Outsmart Ticket Scammers: Your Guide to Secure Concert Ticket Buying

Outsmart Ticket Scammers: Your Guide to Secure Concert Ticket Buying

So you’re itching to see Madonna or Taylor Swift rock the stage in Mexico City! Awesome! But with great concerts come the sometimes-daunting task of securing those coveted tickets. With StubHub and Viagogo being two of the biggest names in the resale market, you might be wondering – where’s the safest place to score those Madonna or Taylor Swift tickets for Mexico?

We dive into the world of StubHub and Viagogo, helping you make the best choice for your Mexico City concert experience.

Why StubHub Might Be Your Best Bet

While both platforms offer ticket resales, StubHub seems to have the edge in terms of buyer safety, especially for events south of the border. Here’s a breakdown of why:

  • Fan Guarantee: StubHub boasts its Fan Guarantee, promising a replacement ticket of comparable value or a full refund if the original ticket is invalid or the event is canceled (with some exceptions). This provides peace of mind, especially when dealing with international events.
  • Established Reputation: Founded in 2000, StubHub has a longer track record in the resale market. This translates to a more established reputation for reliability and customer service.
  • Better Business Bureau Rating: StubHub holds an A- rating from the Better Business Bureau, indicating a history of resolving customer issues more effectively.

Viagogo – Potential Perks and Cautions

Viagogo shouldn’t be entirely discounted though. Here’s what to consider:

  • Price: Depending on the seller and fees, Viagogo might offer slightly lower prices for some tickets.
  • Selection: For major events like Madonna or Taylor Swift, Viagogo might have a larger pool of sellers, potentially giving you more ticket options (though this isn’t guaranteed).

However, proceed with caution with Viagogo due to these concerns:

  • Ticket Validity Issues: Viagogo has faced criticism in the past regarding ticket validity. While they offer a buyer guarantee, user experiences suggest it might be trickier to get resolved compared to StubHub’s Fan Guarantee.
  • Higher Fees: Be mindful of potentially higher seller fees on Viagogo, which can inflate the final ticket price.

Fake Tickets Inside

Same Ownership, Different Platforms?

An interesting wrinkle is that StubHub and Viagogo now belong to the same company, StubHub Holdings, following the acquisition in 2022. While under the same umbrella, there could still be some key differences:

  • Distinct Policies: Even under the same ownership, StubHub and Viagogo might maintain separate policies regarding fees, guarantees, and seller vetting processes. StubHub’s Fan Guarantee might hold more weight for now.
  • Brand Recognition and User Experience: StubHub generally enjoys stronger brand recognition and user trust. Their platform might also be easier to navigate and use for your purchase.

Rock the Show, Not the Scam: Here’s How to Make the Smart Choice

So, how do you decide between StubHub and Viagogo for your Madonna or Taylor Swift tickets in Mexico?

  • Prioritize Safety: If a secure buying experience is your top concern, StubHub’s Fan Guarantee and established reputation might be worth the extra cost.
  • Compare Fees: Check the fee structure of both platforms for the specific concert and tickets you’re interested in. A slight price difference on Viagogo might not outweigh the potential risks if you value safety.
  • Read User Reviews: Look for recent reviews on both platforms to get a sense of other buyers’ experiences, especially regarding customer service in Mexico.
  • Consider Past Experiences: If you’ve had positive experiences with StubHub before, it might be wise to stick with them for familiarity and potential account benefits.

Pro Tip: Make sure to use a credit card that will guarantee online purchases or travel in case of fraud or cancellations.

Ultimately, the decision boils down to your priorities. If the best price is your top concern and you’re comfortable with the potential risks of Viagogo, it might be an option. But for a safer bet with stronger buyer guarantees and a more established reputation, StubHub might be the wiser choice, especially for those eagerly awaited Madonna and Taylor Swift concerts in Mexico!

Switch to Cable-Free T-Mobile 5G Home Internet Starting at $30 per Month with Price Lock Guarantee

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is a fixed wireless service that provides access to high-speed 4G LTE or 5G service in your area through a router that converts the signal to Wi-Fi. Fixed wireless internet is most often marketed toward rural areas, which means that, even if you don’t have access to standard internet options, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet may be available in your area.

