(PRWeb) April 7, 2007 — Demand for concert tickets is escalating as some of the world’s biggest acts are announcing tours and as the summer festival season fast approaches. Recently, tickets for tours by The Rolling Stones, The Police and Take That, as well as festivals Hyde Park Calling, Reading Festival, and V Festival, have sold out in record breaking time.

As a result, music fans are continuing to turn to the resale market to get their tickets. This means fans are facing a larger risk than ever before of being ripped off or defrauded by unscrupulous touts. Many will be left out of pocket without their tickets or with counterfeits.

This is a huge current consumer issue. Ticket industry expert Eric Baker, CEO of viagogo.com, Europe’s leading online ticket exchange, advises consumers what to watch out for and what to avoid when looking for those must-have tickets. To avoid getting ripped off, Eric says:

"Above all, only use a secure exchange which guarantees that if you’re a buyer you get your tickets and if you’re a seller you get paid. Additionally, here are five top tips:

1. Don’t agree to meet strangers to hand over money for tickets. They could take your money and run. Besides, it could be dangerous to meet someone you don’t know.
2. Don’t accept the promise of "guarantees" without doing your homework. Many websites say 100% guaranteed, but the guarantee is only as good as the guarantor.
3. Make sure that any online exchange you use is reputable. Anyone can build a website or buy links on Google. Ask if they are in business with any major organisations or teams. Search to see if they’ve been written about by major publications.
4. Never buy from a source that doesn’t give clear instructions, terms and conditions. Good resellers are happy to explain what your rights are and what their responsibilities are.
5. Don’t buy tickets outside the arena. This is where a great deal of fraud occurs. The "Picassos" of fraudulent tickets are now able to create forgeries that look as good as the originals, by the time you get to the door and are denied entry the street seller will be long gone."

Eric Baker founded viagogo, Europe’s leading secure ticket exchange, which launched in August 2006. Previously, he founded the leading US ticket exchange StubHub, which was acquired by eBay for $307m in January.

Eric brings a proven ticket exchange service to Europe for the first time, offering Europeans the same benefits that he delivered in the United States. viagogo.com has already established itself as the best online destination for people to exchange tickets for all kinds of live events, from sports and West End shows to European tours of the world’s biggest rock and pop acts. viagogo’s partners include Chelsea FC, Manchester United FC, FC Bayern Munich as well as a range of other sports, entertainment and charity organisations.