Search

"This is horrific": Queen icon calls out convincing scam

Brian May has spoken out after becoming the target of a dangerous scam, urging people to be careful online. The guitarist of iconic rock band Queen was made aware of the scam by a fan, who sent him the TikTok of what seems to be May himself offering concert tickets at a discount. The video, which is actually AI-generated and has nothing to do with May or with Queen, shows the rockstar offering music fans the chance to see a concert from backstage. “I hope you’re all well out there,” says the fake Brian May in the video. “Some good news. Backstage tickets for my next show in your cities are now going for only $800, which were previously $2000. I’m only selecting 10 people in the comments, so if you’re ready to make payment, comment, ‘ready’.” May responded to the post publicly, sharing his horror and anger with fans over the “creepy” video, saying, “My God. This is horrific.” “I suppose this is now so easy to do – and there are always people who will sink to any depths to try to make a quick buck. Disgusting.” He continued, “Thanks for the alert dear (TikTok username) stereojazz. I’ve alerted our team and hopefully we can squash this.” Fans were quick to comment that they had almost been fooled by the convincing video. “That they abuse your beautiful personality for this scam hurts even more and is really scary. I hate it,” commented one. “It is insanely terrifying what AI can do these days,” wrote another. Image credits: TikTok

Legal

Oasis issue urgent warning after scalpers list tickets for $42,000

Oasis have been forced to issue a warning to music fans who are searching for tickets to their highly-anticipated reunion tour, after resale tickets have been listed for thousands of dollars. Tickets to the UK and Irelands reunion show went on sale on Saturday, with tickets to the 17 shows selling out in a matter of hours. Tickets were originally posted on Ticketmaster with prices ranging from $190 AUD to $500 AUD, before prices were bumped up by the ticket merchant as being "in demand", with the cheapest tickets then priced at $475 AUD. Since all shows were officially sold out, some tickets have since been posted on resale sites such as StubHub and Viagogo, with prices ranging from $1,100 AUD to a whopping $42,000 AUD. After all the tickets were sold, ticket scalpers shared their tickets on the resale websites to turn a profit, with music fans sharing photos of the outrageous prices on social media. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> The highest price I've seen so far is £22,045. It's ridiculous. I know no one is likely to pay that, but why are these companies allowing it? <a href="https://t.co/uMSt0TS6K9">pic.twitter.com/uMSt0TS6K9</a> — Jordan (@grahamjordan_) <a href="https://twitter.com/grahamjordan_/status/1829647325901570230?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2024</a></blockquote> "And it’s begun," one fan wrote alongside a screenshot of the resale websites. "Viagogo and StubHub all trying to rip off Oasis fans, with the highest priced ticket being on StubHub for £6,347 ($12,323 AUD). Hang your heads in shame." The music fan then added another photo of the $42,000 AUD ticket for sale, writing, "The highest price I've seen so far is £22,045. It's ridiculous. I know no one is likely to pay that, but why are these companies allowing it?" Oasis themselves then stepped in to warn fans about paying the extortionate fees for tickets, saying according to the terms and conditions, tickets could only be resold at face value via Ticketmaster and Twickets. "Tickets sold in breach of terms and conditions will be cancelled by the promoters," they wrote in a post to X. Oasis promoters had previously issued a similar warning, telling fans tickets sold through "unauthorised resale platforms" would be in breach of terms and conditions and "may be cancelled". Image credits: Instagram/Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock Editorial

