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is taking Viagogo to court for misleading consumers.

The watchdog has received 473 contacts about Viagogo from Australian consumers this year.

The ACCC offers these tips for consumers buying tickets to an event:

• Buy your tickets from an authorised ticket seller to ensure you get seats you what, aren't paying more than face value and actually get a real ticket.
• Don't trust search results alone as a ticket seller who has come up first may be a reseller who may have paid to be at?the top of the list, or even a fake ticketing website.
• If you pay for tickets with a credit card and you do not receive what you paid for, you can ask your bank or credit card provider for a chargeback.

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