Olivia Rodrigo performs during the Sour Tour at the Coca-Cola Roxy on Monday, May 9, 2022, in Atlanta. (Photo by Paul R. Giunta/Invision/AP)

Resale ticket platform TicketSwap has reimbursed fans who paid extortionate prices for tickets to Olivia Rodrigo’s sold-out gigs in Cork and Dublin this week.

Tickets for the 19-year-old's gigs at the Marquee and Fairview Park have been flogged on sites like TicketSwap and DoneDeal all week, with some fans paying up to four-times the original price of the ticket to avoid missing out.

This week, tickets for Rodrigo’s Fairview Park gig had been advertised for up to €194.67 each on TicketSwap, while an advert on DoneDeal from a ‘verified private seller’ advertising a standing ticket for the star’s Marquee gig tonight is asking for €180, with a note stating that the ‘highest offer lifts it.’ The original tickets were priced at €49.90 for both gigs.

A spokesperson for TicketSwap, whose website states it protects buyers from overpricing by keeping to a maximum 20% mark-up from the original sales price, said they became aware of the issue surrounding the price of resale tickets for Olivia Rodrigo’s gigs yesterday.

TicketSwap said buyers of tickets that were above the 20% price cap have been refunded the price difference — and they still have the ticket to attend the concert.

Those hoping to flog tickets to the gigs last minute will also be unable to charge more than €63.87 per ticket (20% more than the original price of the ticket, plus a 5% service fee to TicketSwap and 3% to payment service Stripe). The platform said it also plans to cap the price sellers can charge for tickets for future events in Ireland. 

A bill prohibiting the resale of tickets above face value came into effect last summer, but crucially, it only applies to "designated events or events taking place in designated venues that have a capacity of 1,000 people or more.” The legislation, therefore, relies on organisers to apply for designation for concerts or events. Otherwise, touts can charge what they please.

Touts face fines of up to €100,000 or up to two years in prison if they sell tickets above the original sale price for concerts that fall under the law.

Six ways to avoid being scammed 

If you weren’t lucky enough to secure a ticket to some of the country's most-anticipated sold-out gigs this summer, chances are you might find yourself looking for a last-minute resale ticket. While you can never be 100% sure about the validity of your ticket unless you purchase it directly from authorised sellers, there are some steps you can take to help avoid becoming a victim of ticket fraud and/or ticket touting.

Have you tried official routes?

Even if the gig is sold-out, you might have some luck on Ticketmaster Resale where fans can sell their unwanted tickets to other fans at face value or less. All tickets are verified by Ticketmaster and where possible, reissued to you in your name, so you can have full peace of mind.

After Ticketmaster, your next bet is probably TicketSwap. The site uses SecureSwap for a number of events which means the seller's original ticket is made invalid and the buyer receives a completely new and unique ticket. SecureSwap is made possible through special relationships between TicketSwap and a number of ticket companies. Using these integrations, they create a new barcode for your ticket and ensure that the resold ticket is 100% safe.

Does the person selling the tickets seem legit?

If there’s nothing available through authorised sellers, you’re probably scouring social media and resale sites. Some basic Sherlocking before exchanging messages with anyone can help save you time – and money, at this stage. If you’re looking for tickets on Twitter – has the account only been created in recent days? Does it only have a few tweets (most of which are flogging the ticket). Does it have a very low following account? Is there identifying information on their profile? On sites like DoneDeal, you may be able to find reviews from consumers who have dealt with this seller before.

Are they selling the tickets at a massive mark-up?

They are probably a scammer. And if they are not, they are still a ticket tout. Avoid.

Ask the seller to take a photo of the physical tickets with something specific in the photo so you know it’s legit (maybe a piece of paper with today’s date written on it?). Are they paperless tickets? Ask for a recent screenshot where you can see the date/time.

Are they happy to provide information to prove they/the tickets are legitimate?

Okay so they can’t meet you in person. If they are a legitimate seller, at this stage, they shouldn’t have an issue with answering some of your questions and providing some basic identifying information. One way you can check whether they are the real deal is by asking to see the name on the tickets and proof that they are the person name (e.g. by providing a picture of their tickets + their name on a driver's license).

Can you meet in person?

Okay, they seem legit, tickets seem legit. Meeting in person is a hassle, and it’s not always possible, but if you can meet the seller in person for the exchange, do. That way you can inspect the tickets in person before you hand over the cash.

Help – I think I’ve been scammed 

Look, it happens. If you have fallen victim to a scam artist and lost money, the best thing you can do is contact your bank directly. If you’ve been paid via PayPal or Revolut, they may be able to assist if the transaction is deemed to be fraudulent.

If you sent a payment via PayPal but haven’t received what you paid for, or believe the seller to be fraudulent, you should visit the Resolution Center and open a dispute.

Revolut has a Buyer Protection Policy which allows you to submit a claim if your purchase was, among other things, not delivered or was counterfeit. Customers must submit a claim via the Revolut app within 60 days of the transaction being made (or within 60 days of the expected date of delivery (for goods) or receipt (for services), if that is later). Disputes are handled by Revolut’s Disputes Resolution Team.

If you have been scammed, we’d also recommend reporting the user to the site they sold you the ticket on (Twitter, DoneDeal, Facebook Marketplace etc) and to contact your local Garda station. This will help ensure other fans don’t fall victim to the same scam.

Read MoreEverything you need to know about pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo ahead of Cork gig

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