Shelby Singleton and Katie Hanz were thrilled to attend Taylor Swift’s concert at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Excitement Turns to Panic

Singleton had secured four prized floor tickets through Ticketmaster at face value, a rare feat in today’s competitive ticket market. “I got a code, and that’s why I had to buy,” Singleton said, explaining her good fortune. However, that excitement quickly turned to panic when Singleton discovered that her tickets had been stolen, and transferred out of her Ticketmaster account in September.

“Oh my gosh, I was panicking,” she recalled, echoing the concerns of many Swift fans across the country who experienced similar issues. Fans like Karen Platt, whose tickets were meant to celebrate her 30th wedding anniversary, found themselves in frustrating battles to recover their stolen tickets. Platt shared her story, noting how what should have been a fun experience had turned into a daily struggle with Ticketmaster. “It is incredibly frustrating,” Platt said, describing hours spent waiting on hold without resolution.

The Struggle to Recover Tickets

Singleton’s ordeal with Ticketmaster began when she noticed her tickets had vanished from her account. Despite her immediate efforts to resolve the issue, it seemed almost impossible to recover the stolen tickets. She and Hanz contacted Ticketmaster for help, but initially received little support. “They gave me the impression that once a ticket is sold, it’s almost impossible to get back,” Singleton explained.

Platt had a similar experience. After multiple calls to Ticketmaster, she sought help from NBC6 Responds, a consumer advocacy team. Their intervention led to a positive outcome for Platt, who was able to recover her tickets. “Thank you so much for your help because I truly believe without it, I’m not sure my tickets would have been recovered,” she said.

However, the delay in resolving the ticket issue forced her to drive from North Carolina to South Florida to join her daughter for the concert, as she hadn’t been able to book a flight. Despite the long journey, Platt remained excited about enjoying the concert with her daughter.

A Last-Minute Recovery

In the end, both Singleton and Hanz managed to recover their tickets, though the experience left them frustrated with Ticketmaster’s handling of the situation. While three of Singleton’s tickets were returned to her account, one had been sold, disrupting plans for one of her friends. After further communication with Ticketmaster, the fourth ticket was eventually restored to her account.

“They make it seem like it’s our fault because we have bad passwords,” Hanz said. “It’s not our fault. Take a little bit of responsibility for something that happened.” In a final twist, the same ticket was stolen again from Singleton’s account but was recovered just a day before the concert.

Ticketmaster did not respond directly to NBC6’s inquiries about Singleton’s case but previously stated that they are constantly enhancing their security to safeguard fans. While the ordeal ended positively for Singleton and Platt, it remains unclear how scammers gained access to their tickets in the first place, leaving fans concerned about future ticket security.