Money & Banking

So when should you book that flight? The truth on airline prices

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yuriy-gorodnichenko-144556">Yuriy Gorodnichenko</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-california-berkeley-754">University of California, Berkeley</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/volodymyr-bilotkach-145437">Volodymyr Bilotkach</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/newcastle-university-906">Newcastle University</a> How airlines price tickets is a source of many <a href="http://airtravel.about.com/od/travelindustrynews/a/mythticket.htm">myths</a> and urban legends. These include tips about the best day of the week to buy a ticket, last-minute discounts offered by the airlines, and the conspiracy theories suggesting that the carriers use cookies to increase prices for their passengers. None of these three statements is entirely true. Studies have suggested that prices can be higher or lower on a given day of the week – yet, there is no clear consensus on which day that is. Offered prices can in fact drop at any time before the flight, yet they are much more likely to increase than decrease over the last several weeks before the flight’s departure. Further, the airlines prefer to wait for the last-minute business traveler who’s likely to pay full fare rather than sell the seat prematurely to a price conscious traveler. And no, the airlines do not use cookies to manipulate fare quotes – adjusting their inventory for specific customers appears to be beyond their technical capabilities. What is true about pricing in the airline industry is that carriers use complex and sophisticated pricing systems. The airline’s per passenger cost is the lowest when the flight is full, so carriers have incentive to sell as many seats as possible. This is a race against time for an airline and, of course, no company wants to discount its product more than it has to. Hence, the airlines face two somewhat contradictory goals: to maximize revenue by flying full planes and to sell as many full-fare seats as possible. This a process known in the industry as yield or revenue management. <h2>Airlines and their bucket lists</h2> Here is how <a href="http://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1522&context=jaaer">yield management</a> works. For each flight or route (if we are talking about multi-segment itineraries), the airline has a set of available price levels – from the most expensive fully refundable fare to the cheapest deeply discounted non-refundable price. The industry jargon for these prices is “buckets.” Then, seats can be interpreted as balls that are allocated among these buckets. Initial allocation of seats between the price buckets is determined by historical data indicating how well a certain flight sells. For example, fewer deeply discounted seats will be offered on a flight on Thanksgiving week than on the same flight during the third week of February. As the seats on a flight sell, yield managers monitor and adjust the seat allocation. If, for instance, the sales are slower than expected, some of the seats might be moved to lower-priced buckets – this shows up as a price drop. As noted above, such price drops can occur at any time before the flight. However, the general trend of price quotes is upward starting from about two to three weeks before the flight departure date. Of course, an average traveler wants to know when he or she should buy the tickets for the next trip. Another important question is where to buy this ticket. Airlines distribute their inventory on their own websites and on several computer distribution systems, meaning that prices can sometimes differ depending on where one looks. We are not entirely sure what precipitates this phenomenon – likely explanations include differences in contracts between the airlines and the distribution systems/travel agents, implying that different travel agents may not have access to the airline’s entire inventory of available prices. <h2>When to book</h2> The airlines’ yield managers start looking at flight bookings about two months before the departure date. This implies that it generally does not pay to book more than two months in advance: studies show that initially the airlines leave the cheapest price buckets empty, and yield managers may move some seats into those buckets if a couple of months before the departure date the flight is emptier than expected. Between two months and about two to three weeks before the flight date, the fare quotes remain mostly flat, with a slight upward trend. However, and perhaps paradoxically, there is a good chance of a price drop during this period. We tend to monitor prices for several days – sometimes up to a week – hoping for a potentially lower quote. It does not always pay off, but sometimes we do manage to save a considerable amount of money. Two to three weeks before the flight date, the price quotes start increasing. This is the time when business travelers start booking. While price drops are still possible, a chance of a price increase is much higher if you wait to book within this time period. This is also the time when one can find significant differences between price quotes, depending on where one looks and what contract they have with the airlines. Thus, if we book a trip earlier than three weeks before the flight date, we tend not to delay the purchase. At the same time, we check quotes from multiple travel agents, or go directly to a site that allows for a quick comparison of prices (such as <a href="https://www.kayak.com">kayak.com</a> or <a href="http://www.skyscanner.net">skyscanner.net</a>). Or check the airline itself. As for answering the original question we posed, here are some simple tips. First, if you have to travel during a peak period, such as Thanksgiving week, it is generally best not to delay buying that ticket. Otherwise, it might pay to monitor the offered prices for some time before committing. The best strategy for booking within the last couple of weeks before the flight, however, is not to delay the purchase, but to try getting quotes from several agents, which is easy to do in the internet age.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/34033/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yuriy-gorodnichenko-144556">Yuriy Gorodnichenko</a>, Associate Professor of Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-california-berkeley-754">University of California, Berkeley</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/volodymyr-bilotkach-145437">Volodymyr Bilotkach</a>, Senior Lecturer in Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/newcastle-university-906">Newcastle University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/so-when-should-you-book-that-flight-the-truth-on-airline-prices-34033">original article</a>.