Now, T-Mobile is making it easier than ever to switch to the 5G home internet service. New customers can try T-Mobile Home Internet for 15 days with a money-back guarantee. Simply cancel service within 15 days of activation and return the gateway device for a refund, which you’ll get as a one-time bill credit. Don’t take bloggers or tech peoples word for it test it out yourself by picking up one of these devices and hooking it up in seconds.

Additionally, T-Mobile is offering to pay up to $500 in termination fees to help you cancel your current internet plan. You can check out the details on T-Mobile’s website.

Below, you’ll find more information on T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet plan including what you can expect for the cost, how to check availability in your area and how it compares to similar plans from other wireless service providers.

Stop paying price hikes for the same home internet plan. Instead, sign up risk-free for T-Mobile Home Internet at $50 per month with AutoPay. Their Price Lock Guarantee means that they’ll never raise your price, and if you act today, you can take advantage of even more savings and limited-time perks for both new and existing customers. See if T-Mobile Home Internet is available in your area.

T-Mobile will let you take their Home Internet service for a 15-day test drive to see if it’s right for you before you buy. They’ll even pay up to $750 in contract termination fees to help you make the switch from your old ISP provider.

Extra Perks for New and Existing Customers

Low monthly price, Price Lock Guarantee, and helping to cover termination fees when switching, are incentive enough to make the switch, but T-Mobile takes customer service a step further by offering tons of extra perks. For a limited time, they’ll send you a $50 virtual prepaid MasterCard when you activate your Home Internet service. You can also receive a $20-per-month credit on your Home Internet bill when you add two or more qualifying lines like the Magenta Max voice plan. You’ll enjoy unlimited talk, text, and data with no annual contract while also saving even more on your new home internet service. That brings your price down to just $30 a month for T-Mobile Home Internet.

The company’s perks aren’t just for new customers, either. When you download the T-Mobile Tuesdays app, you’ll have weekly access to deals exclusive to T-Mobile users. From free movies and cuisine to discounts on tickets and fuel, you’re sure to feel appreciated every Tuesday, no strings attached.

Home internet subscribers can also take advantage of savings on other services, just for being a valued T-Mobile customer. Score discounts on streaming plans like YouTube TV, Paramount+ (enjoy it for a year at no extra cost), Sirius XM, Ooma’s home phone services, and much more.

Say Goodbye to Big Cable

Make annual contract renewals and price hikes a thing of the past when you sign up for T-Mobile Home Internet. Not only can you rely on their Price Lock Guarantee to never raise your rates for as long as you’re a customer, but for a limited time, you can also receive a $50 virtual prepaid Mastercard when you make the switch. Plus, if you sign up for their popular Magenta Max voice plan with 2+ lines, you’ll pay only $30 per month for Home Internet service (that’s a $20 savings per month). Low costs, protection from price increases, and special offers make T-Mobile Home Internet hard to pass up.

See if T-Mobile Home Internet is currently available in your area. Check for availability now.

Plan and Pricing

Currently, T-Mobile offers only one home internet plan: T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. The fixed wireless service provides access to the same 4G LTE or 5G network on which T-Mobile smartphones operate. So if you’ve got 5G T-Mobile cell service at your house, the same speed should be available through the home internet plan.

The plan costs $50 per month with autopay ($55 without). There is no discount available for bundling the home internet plan with a wireless plan, but you don’t have to be a T-Mobile wireless customer to get its home internet service. Taxes are included for most T-Mobile customers, according to the company’s website.

For $50 per month (with autopay) you can expect typical download speeds between 35-115 Mbps. However, speeds can vary based on location, signal strength and availability, time of day and other factors. 

The plan does not require an annual service contract and includes 24/7 support from T-Mobile’s Customer Care Team.

Download Speeds

According to T-Mobile’s website, 5G Home Internet customers will see typical download speeds between 35-115 Mbps. T-Mobile’s speed projections are based on an analysis of internal and third-party data; you can find more information here.

Of course, speeds can vary greatly from one house to the next, even in the same neighborhood. Factors that affect download speeds include weather, location, signal strength and availability, time of day and more. 

At the moment, T-Mobile doesn’t offer tiered pricing based on speeds, which means you can’t purchase a higher-speed plan. Instead, customers automatically receive the fastest speeds available from the Home Internet service at their address. According to T-Mobile, as better speeds become available, customers will automatically get them at no additional cost. 

