How much are last-minute Taylor Swift Eras Tour tickets? Prices go up to $4K amid Ticketmaster changes, scams

It's the end of an era: Taylor Swift will kick off the final leg of her global Eras Tour this Friday in Miami .

With only a handful of cities remaining on Swift's list, including three U.S. cities, many fans are searching for last-minute tickets, with several Swifties falling victim to scams and grossly up-charged resale prices.

Some have even complained that their tickets were cancelled only a few days before their show.

Ticket prices soar as last leg approaches

How much would you pay to see your favorite artist perform live? For several Swifties, the answer to that question may be upwards of $4,000.

The Ticketmaster pre-sales and general sales for the remaining Eras Tour shows have long since passed. If you want to secure a seat now, the only option is to buy tickets second hand.

As of Oct. 1, the average price for a secondhand ticket to one of the three upcoming Eras Tour shows in Miami is $3,472, according to a study conducted by SeatPick .

The same study found that one ticket to one of three upcoming New Orleans shows will set you back $3,986 on average. Tickets to one of the three Indianapolis shows cost $4,365 on average.

After closing out her final U.S. show, Swift will head up to Canada to perform in six shows in Toronto and three in Vancouver. The average ticket prices for Toronto and Vancouver are $4,450 and $4,459 respectively.

Taylor Swift Eras Tour: Ticketmaster cancellations and resale scams

Ticketmaster has a record of controversy when it comes to Eras Tour tickets. When the tour began over a year ago, fans experienced mass website crashes when trying to buy tickets during a pre-sale, after which Ticketmaster announced the general sale would be canceled.

After an onset of complaints, Ticketmaster attributed the website crashes to bot attacks and record demand.

With the final leg of the tour approaching, Ticketmaster has now paused all ticket transfers amid new complaints. Many fans unknowingly bought stolen or counterfeit tickets through secondhand sites and then received emails from Ticketmaster stating their tickets had been cancelled.

Mark the Era: Celebrate Taylor Swift's unprecedented Eras Tour with USA TODAY's enchanting book

Now, Ticketmaster has added a countdown to upcoming Eras Tour tickets, so fans who purchase or have already purchased tickets must wait until 72 hours before the show to hit download.

The Ticketmaster website states this delayed transfer system is used to "prevent tickets from being accessed until we can confirm everybody has adhered to the event ticket limit and didn't use unfair ticket technology to buy in bulk."

Fans have taken to social media to voice complaints about this system, stating the delayed downloading inhibits trading tickets and makes reselling more difficult.

Furthermore, if fans download the tickets within the 72-hour window only to discover the product is counterfeit, it may be too late to purchase new seats.

How to avoid Taylor Swift concert ticket scams

SeatPick resale ticket expert Gilad Zilberman offered these tips on avoiding scams:

• Purchase tickets from a legitimate resale platform: "When shopping for resold Eras tour tickets online, it is essential that you make payments through a legitimate resale platform, with a secure payment method. If you purchase tickets from other sites, you may encounter an online scammer who might pressure you not to use a site’s secure payment methods, and instead pay through a bank transfer before the product has been seen or received. Such seller practices should always raise a red flag. Try to avoid sellers advertising through social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram."
• Demand current photo proof of the ticket: "Whatever ticket you’re trying to purchase, request that the seller send you a recent photo of it or a screenshot of the ticket confirmation. Ask them to set the printed-out ticket(s) or confirmation next to a piece of paper with your name written on it, for example. If they’re unwilling to do so, chances are they don’t have the product at all, so don’t proceed with the transaction. But DO NOT allow someone to send you a screenshot of a ticket as these are invalid or send payment before receiving the tickets."
• Look out for extremely low-priced products. "Tickets sold for unbelievably low prices are a definite warning sign. Do your research and look around other websites to check the average price of the tickets you’d like to buy. These are extremely in-demand tickets, so resold tickets will most likely be overpriced."
• Only purchase from trusted sellers: "If you choose to purchase tickets from secondary sites, do so at your own risk, but be wary of who you’re buying from and do your research beforehand. Check the seller’s bio for anything suspicious, if you’re not sure, it’s not worth the risk."
• Decline overpayments if you're the seller: "While it might not happen too often, scammers may target sellers as well. They may pay more than the set price and then say they’ve made a mistake before asking for a partial refund. The seller will send the refund, only to discover the original payment had been cancelled. If a person is acting suspiciously when you decline an overpayment and ask for the correct amount, it could mean they’re a scammer."

Bottom line: If the tickets look too good to be true, they probably are.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How much are last-minute Taylor Swift Eras Tour tickets? Prices go up to $4K amid Ticketmaster changes, scams