As Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated Eras Tour approaches Australia, some devoted fans are facing challenges with the official resale platform. The only authorized resale platform for Swift tickets in Australia, Ticketek Marketplace, has been the focus of discontent due to reported waiting times, a perceived lack of ticket availability, and concerns over scalping and scams.
The Eras Tour was formally declared a major event by the Victorian government in June, meaning all concerts planned for the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) would fall under the umbrella of anti-scalping legislation. This declaration has significant implications for ticket resales, as the legislation aims to protect consumers and prevent price gouging.
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Under the anti-scalping laws, tickets to major events cannot be advertised for resale or resold for more than 10 percent above their original value. While Ticketek Marketplace complies with these regulations, alternative options may not, putting fans at risk of inflated prices, counterfeit tickets, or even non-existent tickets.
Earlier this month, confusion arose when some fans noticed that Marketplace appeared to have shut down, with no concert dates visible. A Ticketek spokesperson reassured fans that the site was “working as expected,” attributing the temporary issue to technicalities. Fans took to X to express their frustration.
https://twitter.com/roryhuntzburger/status/1746312381524029911
The Ticketek site still says resale is open and the Marketplace site still has Taylor Swift tickets advertised at the top of its homepage – but when you click through it says there are “No results”. If you try to sell Eras Tour tickets it says they are “Unavailable for listing”. pic.twitter.com/v1HNuwCE7a
— Mary Jordan (@_maryjordan) January 13, 2024
"The Ticketek Marketplace site is working as expected".
If a 10+ hour wait to access a website is what you call 'working as expected' @Ticketek_AU, you don't deserve customers. 'A Global Leader In Ticketing & Technology'?! I think not! #ErasTourtickets https://t.co/IQayuIUVrz— Annie 🇦🇺 (@whatifthesong) January 16, 2024
Dear @Ticketek_AU + @frontiertouring,
Your ticket tale is spinning like a @taylorswift13 record, but it's more chaos than harmony. We are all hoping for a Marketplace redemption arc! How about an update and start 2024 on a high note? 🙏#TicketekDrama #Taylorswift #erastouraus— Baker (@bakernatorttv) January 17, 2024
https://twitter.com/emsdwt/status/1747241641847709860
Since November, Swifties have been utilizing Ticketek Marketplace to buy and sell tickets for the upcoming tour. Both Frontier Touring, the promoter of The Eras Tour, and Ticketek have explicitly stated that reselling Swift tickets outside of Marketplace is strictly prohibited. However, online discussions on platforms like X reveal growing concerns among fans.
@Ticketek_AU @frontiertouring your “authorised” marketplace takes 12+ hours to get into and then once in there are no tickets, because no one can get into buy or sell. This is causing people to sell on other platforms. @taylorswift13 Melbourne Sydney Taylor Swift pic.twitter.com/iPfwhNh600
— Sharpe (@Sharpe_Country) January 18, 2024
@Ticketek_AU any chance of letting us know when marketplace will be back up and running g for Taylor Swift resale? You are making it so easy for scalpers and scammers as tickets are in such high demand. And you are forcing the hand of legitimate sellers keen to recoup money.
— Kylie Silvester (@KylieSilvester) January 15, 2024
Notably, Frontier’s website warns against reselling Eras Tour tickets elsewhere, either online or offline, and states that violators may have their orders and tickets canceled without notice, with a refund of the ticket price. The Eras Tour’s declaration as a major event by the Victorian government adds weight to these measures, emphasizing the importance of adhering to anti-scalping regulations.
In both Victoria and New South Wales (NSW), anti-scalping provisions are in place to regulate ticket resales. In Victoria, tickets can only be resold for up to 10 percent above their original value, and breaches of these rules may result in fines ranging from $925 to $554,760, depending on the nature of the offense. In NSW, tickets need to be issued subject to “resale restrictions” for an event to be covered by similar anti-scalping provisions, with a cap of 10 percent on the markup for tickets on the secondary market.
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The Eras Tour is no stranger to leaving fans frustrated during the ticket-buying process. Fans in the US, Canada, the UK, and Brazil found themselves contending with error messages, enduring hours-long wait lists, and facing exorbitant ticket prices – eventually leading to demands for policy change.
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In the US, the “Great War” debacle led to the Department of Justice launching an investigation into Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s merger. Where in Canada, Swities launched a petition against Ticketmaster in an effort to push for changes in resale policies and dynamic pricing.