Fortunately, this may happen sooner than later. Based on a recent study published by Ookla, T-Mobile’s 5G network offered the highest download speeds and best availability compared to Verizon and AT&T. T-Mobile also recently expanded its 5G Home Internet availability to 10 million more households. I expect that we’ll see T-Mobile’s 5G network continue to expand and improve throughout the year, both for wireless customers and home internet customers.

When the network is congested, T-Mobile Home Internet customers may notice slower speeds due to data prioritization. 

Aside from slower data speeds, customers should be able to expect full internet access and capabilities. There are no data caps on the service, which means you’ll never have to worry about overage fees.

Availability

In April 2022, T-Mobile announced that 5G Home Internet is now available to more than 40 million households nationwide. However, that doesn’t even begin to cover the majority of the United States. 

Still, T-Mobile’s 5G network is relatively new, and the company says it’s working to expand it. Over time, T-Mobile says its 5G Home Internet will offer faster download speeds and availability in more areas. 

Before you get too far into researching T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, be sure to make sure it’s available in your area. The fastest way to do this is to enter your address on T-Mobile’s website

Based on the most recent list published by T-Mobile, 5G Home Internet is available in hundreds of cities and towns across 48 states. However, even if your town is listed, you should still enter your specific address on T-Mobile’s website to make sure service is available at your house. Our apartment was actually not listed but we signed up under our brothers home down the street and use it at our house.

If T-Mobile Home Internet is available at your address, consider taking advantage of the 15-day test drive offer. Before you leave your current internet provider, you can try out T-Mobile 5G Home Internet with a money-back guarantee to see if it’ll work for you.

Contracts and Additional Fees

T-Mobile advertises a flat rate of $50 per month with no annual contracts, data caps or hidden fees. 

Based on the information provided on T-Mobile’s website, you can rest assured that an annual contract isn’t required. Instead, you’ll simply pay for your home internet service each month. You have the option to cancel at any time without early termination fees. 

Free Month of Paramount+ & Showtime with Promo Code

You may select the plan of your choice (Commercial Free or Limited Commercials).. We have been subscribing to Paramount+ Plus when they do a free 30-day offer which seems to be each month. We select no commercials because it is free either way! Who wants to see commercials? You can also get Showtime as part of the free month trial.

Even though Paramount+ is one of the relatively new services on the streaming scene, it has a ton of great content. Paramount+ was made by the combination of CBS All Access and Viacom. They have had access to a vast amount of content for a mixture of audiences. With Nickelodeon for the kids, Star Trek for sci-fi fans, plus a good amount of docu-series and TV shows including Tulsa King and crime shows such as Criminal Minds.

TIP: You can also get a full year free of Paramount plus AND Netflix free with a T-mobile plan (no need to deal with promo codes).

Free Month of Showtime & Paramount+ with Promo Codes:

Paramount+ is offering a free month trial with promo code at checkout.

  • Update 2/4/24: New code SUPERBOWL
  • Update 7/25/23: New code ELVIS
  • Update 4/26/23: New code DRAGRACE

The Fine Print and Why You Should Do this Now

Warner Bros. Discovery in talks to merge with Paramount Global. The duo discussed ways their companies could complement one another. For example, each company’s main streaming service — Paramount+ and Max — could merge to better rival Netflix and Disney+.

Don’t forget to cancel your trial:

  • You will be charged at the full price after your trial period ends however you may cancel at anytime during your trial period.

Stack This Offer

You can stack this with 5G home internet from T-Mobile and cut the cords to your expensive home internet. Read our free offer and review for T-Mobile Home Internet where we found it is much cheaper for the overall family for safe and fast access.

Free Trial Verdict

Seems like every month they have a new code that works for new and existing users, I guess they are just trying to build their member base at the moment. If reactivating, you can click through Swagbucks and get 600 SBs (worth $6). If you can’t get the codes to work, make sure to let your membership expire first.

HBO Max: 3 Months For $1.99 Per Month (New & Returning Customers), $10+ Money Maker

HBO Max is offering 3 months for $1.99 per month. Can go through a portal for additional cash back, looks like Topcashback is $12.60 for a monthly plan and actually make money from this deal. You can always cancel before the 3 months is over.

The Fine Print
Offer ends 11/28/22.
Valid on With Ads plan only.

Read more here about Topcashback and other cash back offers here.

Capital One Cardholders Get Exclusive Ticket Access for Taylor Swift’s ERAS TOUR #Swifties

All right, Swifties: Hit pause on Midnights for just one maybe a minute and check your wallet for a Capital One card.

