Is Viagogo legit? How to check any resale ticket site before you pay

2 November 2026 · 7 min read · By eventflo

You've found tickets to a sold-out show on Viagogo and you want a straight answer before you hand over your card.

Is Viagogo legit?

Everything below is from the named pages as read on 1 November 2026.

Viagogo's own help page answers a plain yes. It is a real resale marketplace: it isn't the promoter and it isn't the event's official ticket seller. Sellers list tickets and set their own prices.

In its release of 2 October 2020, the ACCC said the Federal Court had ordered Viagogo to pay a $7 million penalty for breaching the Australian Consumer Law by making false or misleading representations when reselling tickets to live music and sports events. The court found in 2019 that Viagogo had represented that it was the "official" seller of tickets to particular events, that certain tickets were scarce, and that consumers could buy at a particular price when significant fees, such as a 27.6 per cent booking fee, weren't disclosed until late in the booking process.

The ACCC said the conduct ran from 1 May to 26 June 2017. The site advertised a headline price without a total price, and didn't adequately disclose that it wasn't a primary ticket seller. In a release of 18 May 2022, the ACCC said the Full Federal Court dismissed Viagogo's appeal and upheld the earlier findings and the $7 million penalty.

That's a court finding about conduct in 2017, not a verdict on how the site runs today.

Viagogo's terms say prices may differ from face value, meaning the price the ticket sold for on the primary market. Its fees help page says you'll see the total cost, including a list of all fees, at checkout. The same page says there is no set percentage for fees and that they can change with ticket price, time to event and demand, so the final-screen total is the only number to trust.

These are Viagogo's international help pages; we could not load the Australian versions, so check the page on the Australian site for your order.

What the Viagogo Guarantee says

Viagogo's pages, read on 1 November 2026: its help page says it guarantees every order. If there's an issue with the original order, buyers get access to comparable or better replacement tickets, or the option of a full refund.

Viagogo's terms say issues must be reported within 14 days after receiving the tickets, otherwise they're no longer covered, and they leave the replacement offer to Viagogo's discretion. For problems on the day of the event, the terms say you must contact Viagogo within 48 hours of the incident, and you may need to complete a dispute claim form. Report any problem straight away (checked 1 November 2026).

If an event is cancelled and not rescheduled, Viagogo's fees page says you get a credit worth 120% of what you paid, or the option of a cash refund. The 120% is a credit, not extra cash. If you want your money back, ask for the cash refund option. The fees page calls this a summary and points to the full terms (checked 1 November 2026).

7 checks before you pay on any resale site

1. Is this the official seller or a reseller? Check the event page on the promoter's own site first. If it's sold out there, see whether the official ticketing site runs its own resale or a waitlist.
2. What's the total price? Get to the final payment screen and note the full amount, fees included, before you enter card details.
3. What was face value? Find the original price on the official event page so you know how far above it you're paying.
4. Exactly what are you buying? Section, row, entry type and number of tickets. If the listing is vague, ask the seller before you pay.
5. How is it delivered, and whose name is on it? Best case, the ticket is transferred into your account with the original ticketing company. Be wary of PDFs and screenshots, which can be copied and sold more than once. Viagogo's help page says that for most events its tickets keep the original buyer's name and the face value, and that this is okay for event entry (checked 1 November 2026). The ACCC says tickets from authorised sellers often carry conditions that restrict resale or transfer above their original value.
6. How are you paying? Use a credit card through the site's own checkout. More on that below.
7. What are the refund terms? Find the guarantee or refund policy, read what it covers and the time limits, and screenshot it along with the listing.

One national rule helps with check 1. From 1 October 2022 a national standard (NT Consumer Affairs gives the date) has required websites whose only purpose is reselling tickets to Australian events to say clearly that they are a resale service, not an authorised ticket provider, and to show the total price the authorised seller charges (WA Consumer Protection). NT Consumer Affairs says it does not apply to private sales through online marketplaces (checked 1 November 2026). If a resale-only site doesn't say it, ask why before you pay.

Example, with made-up numbers: a ticket is listed at $180, and the last screen adds fees to make it $215. Face value was $120. The real comparison is $215 against $120, not $180 against $120. Do this sum before you decide.

Red flags

• The price is far above face value with no explanation.
• You're pushed to hurry, or to pay or chat off the platform.
• The seller wants a bank transfer, gift cards, crypto or a payment to a personal account.
• Only screenshots or PDFs are on offer, with no transfer from the original ticketing account. If delivery is promised only close to the event, ask why.
• The seller's social media profile is brand new or has no history.
• The listing won't say the section or entry type.

One red flag isn't proof of anything. Two or three together is a good reason to walk away.

How to pay

Pay by credit card, through the site's own checkout. A card gives you somewhere to go if things fail: your card issuer's dispute process, usually called a chargeback. Ask your issuer how disputes work and how long you have to lodge one.

Bank transfers, gift cards and crypto are hard to get back once sent. If a seller insists on one of them, treat that as a red flag and stop.

What if the ticket doesn't work?

Move quickly: guarantee claims and chargebacks have time limits.

1. Gather evidence. Receipt, listing screenshot, refund terms, messages, and any error from the venue or scanner.
2. Write to the site. Use email or the contact form so there's a record. Say what happened, quote the guarantee or refund terms you screenshotted, and ask for a refund. On Viagogo, a problem on the day of the event has a 48-hour reporting rule.
3. Ask the official ticketing company or venue. They may be able to tell you whether your ticket is valid.
4. Ask your card issuer about a chargeback. Victoria's ticket scalping page says your first step is to go back to the point of purchase, and that your bank or credit card provider may be able to help with a chargeback (checked 1 November 2026).
5. Complain to your state consumer agency, such as NSW Fair Trading or Consumer Affairs Victoria. If you think it is a scam, report it to Scamwatch, run by the National Anti-Scam Centre.

State rules and price caps differ; see our guide: resale rules and price caps

Is Tixel legit?

Tixel's about page says it caps prices and offers a buyer guarantee, and its community guidelines describe it as a place where fans help fans. Its price-cap help page (last updated 2021) says the default cap in Australia is 10% above face value, and that caps can be changed for a particular event with Tixel's approval (checked 1 November 2026).

Its community guidelines say buyers are covered by the Buyer Guarantee, and that Tixel steps in on non-delivery or an issue and sorts out a refund after reviewing the case. The guidelines add that buyers must provide evidence of any issue within 48 hours of the event ending, and that only payments processed through the Tixel website are eligible for a refund (checked 1 November 2026). Caps and terms can change, so check the current pages.

A cap changes the price risk. It doesn't replace the seven checks, so run them on Tixel too.

Where eventflo fits

For events ticketed on eventflo, resale runs through FloMarket, eventflo's fan-to-fan resale marketplace.

Public listings for tickets bought on an earlier tier are automatically priced just below the current release. Promoters can also set private resale links with a minimum and maximum price band per ticket type, and verified fan accounts mean one ticket goes to one real person.

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