Couple duped by fake tickets to Dave Matthews concert

Pair doesn't discover tickets are phony until heading to seats at Daily's Place

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A local couple said they were duped when they bought tickets for Tuesday night’s Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds concert at the new Daily’s Place amphitheater.

It's a warning for anyone purchasing concert tickets. 

The fake tickets looked and felt like the real ones, which is why the couple said they were caught off-guard, and upset, about what happened.

The show was quite a treat for the sold out crowd -- but not for everyone.

PHOTOS: Daily’s Place ribbon-cutting ceremony, Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds concert

"We spent well over $300 for the tickets," the woman, who wished to remain anonymous, told News4Jax. 

The woman was celebrating her birthday with her boyfriend, or at least they were supposed to. The tickets he bough for Tuesday's concert turned out to be fake, according to security.

"He bought the tickets from someone off of Craigslist and met with him and picked the tickets up," she said. "We thought, we thought it was going to be a good thing."

The woman said they got through the gates without a problem, and even caught a couple minutes of the show. But when they tried to get to their seats, guards told them the tickets were fake. Others had the same problem. 

"They didn't offer any alternatives. Nothing," the woman said.

News4Jax on Wednesday called the man who sold them the tickets. The first time, he hung up. The second time, it went to voicemail.

As of late Wednesday afternoon, the man had not responded to the couple's calls either.

"I was sad. I mean, I thought I was going to be in the front row at the Dave Matthews concert," the woman said. "It was, kind of, a bummer. (I've) never been escorted out a concert."

The managers of Daily’s Place sent News4Jax the following statement:

“Bold Events strongly encourages fans to purchase tickets only from verified providers, including Ticketmaster and Ticketmaster’s own verified ticket exchange. We always do our best to accommodate guests, but cannot guarantee accommodations for tickets purchased on unofficial sites, such as Craigslist. We encourage concertgoers to make smart, savvy choices by seeking out tickets for sold out shows via verified outlets that provide guarantees."

SeatGeek.com has listed the ways to avoid being scammed and make sure tickets are legitimate:

  • Download e-tickets in advance: Don't wait until the last minute to download an e-ticket. Once it is emailed to you, download it, review it and make sure it looks accurate. That will give you time to contact the seller if there's any issues.
  • Check at the box office: Often times, there are people trying to rid themselves of extra tickets outside a show or event. If you do buy a ticket from someone attending the concert, asking them to come with you to the box office so you can both confirm the validity of the ticket together.
  • Call the venue to confirm details: The venue won't be able to tell you if the bar code is valid or not, it will be able to confirm the section, seat number and show start time. 

  • About the Author:

    Lifetime Jacksonville resident anchors the 8 and 9 a.m. weekday newscasts and is part of the News4Jax I-Team.