SALT LAKE CITY — It’s a holiday tradition that many Utahns wish to be a part of: Ballet West’s "The Nutcracker."
This year, there are a total of 24 performances that go through Dec. 27. Ballet West said they sell more than 30,000 tickets throughout the performances.
This year, Ballet West said they’ve seen a dramatic spike in patrons arriving at performances with fake or invalid tickets purchased from third-party sellers. While Ballet West is trying to accommodate those who have been scammed, they said it’s hard during the busy season.
Louise Earley was planning to take the trip from Mountain Green this week to see the show. Her plans took a turn for the worse when she purchased the tickets.
“According to Ballet West, the value of my tickets is $298 for three tickets on an afternoon performance. I paid $850,” Earley said.
As she searched for last-minute tickets, Earley said she accidentally went to a third-party website where she then purchased the tickets.
She said the red flags didn’t stick out to her right away.
“In hindsight, what was I thinking to pay that much? That’s not my normal mode. I did fall for the pressure sale,” Earley said. "It was a bad move.”
Ballet West is urging their guests to look carefully at what site they’re buying from. They said they’ve also sent out several emails to their already existing customers warning them against these scams.
“Typically, what they’ll do is sell legitimate tickets, marked up dramatically,” said Michael Scolamiero, the executive director of Ballet West. “Then there are some that you buy the tickets, they have your credit card information and your address and then what they do is they go to other sites and use your number. They give you the impression that you’re buying tickets but you’re not really getting them."
Some red flags to look out for include urgent pressure to buy now, a site only listing the seat row number, and if the small print includes reseller language.
“My hope is that other people don’t fall for it because it does cloud what should be a really fun afternoon. I hope nobody else falls for it.” Earley said.
Although Earley said the day will be dampened by this scam, the special memories that come with the holidays won’t be clouded for her and her family.
Ballet West urges people to buy tickets only through official channels:
- Official Website: BalletWest.org or arttix.org
- Box Office Phone: 801-869-6900
