You found a great deal on concert, sports, or theater tickets on Viagogo and jumped at the opportunity. But then doubt starts to creep in – how do you really know if the tickets you purchased are authentic and will get you through the door?

Buying tickets from ticket resale marketplaces like Viagogo, StubHub, or Vivid Seats can save you money compared to box office prices. But there’s always a risk you could get scammed with fake or otherwise invalid tickets.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll explain exactly how to verify Viagogo tickets so you can buy with confidence and peace of mind. You’ll learn:

After reading this guide, you’ll feel confident that any tickets you buy on Viagogo or other resale sites are 100% authentic and valid for entry.

Let’s start by understanding more about Viagogo and the potential risks of using ticket resale marketplaces.

How Viagogo Ticket Resales Work

Viagogo is one of the largest online ticket marketplaces in the world founded in 2006 with millions of tickets for sale to concerts, theater shows, and sporting events. They don’t sell tickets directly but provide a platform for individuals to resell event tickets they can no longer use.

For high demand events, resellers can charge well above face value on Viagogo. The platform allows sellers to remain anonymous.

This secondary ticket market helps get tickets into the hands of fans even when an event is listed as “sold out”. It provides a way for ticket holders to recoup some costs if they can no longer attend an event.

But the lack of oversight also makes fraudulent ticket sales and scams a risk on sites like Viagogo.

The Risk of Buying Viagogo Tickets

While plenty of tickets sold on Viagogo are legitimate, you also have a higher chance of running into one of these problems compared to buying directly from the venue or primary ticket seller:

1. Fake or duplicated tickets – Scammers take advantage of Viagogo’s anonymity and lack of oversight by selling tickets they don’t actually have or duplicate e-tickets to sell to multiple buyers.

2. Cancelled tickets – If the original ticket purchaser puts in a claim with their credit card company or charges the purchase back, Viagogo tickets can be quickly cancelled without notice.

3. Terms and conditions violations – Some event tickets have terms that prohibit reselling. If caught, the ticket could be invalidated.

4. Incorrect ticket details – Without physically handling a ticket, details like seat numbers, dates, and event details could be inaccurately represented on Viagogo.

While Viagogo does promise a refund if tickets end up being invalid, that doesn’t help if you’ve traveled or made plans around an event. Plus it may be difficult to find replacement tickets last minute if an event is sold out.

So how do responsible buyers make sure their Viagogo purchase is legitimate? Follow my step-by-step guide below:

5 Steps to Check if Your Viagogo Tickets are Valid

The uncertainty around buying tickets from a secondary marketplace leaves many fans wondering – “how do I know if my Viagogo tickets will work?”

I’ll walk you through the ticket validation process, so you can verify your tickets are real and meet the entry requirements for your event.

1. Carefully Check Ticket Details

As soon as you purchase tickets on Viagogo, carefully look over all the ticket details:

Event name, date, time & location – Make sure all this key event information matches the details advertised for the event. Watch out for any inconsistencies or details that don’t make sense.

Seat numbers – If seats are assigned, verify the section, row, and seat number seem logical. Seat details are sometimes fabricated.

Ticket delivery method & timing – e-Tickets should arrive quickly via email while paper tickets will be shipped. Confirm expected delivery dates make sense.

Seller & sale reviews – Viagogo shows seller ratings and reviews. Be wary of any low ratings or negative reviews suggesting invalid tickets.

Cancellation policy – Understand if the tickets are refundable and how soon before the event you can receive a refund.

If any ticket details look fishy or don’t align with the event, raise this concern immediately with Viagogo customer representatives. It’s better to identify potential errors sooner rather than later.

2. Register & Verify e-Tickets Upon Receipt

Once you receive your e-Tickets to the confirmed email address, open them right away and look everything over closely including:

✔️ QR/barcodes – Verify unique codes are clear and legible. Blurry or duplicated codes are a red flag.

✔️ Ticket distributor – The brand logo of the primary ticket seller should be displayed.

✔️ Verification steps – Follow any ticket validation instructions shown. Sometimes this involves registering tickets online via the venue before they’ll be considered valid.

If the tickets are paper tickets being shipped, track the delivery status closely to ensure they arrive in time.

Don’t delay validating electronic tickets. The sooner issues are identified, the faster they can be addressed with Viagogo.

3. Officially Register Tickets with Venue or Organizer

Many major event venues and organizers now use mobile ticketing and have moved away from strictly paper tickets.

Unique barcodes linked to the buyers information get scanned digitally for entry. This extra registration step helps prevent duplicated tickets and ensure authenticity.

Upon receiving any e-Tickets from Viagogo, check the fine print to see if there are instructions for officially registering tickets with the concert, sports league, or theater.

You may need to create an account on their website or ticketing app. This directly links your Viagogo tickets purchase to your identity for scanning at the gate.

If this registration process doesn’t successfully validate your tickets, immediately reach out to Viagogo as you likely received invalid or fake ticket codes.

4. Carefully Monitor the Ticket Status

Just because a ticket initially appears valid does not guarantee it will remain valid up until the event.

Routinely check back on the ticket seller’s platform and venue’s website for any status changes. This ensures your tickets don’t get cancelled or invalidated last minute.

On Viagogo you can view updates and details right on your account dashboard. Expect quick email notifications for major changes too.

If the original ticket purchaser initiated a chargeback or refund, your tickets could already be marked invalid. The sooner you know, the better.

5. Have Backups Ready, Just in Case

Even if you verify tickets successfully and see no status changes, there’s still a slim chance you run into problems at the entrance gates.

Usher confusion over Viagogo tickets or system glitches upon scanning could stop you from getting in.

As a precaution, have back up options ready in case your tickets end up not working:

• Save customer service contact details for fast help troubleshooting ticket issues
• Bring a copy of your full ticket purchase receipt from Viagogo
• Have cash ready if you need to quickly buy last minute replacement tickets
• Research nearby box offices or ticket resale stands outside the venue gates

With backups ready, minor hiccups can get sorted without fully missing the event.

While buying valid event tickets is never 100% guaranteed from resellers, following these validation tips will help you avoid scams and catch potential problems early.

What to Do if Your Viagogo Tickets Don’t Work

Despite your best efforts confirming validity ahead of time, you might run into problems at the entrance trying to use your Viagogo tickets.

If your tickets end up being invalid or rejected, stay calm and take these steps:

Show Your Viagogo Receipt

Have the Viagogo purchase receipt ready to show staff. It will allow them to potentially help troubleshoot issues or point you to an onsite ticket resolution office.

Call Viagogo Customer Service

Explain the situation to Viagogo reps so they can contact the venue to sort out what happened. As an official resale marketplace, they typically have relationships with major event organizers.

Ask About Onsite Ticket Resolution

Many venues and events will have dedicated customer service reps on hand to deal with third party ticket issues. See if this options exists to verify if your Viagogo ticket transaction was legitimate.

Attempt to Buy Last Minute Backup Tickets

As a final option, you’ll likely need to simply purchase valid replacement tickets if available either at box office, from a ticket broker onsite, or a fan with extras outside the venue.

Of course having backup tickets or a refund from Viagogo doesn’t make up for the disappointment of dealing with scams or confusion.

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