ATLANTA — Queen Bey is taking over the A this Friday, Saturday, and the following Monday.
Fans who are a part of the BeyHive but waited until the last minute to secure your tickets, we’ve got you covered. Remember the scary scam stories during the three-day Taylor Swift concert at Mercedes-Benz Stadium?
Joel Parra, who has scammed out of hundreds of dollars, remembers.
"The Venmo account has never made any transactions, has zero friends and that’s when I kind of start realizing that it’s a scammer," he said months ago, when looking for Taylor Swift tickets.
BeyHive buyers be aware before getting in formation. Here's information to keep in mind so scammers don't break your soul.
First, avoid buying tickets from strangers. Simone Williams with the Better Business Bureau, recommended that instead, buy your ticket from a third party belonging to the National Association of Ticket Brokers.
"If there’s anything wrong with those tickets, they will give you a refund," she explained. "But all the other times, if you buy from a stranger, if you purchase those tickets and you get to the venue and they’re not legit, they’re not going to get to the concert and you’re not going to get your money, unfortunately."
Williams also recommended paying with a credit card.
“At least with a credit card, you have those extra protections. If you use cash, those Venmo's, those Zelle's, I always tell people, treat it like cash. Once you send that money, you likely won’t be able to get it back," she added.
Williams said the BBB has received 20,000 complaints from people buying event tickets this summer, which she said is a record since the pandemic.
So, she advised if you see a potential scammer, you ring the alarm.
Let the BBB know and use their scam tracker, to see if that person has scammed others before.
"Make sure you get all their contact information," she said. "You don’t want a seller that gives some random number and if something were to happen to your ticket, you can’t contact them. That’s why we always encourage people to go to familiar retailers. It might be a little cheaper to buy from a stranger but now you’re risking if that ticket is legit or not."
She added younger adults – ages 25 to 34 – reported losing money to scams more than those 65 years and older.
The BeyHive has been ready to buzz.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium told 11Alive:
"There are still a very limited amount [of tickets] each show online now (mostly VIP packages) via Ticketmaster. Other than that, the shows are sold out and fans should be very cautious when purchasing from anywhere other than Ticketmaster.
Most important thing on our end is clear bag policy. Fans should make sure they know the policy (Same as every event we host at Mercedes-Benz Stadium) and be aware. The full info in on our website and social media channels."
Here are more tips from StubHub:
- Never pay cash or buy off the street
- Use an established service with an order guarantee & customer service
- This event is mobile-only so don’t buy paper tickets on the street as they will not be valid tickets
- Buy with confidence from a trusted service
- StubHub offers peace of mind - all orders come with a FanProtect Guarantee that backs each purchase and has accessible customer service for the rare instance when there is a ticket issue
- Make your money go further
- Searching for single tickets and small groups may yield better prices than searching for larger group tickets
- Maintain your ticket’s security
- Cover up your ticket barcodes when posting your tickets on social media, to avoid anyone who might want to steal your ticket
- Use technology to your benefit
- StubHub offers a view from seat feature when searching for tickets and mobile ticket delivery to give you confidence and flexibility
Fun facts from StubHub on Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour:
- Beyoncé's the second highest-selling artist of the summer, only behind Taylor Swift, and is the third highest-selling artist in the world for the entire year, outselling Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Drake
- Saturday is the most in-demand concert of the three Atlanta shows, and it the #7 best-selling show of all the Renaissance Tour’s US dates
- Monday’s show on August 14 is the most affordable of the three nights, with get-in prices starting at $145; there are more than 2,800 tickets available on StubHub
- Friday: more than 2,000 tickets available starting at $160
- Saturday: more than 3,000 tickets available starting at $180
- Atlanta is among the top-5 highest selling cities of the tour, falling at #4, behind New York, Los Angeles and D.C.