A legit ticket resale site shows the full price upfront, explains its buyer protections in writing and delivers tickets through its own platform. The FTC's fees rule, in force since 2025, requires sellers of live-event tickets, resellers included, to disclose the total price up front. Fake sites copy real ones, so check before you buy.
There's nothing worse than arriving at a gig with a ticket that doesn't scan. Resale is a normal part of buying tickets now, and plenty of it goes smoothly, but it's also where copycat sites and fake listings do their best work. Here's how I'd judge a resale site, using what the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has said, with my guides to individual sites at the bottom.
Official seller or resale site: know which you're on
A primary seller is the box office route: the venue, promoter or their ticketing partner. A resale site is a platform where fans and brokers list tickets they already hold. Prices and rules can differ between the two, and a resale site's promise to you comes from its own terms, not from the venue.
The first check is simply to work out which one you're on. If a page claims to be the official seller, try reaching it from the artist's or venue's own website rather than a search ad. The FTC's World Cup scam alert warns that fraudsters use paid search results or social media to drive you to their scam websites, and to watch for copycat websites.
What the FTC says about showing the full amount
The FTC's Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees took effect in 2025. According to the FTC, it requires businesses to tell people upfront the total price they will pay for live-event tickets, including mandatory fees the business knows about and can calculate in advance. The FTC says it covers any business that offers, displays or advertises live-event tickets, including third-party platforms and resellers.
Importantly, the FTC's FAQ focuses on upfront disclosure and bans misrepresenting fees. It doesn't say the rule caps fees. So a site can still charge fees, but it has to be straight about the total.
The rule has already been used. In 2026 the FTC announced that StubHub will pay 10 million US dollars to settle FTC charges that it deceptively advertised ticket prices without clearly disclosing up front the full amount consumers would pay. The FTC describes those as alleged violations. It tells you regulators are watching how resale prices are shown, which is reassuring, but it's no reason to skip your own checks.
There's another reason resale exists in the first place. The FTC says ticket issuers often cap how many tickets one person can buy for an event, and that some buyers try to get around those limits by hiding their identities, using multiple accounts or running bots. It has brought cases against brokers who hid IP addresses or used fake accounts to get around online purchasing rules. None of that makes a resale site bad, but it's a reminder that a listing's seller is not always a fan with a spare seat, so the platform's protection matters more than the seller's story.
Buyer protection: read it before you need it
The FTC's advice is to check a third-party reseller's policies to see what buyer protections or guarantees it offers, and to ask whether it will replace or refund your tickets if something goes wrong. Look for these things in the site's own words, not a summary somewhere else:
- What happens if the tickets are invalid, duplicated or don't arrive.
- What happens if the event is cancelled, postponed or moved.
- How and when you'll receive the tickets: a transfer, an app or a download.
- How to contact the site and how quickly it says it responds.
A checklist for avoiding fake tickets
- Start from the artist's, team's or venue's own website where you can, rather than a search ad.
- Check that the total price is shown clearly before you commit, because the FTC says sellers must disclose it up front.
- Read the buyer protection policy and note how to claim.
- Be wary of anyone offering paper tickets or a screenshot. The FTC's World Cup alert says that, for that event, someone selling paper tickets or a screenshot is likely a scammer because most tickets are delivered electronically.
- Remember that scammers may sell the same seat to many people, according to the FTC.
- Pay inside the platform's checkout. The FTC says never buy from online sellers that insist you can only pay with gift cards, and warns the same about wire transfers, payment apps and cryptocurrency.
- Pay by credit card where you can. The FTC says it best protects you in case of a scam.
- If something goes wrong, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
| Warning sign | What the FTC advice suggests |
|---|---|
| A site reached through a search ad or social post | Watch for copycat websites |
| Only gift cards, wire transfers or crypto accepted | Don't buy from that seller |
| A screenshot or paper ticket instead of a transfer | Likely a scammer, for events using electronic tickets |
| The full price only appears at the very end | Sellers must disclose the total price up front |
| No clear refund or replacement policy | Check what buyer protections or guarantees are offered |
Ticket sites I've covered
These guides apply the same checks to specific sites. Each sets out who runs the site, what its own pages say about buyer protection and delivery, and what to watch for.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Ticket sites
Resale platforms and ticketing sites, covered one at a time.
- Is StubHub legit?
- Is Vivid Seats legit?
- Is SeatGeek legit?
- Is TickPick legit?
- Is Gametime legit?
- Is viagogo legit?
- Is Ticketmaster legit?
- Is TodayTix legit?
- Is Eventbrite legit?
- Is TicketSmarter legit?
- Is TicketNetwork legit?
My verdict on resale sites
A legit resale site is clear about the total price, explains what happens if the tickets fail and lets you pay inside its own checkout. The sites that make me nervous are the ones that rush you, hide the total or ask for payment outside the platform. Take five minutes to check, and you'll avoid most of the horror stories.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a ticket resale site legit?
It shows the total price upfront, explains its buyer protections in writing and delivers tickets through its own platform. The FTC says to check a reseller's policies on what it does if something goes wrong.
Do resale sites have to show the full amount upfront?
The FTC's fees rule, in effect since 2025, requires businesses selling live-event tickets, including third-party platforms and resellers, to disclose the total price up front, including mandatory fees they can calculate in advance.
Does the FTC limit what ticket sites charge?
No. The FTC's FAQ says the rule focuses on upfront total-price disclosure and prohibiting misrepresentations about fees. It doesn't say it caps fees.
How do I spot fake tickets?
Be wary of copycat sites reached through search ads, screenshots or paper tickets for events using electronic delivery, and sellers who want payment outside the platform. The FTC says scammers may sell the same seat to many people.
Where do I report a ticket scam?
The FTC asks people to report suspected ticket scams and broker violations at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