On Tuesday morning, Taylor Swift announced the details of her highly anticipated nationwide tour next year: “The Eras Tour” kicks off in March 2023 and runs through early August. Thanks to the tour’s sponsorship from Capital One, eligible Capital one credit and debit cardholders will get exclusive, early access to presale tickets starting Tuesday, Nov. 15.

The presale begins Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. at each venue’s local time and runs through Thursday, Nov. 17 at 10 p.m. local venue time, or while supplies last. While pricing information isn’t available just yet, this is a chance for nearly all Capital One cardholders to snag the best deals or premium tickets before they’re released to the general public on Friday, Nov. 18.

Go here to learn about the venture X card and how it can get you in lounges and Taylor swift VIP access.

Capital One cardholders will be required to use the first six digits of their Capital One card number as the promo code to gain access to the presale, and then must use their Capital One card to complete the purchase.

For more Capital One presale information, including all of the announced U.S. tour stops, head to www.taylorswift.com/events. International tour dates have not yet been announced.

What Capital One Cards Are Eligible for the Presale?
Capital One says that The Eras Tour presale is open to all eligible U.S. Capital One Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cardholders. That means if you have a card like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, among many others, you are set.

A Capital One spokesperson says that even those with co-branded credit cards like The Capital One Walmart Rewards Card are eligible. The only cards that don’t make the cut are private label cards that are issued through Capital One such as The Neiman Credit Card and others that aren’t explicitly co-branded by Capital One.

Bottom Line
Taylor Swift is hitting the road next year with “The Eras Tour” kicking off in March 2023. And nearly all Capital One cardholders – including those with either the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, among many others – can get early, exclusive access to tickets for her concerts around the country.

The presale for Capital One cardholders begins Tuesday, Nov. 15 while supplies last. Mark your calendars!

Apple Music: 6 Months For Free (New Users) Or 3 Months For Free (Existing Members)

Apple Music: 6 Months For Free (New Users) Or 3 Months For Free (Existing Members)

Apple Music’s standard free trial offer is a generous 90 days so you should jump on this offer!

By using the Shazam app, would-be Apple Music subscribers can get a total of 6 months Apple Music for free. And you can even get some free months it if you’re currently, or have previously been, an Apple Music subscriber.

How to get your free 6 months of Apple Music

To take advantage of the offer, download and open the Shazam app. Next, hit the Library symbol on the top left of the home screen or swipe left to right. This should bring up a “Limited Time” offer for Apple Music. Tap Try Now, then Try It Free. Finally, hit Confirm and you’re all sorted.

An alternative way to take advantage of the offer is to use Shazam to identify a song. When you get Shazam to listen to a song, it will bring up associated info, such as lyrics and other tracks by the artist. In addition, this will bring up text reading: “Get up to 6 months free of Apple Music.”

Tap the text and you’ll get ushered through to a page where you can Try It Free.

And existing Apple Music customers look here!! 👀

The frustrating thing about these offers, of course, is that they often don’t apply to the most ardent supporters of a service. They’re there to pull in new customers, so if you’re someone already paying your monthly $10 there’s no need to offer it to you.

If you’re already an Apple Music subscriber, you can get three months for free by cancelling your subscription and resubscribing.

To do this, load up your Settings and navigate to Subscriptions. Then tap on Apple Music and Cancel Subscription. Next, open the Shazam app, go to the Library page and Settings Then tap on Disconnect next to Apple Music. With Apple Music disconnected, you should be able to see the offer as described above.

Existing users and previous members can also get 3 months for free, existing users will need to cancel their account first and you’ll also need to disconnect Apple music from Shazam if they were already connected. Normally we only see three or four months for new users, so this is much better than standard.

Spotify, an Apple Music competitor, is also running 3 mos for a one month, 3-month free trials, and 6 free months for AT&T Fiber subscribers.

To recap:

  • It’s currently possible to get six months of Apple Music for free. To get this offer you need to do the following:
  • Download Shazam & then identify a song if you haven’t already
  • Hit ‘Library’
  • Select any song
  • Click open in Apple Music
  • Prompt for six months free should show up

The Apple Music holidays offer was launched by Apple for Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the USA, UK and Canada. It ran from November 29 through December 2. However, Apple has seemingly decided to extend this for the holidays.