Verified fan is a service which aims to prevent bots or fake accounts from accessing tickets for concerts and live events. It requires users to register with their details like phone number, address etc. to prove they are real fans before they can access tickets.
What is verified fan?
Verified fan is a ticket buying process where potential buyers must register and provide personal details to prove they are real human fans, not bots or scalpers looking to resell tickets. It was created by Ticketmaster to ensure more tickets get into the hands of genuine fans.
With verified fan, fans first register on Ticketmaster with details like their name, address, email and phone number. They may need to provide an access code or preorder an album to get registered. Once registered, they are verified as real fans and placed into a pool to access tickets.
When tickets go on sale, only registered verified fans can access tickets. The process aims to prevent bots from automatically buying up large volumes of tickets to resell at higher prices. As buyers have to prove they are real people, it limits scalpers scooping up tickets.
How does verified fan work?
The key steps in the verified fan process are:
- Registration – Fans register with personal details like name, email, phone number, and address.
- Verification – Details are verified to prove the fan is a real person.
- Entry into pool – Verified fans are entered into a pool to access tickets.
- Ticket sale – Only those verified can access tickets when they go on sale.
- Ticket limits – Limits are placed on how many tickets each fan can buy.
Registration starts days or weeks before tickets go on sale. Fans must provide details accurately or risk being rejected. Strict limits are also placed on ticket purchases, often 2-4 per person, to prevent bulk buying.
The verification checks that fans are real people, not fake accounts or bots. Details like addresses are checked against databases to spot fakes. Phones may be called or sent codes to prove they are active.
Once verified, fans get special links and codes to access tickets. When tickets go on sale, only verified fans can access tickets for the first period, like the first day. Limits prevent bulk buying. Later, any tickets left are opened to the general public.
Does verified fan stop all bots and scalpers?
Verified fan has proven effective at limiting bots and scalpers, but some limitations exist:
- Sophisticated bots could simulate human behavior and provide fake details that may get through verification.
- Scalpers can still have multiple people register accounts and buy tickets, then resell them.
- The demand often exceeds supply, so genuine fans still miss out.
Experts estimate verified fan blocks 90-95% of bots but maybe only 75% of scalpers. The manual effort of registering multiple accounts does deter many scalpers. But when demand outweighs supply, resellers can still profit.
Advantages of verified fan
Verified fan has several key advantages:
- Greatly reduces automated bots buying tickets – Estimated to block over 90% of bots.
- Limits bulk buying by capping tickets per person.
- More tickets reach genuine fans who want to attend events.
- Fewer tickets end up being resold at inflated prices.
- Frustrates scalpers trying to profit from hot ticket demand.
Artists and event companies strongly support verified fan to ensure fair access to tickets. The extra steps deter casual scalpers looking to make quick profits.
Disadvantages and limitations
Some limitations exist with verified fan:
- Does not stop all scalping, as skilled resellers can still buy tickets.
- Registration system can suffer technical faults or be hacked.
- Adds extra steps for fans wanting to buy tickets.
- No guarantee all genuine fans will beat ticket limits.
- May not verify identities fully if fans enter inaccurate data.
While verified fan adds obstacles for scalpers, it cannot block all abuses when demand exceeds supply. Fans also dislike the extra registration hassle when they just want to buy tickets easily.
How are tickets limited with verified fan?
Verified fan limits how many tickets each person can buy, typically 2-4 per person. This prevents bulk buying of dozens of tickets.
Limits are enforced by:
- Allowing only 2-4 tickets per transaction.
- Capping the total tickets a single verified account can buy.
- Matching fan identities across orders to stop duplicate buying under different accounts.
If a fan tries to buy more than the limit, their orders will be cancelled and tickets revoked. Limits make large-scale scalping much harder.
Some example ticket limits include:
Event | Tickets per person limit |
---|---|
Ed Sheeran US tour | 4 tickets |
Harry Styles UK tour | 4 tickets |
BTS Las Vegas concerts | 2 tickets |
These strict limits mean scalpers can only realistically buy a handful of tickets. To resell hundreds, they would need to register and verify dozens of fake identities, which is very difficult under a robust verification system.
