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Chelsea Ticket Scams – How To Avoid Them When Buying Tickets

By Chelsea TicketsNo Comments

It is getting harder for fans, even members to get Chelsea tickets through official channels.

This increase in demand combined with the abolition of printed tickets at the box office means that there has been a marked increase in the number of Chelsea ticket scams we are seeing on social media.

The ticket scammers are hard at work trying to convince you to part with your cash, whilst this article does not constitute legal advice, we hope sharing our experience will help you avoid being scammed.

Buy Direct From The Club

We strongly recommend that you buy your tickets from the club directly.

The easiest way to do this is to become a Chelsea True Blue Member and keep an eye out for when tickets go on sale to members. Whilst this method is not guaranteed and demand is high, it is the most effective way to ensure you are getting a genuine ticket for the game.

Being a member will also give you access to the Chelsea ticket exchange where season ticket holders that cannot attend can get a rebate from the club for putting their ticket on the exchange.

The ticket exchange usually opens between 10 days and two weeks before each home Premier League game and can be a great way to snag a ticket after the club officially sells out.

Join A Supporters Club

If you live outside the UK find the nearest official supporters club near you and consider joining.

Supporters clubs get exclusive access to tickets and you will have a ready-made community of Blues fans local to you to guide you through the process.

If you live in the United States we highly recommend Chelsea In America, they help thousands of fans make a pilgrimage to Stamford Bridge each year.

If you are unable to get tickets from approved sources then here are some things to consider to avoid Chelsea ticket scams.

Check The Face Value Of The Tickets Offered

Ticket touting, scalping or flipping for profit is illegal in the United Kingdom, so whether you are buying via a website, the street or via social media any tickets being sold above face value should be treated with extreme caution.

We will never recommend any of these channels as they are all high risk, even if you take all reasonable precautions.

Work The Loyalty Point Game

It is permissible for fans to sell tickets at face value if they are unable to attend.

This is becoming increasingly more common as fans purchase tickets to stay ahead of the loyalty point system.

The way this works is that each game is attributed a number of loyalty points depending on the expected demand for tickets. Tickets for high-demand games are sold first to those with the highest number of loyalty points accrued during the season.

It is now common for season ticket holders and members to buy tickets for games they do not attend and sell them on at face value to maximise the number of loyalty points they accrue.

This maximises the chance of getting tickets for high-demand games particularly away trips and cup finals.

This makes it worth knowing season ticket holders and members who might be able to help secure you tickets on their account for games they do not want to/cannot attend.

Tread Carefully On Social Media

These tickets are also offered up on social media and there are a number of different groups and communities where genuine transactions take place regularly.

Unfortunately,  these are also a ripe target for scammers who pose as real fans with fake tickets.

It is important that if you choose this route you vet purchasers carefully and where possible get another member of the community to vouch for people.

Be Wary Of Tickets Being Sold Multiple Times

Chelsea Football Club no longer issue fans with paper tickets for games. Instead, they send a PDF of a ticket with a barcode that will give you entry to the game.

This is problematic for being buying from outside official channels as it makes it possible for tickets to be sold multiple times by scammers without the purchaser being able to protect themselves or verify the veracity of the ticket.

It leads to the very real possibility of you buying a ticket, trying to get in via the turnstiles and being turned away as the barcode has already been used by another person to gain access to the stadium.

It really is a minefield now

Learn The Scammer Red Flags

If you are buying from social media here are some of the red flags we have identified

  • Wants you to pay via Paypal friends and family (not goods and services)
  • Stand name listed on the ticket is incorrect
  • The ticket number does not match the right block
  • The ticket does not have a barcode
  • Buyer is evasive and unwilling to share personal info you can verify

You Cannot Buy Secondary Tickets For European Away Games

No matter what the potential scammer says, it is not possible for you to buy a ticket in the away end of a Chelsea Champions League game on the secondary market.

The reason for this is that the club introduced a policy after the Paris St Germain metro incident where all tickets need to be collected in the city of the game by the person named on the ticket. Proof of ID via passport being required before the tickets are handed over.

If you are offered an away ticket for a Champions League game it is almost 100% going to be a scam.

Sep 20, 2022
View from the halfway line in the Westview Stamford Bridge

Are Westview Stamford Bridge Tickets Worth The Money?

By Chelsea TicketsNo Comments

Chelsea tripled the prices of tickets in some season ticket prices in the Westview Stamford Bridge, the question is it are they worth it?

The club spent the summer upgrading the facilities in the stand, holding prices where they are this season. It was clear though those prices were going to rise but fans are struggling to understand what a 360-degree bar and some catering upgrades do to justify the increase.