Travel Tips

Driver's shock after copping $2.2 million speeding ticket

In a shocking turn of events, a man in the US state of Georgia has found himself facing a $2.2 million ($US1.4m) traffic ticket after getting caught speeding on a freeway. Yes, you read that right - $2.2 million! It sounds like a punchline from a comedy show, but it happened in real life. Connor Cato was cruising through the city of Savannah on September 2, probably enjoying the wind in his hair, when the Georgia State Patrol nabbed him going a zippy 145km/h (90miles/h) in an 88km/h (55mile/h) zone. Now, we've all been there, right? In a rush, late for a meeting, or maybe just trying to win a real-life game of Mario Kart. But poor Mr Cato got WAY more than he bargained for. When the officer handed him a ticket, he must have been bracing himself for a hefty fine. But what he got was more jaw-dropping than a surprise birthday party from a circus troupe. The ticket had a price tag of $2.2 million! In disbelief, Cato decided to call the court, assuming it was a typo. But, to his amazement, the court clerk insisted that the amount was correct. She even had the audacity to tell him, "You either pay the amount on the ticket or you come to court on December 21 at 1:30pm." Thankfully, Cato's dire financial situation turned out to be a mere illusion. The $2.2 million was just what's known as a "placeholder" generated by e-citation software used in Savannah. This software, used by the local Recorder's Court, goes all Mission Impossible on super speeders – those who exceed the speed limit by more than 56km/h (35miles/h). It seems that the software programmers have a taste for drama, as they used the largest number possible to create this fine that sounds more like a ransom demand from a Bond villain. In reality, a judge will set the real fine, which cannot exceed $2,000 ($US1,000), plus state-mandated costs, at Cato's mandatory court appearance. So, our dear speed demon can breathe a sigh of relief; he won't be selling his house, car, and perhaps an organ or two to pay off that outrageous ticket. The city of Savannah has been using this placeholder system since 2017 and has promised to work on adjusting the language to avoid any further confusion. In the end, this story is a reminder that sometimes technology can have a wicked sense of humour. Images: Shutterstock / WSAV TV

Legal

Beyond Barbie and Oppenheimer, how do cinemas make money? And do we pay too much for movie tickets?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-martin-682709">Peter Martin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/crawford-school-of-public-policy-australian-national-university-3292">Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University</a> I’ve got two questions about blockbuster movies like Barbie and Oppenheimer. <ol> <li> Why aren’t the cinemas charging more for them, given they’re so popular? </li> <li> Why are they the same price, given Oppenheimer is an hour longer? </li> </ol> The opening weekend <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/movies/how-australian-cinemas-and-audiences-handled-the-barbenheimer-juggernaut-20230724-p5dqso.html">for both films</a> saw an avalanche of Australians returning to the cinema. Extra staff had to be put on (although probably not enough) to manage queues, turn away pink-clad fans who couldn’t get in, and clean up mountains of popcorn trampled underfoot. An obvious solution to such a rush of demand is to push up prices. Airlines do it when they are getting low on seats. When more people want to get a ride share, Uber makes them pay with “<a href="https://www.uber.com/au/en/drive/driver-app/how-surge-works/">surge pricing</a>”. Even books are sold at different prices, depending on the demand, their length, their quality and how long they’ve been on the shelves. But not movie tickets, which are nearly always the same price, no matter the movie. Why? And how much has the cost of a trip to the movies risen over the past 20 years? <h2>Why not charge more for blockbusters?</h2> In suburban Melbourne, Hoyts is charging $24.50 for the two-hour Barbie – the same as it is charging for the three-hour Oppenheimer, even though it could fit in far fewer showings of Oppenheimer in a day. It’s also the same price as it is charging for much less popular movies, such as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. It’s also how things are in the United States, where James Surowiecki, author of <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/175380/the-wisdom-of-crowds-by-james-surowiecki/">The Wisdom of Crowds</a> blames convention and says "it costs you as much to see a total dog that’s limping its way through its last week of release as it does to see a hugely popular film on opening night." Australian economists Nicolas de Roos of The University of Sydney and Jordi McKenzie of Macquarie University quote Surowiecki in their <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167718714000174">2014 study</a> of whether cinema operators could make more by cutting the price of older and less popular films and raising the price of blockbusters. By examining what happened to demand on <a href="https://www.eventcinemas.com.au/Promotions/HalfPriceTuesdays#cinemas=59">cheap Tuesdays</a>, and developing a model taking into account advertising, reviews and the weather, they discovered Australian cinemas could make a lot more by <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167718714000174">varying their prices</a> by the movie shown. We turn out to be highly price sensitive. So why don’t cinemas do that? <h2>‘There’s a queue, it must be good’</h2> It’s the sort of thing that puzzled <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/economic-sciences/1992/becker/biographical/">Gary Becker</a>, an economic detective of sorts who won the Nobel Prize for Economics in the early 1990s. A few years earlier, he turned his attention to <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2937660">restaurants</a> and why one particular seafood restaurant in Palo Alto, California, had long queues every night but didn’t raise its prices. Across the road was a restaurant that charged slightly more, sold food that was about as good, and was mostly empty. His conclusion, which he used a lot of maths to illustrate, was there are some goods for which a consumer’s demand depends on the demand of other consumers. Queues for restaurants (or in 2023, long queues and sold out sessions, as crowds were turned away from Barbie) are all signals other consumers want to get in. This would make queues especially valuable to the providers of such