Does verified fan completely prevent resales?
No, verified fan does not completely stop ticket resales, for a few reasons:
- Limits like 4 tickets per person still allow some bulk buying.
- Scalpers can register multiple real identities, fake details, or hacked accounts.
- Genuine fans may resell spare tickets if they cannot attend.
- A fan can still buy tickets then resell them, just in lower volumes.
Verified fan is effective against mass bot buying but does not eliminate all scalpers. It introduces friction that deters casual scalpers but skilled resellers adapt their tactics. Some fans may also resell spares, meaning some resold tickets still end up on secondary sites.
Estimating resales under verified fan
Experts estimate verified fan may:
- Block 90-95% of bot ticket purchases.
- Reduce scalped ticket volumes by 75-85%.
- Cut total resold tickets by 60-70% overall.
These are rough estimates as each event differs in demand and ticket limits. But verified fan certainly slashes large-scale scalping through bots and bulk buying.
Does verified fan stop scalpers completely?
No, verified fan does not stop 100% of scalpers for a few reasons:
- Sophisticated bot networks can mimic human behavior and provide plausible fake details to get verified.
- Scalpers can set up many real accounts using multiple names, addresses and payment details.
- Ticket limits of 2-4 per person still allow some bulk buying.
- Scalpers adapt tactics, hiring groups to register accounts or collaborating to pool tickets.
Experts estimate 75-85% of scalpers are blocked. The time required to register multiple real or fake accounts puts off casual scalpers. But skilled resellers view it as overhead to work around.
When ticket demand greatly exceeds supply, significant scalping and resales can still occur. Verified fan raises the bar but motivated scalpers evolve tactics to try and clear it.
Can ticket limits be circumvented?
There are a few ways scalpers try to circumvent ticket buying limits:
- Registering many different real identities with varied details.
- Creating elaborate fake identities with fake documentation.
- Hiring groups of people to register and buy tickets.
- Collaborating with other scalpers to combine multiple allowances.
- Using technical means like IP address spoofing to disguise bulk orders.
These tactics take considerable effort compared to bot buying. Each fake identity needs plausibly real details. Collaboration splits profits. Hiring groups adds logistical hassles.
Ticketmaster uses data analysis to try and spot suspicious patterns. Address lists, payment cards and device links may identify scalper rings. But limits can still be circumvented to an extent by determined resellers.
Are there ways to improve verified fan?
There are a few ways verified fan could potentially be improved:
- Make identity verification even more rigorous using documentation.
- Lower ticket limits to 1 or 2 per person to hinder bulk buying.
- Analyze data like addresses and payments for suspicious patterns.
- Allow only the original ticket buyer to enter the venue, checking IDs.
- Add CAPTCHA tests during ticket buying to block automated tools.
- Use ticket NFTs on blockchain to track resales and invalidate scalped tokens.
More rigorous ID verification would make faking identities much harder. Lowering limits further restricts volume. Data analysis can flag suspicious patterns to cancel orders. Ticket NFTs linked to identities could largely eliminate scalper resales.
However, more burdensome identity checks orCAPTCHA tests would frustrate fans. Completely locking tickets to identities also limits genuine resales. There are always tradeoffs between security and usability.
Conclusion
Verified fan has proven largely effective at combating bots and scalping, with experts estimating it blocks 75-95% of abuses. But skilled resellers can still circumvent ticket limits to an extent by faking identities or collaborating. When ticket demand greatly exceeds supply, significant scalping can still occur.
Improvements like more rigorous verification, data analysis or ticket NFTs could strengthen protections further. But more burdensome measures risk hampering the fan experience. A balanced approach is needed to optimize both security and usability.
Overall verified fan marks a major improvement over bot-dominated sales. But it is an ongoing battle against adaptive scalpers in a supply constrained market. As both fans and scalpers try to outwit each other, there are no perfect solutions. But verified fan indicates fan interests are at least far better represented now in the primary ticket market.