Don’t Buy Tickets For The 2025 Concert Season In New England Until You Read This

It's just about concert season, and with so many shows going on sale now, it's very important you find the correct websites to buy tickets.

While most sites are legitimate, you should only buy from the venue or artist's website, which always directs you to the latest available tickets.

Stories of locals who got scammed buying tickets

There is a warning with this, though.  My friend tried to buy tickets and parking for a show last summer in Gilford.  The site she found had "Bank of NH" and "Pavilion" in the name of the site, so she figured it was the official website.

She told me the parking cost more than each ticket, at $100 for parking, not even VIP.  That is not what the official BankNH Pavilion website charges for parking.  It was $15 for standard parking. So, she was gouged and unknowingly overpaid by $85.

Then there's the story of my other friend who purchased tickets on a site she thought was Ticketmaster, the largest ticketing agency in the world.  When she went to the concert, her tickets would not scan because they were duplicated tickets of the originals purchased by someone else.  The tickets were actually printed and sold twice.

Fortunately, the venue found other seats for them, but the woman was so angry at the ticket agency and website which had "ticket" in its name.  They totally scammed her.

Even official ticket sellers can rip you off

By the way, Ticketmaster is currently facing a Department of Justice probe, according to msn.com, due to the alleged misconduct of ticketing for the Taylor Swift shows, siting "anticompetitive conduct".

So even the verified agencies can get into hot water by not providing the best practices.

You may see a "verified resale ticket" notice on the Ticketmaster website next to the seat location. This means someone is reselling (likely a scalper), usually for more money than the ticket was originally purchased for.  You could still have trouble gaining access to the venue or having tickets disappear.

It's hard to believe the "verified resale ticket" is legal, because the ticket agency charges a fee to the seller, so they make money either way.  However, it is legal, and doesn't seem to have stopped the ticket scams and scalpers at all, in my opinion.

The bottom line is to use a trusted website.  The best way to purchase concert tickets is through the artist or venue's website, but double check that it's the correct site before you buy, or you could end up overpaying or be out of luck with your tickets.

Now that you're aware of what to look for, take a look below through the upcoming concerts in New England!