Overview Of The Westview Stamford Bridge

The Westview Stamford Bridge is the rebranding for the top tier of the West Stand.

It has always been one of the more expensive seats in the stadium and is normally where the sponsor and corporate tickets are sat.

So what do you get for your money?

Seats

The seats in the Westview Stamford Bridge are a far cry from the dilapidated terraces of yesteryear.

Your ticket gets you’re a padded seat, with space heaters throughout the stand to keep the cold of winter away. It is comfortable and designed for those that prefer to watch their football seated, eating fancy food and keeping noise levels to a minimum.

View

The view from the top tier of the West Stand is stunning.

If you have one of the pricier tickets on the halfway line you have the perfect view of the action, towering over the players with a true perspective of what is going on at all times.

If you forget the score, you also have at least two screens within your eyeline.

Meaning if your posh pie makes you sleepy, when your snooze is interrupted, you won’t have to ask the seat next to you what the score is.

View from the halfway line in the Westview Stamford BridgeAtmosphere

The West Stand is not known for its ferocious atmosphere and the Westview changes will only reinforce this. There are this season pockets of those that want to get involved, but realistically it is a much quieter and calm place to watch football.

Which for most fans will be quite a disappointment.

Concourse

The first thing you notice when you go through the turnstiles is the steps up to the concourse.

There are a lot of them!

You climb from ground level to the top of the Stadium winding up the stairs that seem to go on forever. This is an ordeal in itself!

If you are hungry the food options are more varied. Offering things such as pizza and rotisserie chicken that you do not typically expect at a football concession stand, as well as your standard burgers, pies and pasties.

These foods do not typically lend themselves to quick service.

You will be surprised by just how compact the concourse is. There is not much space and the queues for the food back up from the entrance to the seating block all the way to the back wall.

Meaning you have to dodge and weave to get from one side of the stand to the other picking through a sea of bodies.

These queues are only matched by those at the bar.

The much-vaunted 360-degree bars do provide quick service, but the packed concourse means it is still hard to get a beer and even when you do there is not much space to drink it.

After the game, the bars do remain open. It is only then that you can actually enjoy the panoramic views that the new configuration offers as you have a relaxed pint after the game. This is a unique touch compared to non-corporate seats where at the final whistle you are quickly ushered into the street.

Service lasts for around 20-30 minutes after the final whistle, so you will have to find another bar to properly celebrate or commiserate.

Ticket Prices

This is the painful bit for Chelsea fans.

The club clearly sees the Westview as a middle ground between standard prices and the nosebleed corporate packages that come with food, drinks and pre-match entertainment.

This is reflected in the ticket pricing.

Whilst ticket prices for 2022/2023 have not been announced, based on season ticket prices ranging from 1,500 to £3,900 (near the halfway line) the prices are going to be out of the reach of the average person.

Whilst a Westview season ticket covers domestic cup and Champions League group games the cost is still going to be over £100 per game.

This means tickets in the Westview for individual games are likely to be in the £150 range. I think this video sums it up

 

 

Westview Stamford Bridge – Is It Worth It?

Having sat in the Westview a couple of times during the Champions League it is at 2021 prices an interesting novelty.

The incredible view and improved facilities are wiped out by the poor atmosphere and terrible value for money.

The refit and new facilities do not justify the price point. It is a middle ground between standard seats and corporate that does not really satisfy either market.

It feels more like a drive for revenue from the club. A lick of paint here and a fancy bar and catering to make a play to triple prices is not a great reflection on the club

Good food (that takes forever), a fancy bar with a good view of the street are not what watching Chelsea is about for me. This is not the way we enjoy watching football.

Who Is The Westview For?

The reality is that these seats are not for fans.

They are for corporates, sponsors, and tourists looking to take in a game whilst in town to tick an experience off the list.

As a fan this is disappointing, the club seems to have learned nothing from the European Super League fiasco. One can only hope that increasing revenue here, means the club keep prices stable in other more appealing areas of the ground.

We are not hopeful.

Should I Buy A Westview Ticket?

You pay your money, you take your choice.

We can certainly see the demand for tickets keeping these seats filled every game.

For those who do not have enough membership points can only make the odd game here or there any seat will do.

We cannot tell you whether to buy a ticket here or not, let us know your thoughts.

Final Word

If you want atmosphere sit in the Shed End or Matthew Harding Stand.

If you want a corporate experience – get a corporate package that may seat you in the Westview but includes all the trappings and comfort of the money you spend.

We do not think the price is worth what you get and will be buying tickets there in the future.

Dec 11, 2021