goods, even if the queues meant they didn’t get as much as they could from the customers who got in. The “buzz” such queues create produces a supply of future customers persuaded that what was on offer must be worth trying. Importantly, Becker’s maths showed that getting things right was fragile. It was much easier for a restaurant to go from being “in” to “out” than the other way around. Once a queue had created a buzz, it was wise not to mess with it. <h2>Cashing in from the snack bar</h2> There are other reasons for cinemas to charge a standard ticket price, rather than vary it movie by movie. One is that it is hard to tell ahead of time which movies are going to soar and which are going to bomb, even if you spend a fortune on advertising as the <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/box-office/barbie-marketing-campaign-explained-warner-bros-1235677922/">makers of Barbie did</a>. In the words of an insider, “<a href="https://variety.com/2018/film/opinion/william-goldman-dies-appreciation-1203030781/">nobody knows anything</a>.” Another is the way cinemas make their money. They have to pay the distributor a share of what they get from ticket sales (typically <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167718714000174">35-40%</a>). But they don’t have to pay a share of what they make from high-margin snacks. This means it can make sense for some cinemas to charge less than what the market will bear – because they’ll sell more snacks – even if it means less money for the distributor. <h2>Rising prices, despite some falling costs</h2> But cinemas still charge a lot. From 2002 to 2022, Australian cinemas jacked up their average (not their highest) prices <a href="https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/cinema/industry-trends/box-office/ticket-prices">from $9.13 to $16.26</a> – an increase of 78%. In the same 20 year period, overall prices in Australia, as measured by the <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-in-the-cpi-and-what-does-it-actually-measure-165162">consumer price index</a>, climbed 65% – less than the rise in movie ticket prices. <hr /> <iframe id="E2kxi" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/E2kxi/5/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> <hr /> A 2015 study found Australian cinemas charge more <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306227560_Counting_the_cost_the_impact_of_cinema_ticket_prices_in_Australia">than cinemas in the US</a>. Yet some of the cinemas’ costs have gone down. They used to have to employ projectionists to lace up and change reels of film. Digital delivery means much less handling. A now-dated <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/publications/developments-in-the-cinema-distribution-exhibition-industry">1990s report</a> to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found the two majors, Hoyts and Greater Union/Village, charged near identical prices except where they were faced with competition from a nearby independent, in which case they discounted. Whether “<a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/The%20Cinema%20Industry.pdf">by design or circumstance</a>”, the two cinema chains rarely competed with each other, clustering their multiplexes in different geographical locations. <h2>Longer films no longer displace shorter films</h2> I think it might be the multiplex that answers my second question: why cinemas don’t charge more for movies that are longer (and movies are <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/movies/bigger-than-ben-hur-why-movies-are-getting-longer-and-longer-20220322-p5a6ty.html">getting longer</a>). In the days of single screens, a cinema that showed a long movie might only fit in (say) four showings a day instead of six. So it would lose out unless it charged more. But these days, multiplexes show many, many films on many screens, some of them simultaneously, meaning long films needn’t displace short films. Although we have <a href="https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/cinema/industry-trends/screens-and-theatres">fewer cinema seats</a> than we had a decade ago (and at least until the advent of Barbie, we’ve been <a href="https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/cinema/industry-trends/screens-and-theatres">going less often</a>) we now have <a href="https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/cinema/industry-trends/screens-and-theatres">far more screens</a>. Long movies no longer stop the multiplexes from playing standard ones. And because cinemas like to keep things simple, you pay the same price, no matter which movie you chose. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211121/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-martin-682709">Peter Martin</a>, Visiting Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/crawford-school-of-public-policy-australian-national-university-3292">Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/beyond-barbie-and-oppenheimer-how-do-cinemas-make-money-and-do-we-pay-too-much-for-movie-tickets-211121">original article</a>.

Movies

Parents leave baby at airport counter after refusing to buy extra ticket

A couple were checking in for a flight from Ben Gurion International Airport to Brussels, Belgium on Tuesday when they made the decision to leave their baby behind. Upon their arrival at the airport check-in desk in Tel Aviv, Israel, it was revealed that the baby did not have a ticket. Rather than address the situation and ensure their child’s safe travel, the pair opted to proceed to security without their stroller and its young occupant. The airline they were flying with, Ryanair, state on their website that "infants can be included in a flight reservation during the online booking process." Following their process for booking with an infant, a message will pop-up to let travellers know there is a €25 charge (approximately $39) for each one-way flight the baby participates in from an adult’s lap. If the adults want the baby to travel in a seat of its own with the proper equipment, a seat must be paid for. The parents, apparently, had not made such arrangements for their baby. The matter was referred to officials, as confirmed by a Ryanair spokeswoman. "These passengers travelling from Tel Aviv to Brussels presented at check-in without a booking for their infant,” she told CNN, “they then proceeded to security leaving the infant behind at check-in. "The check-in agent at Ben Gurion Airport contacted Airport Security, who retrieved these passengers, and this is now a matter for local police." Reports of the situation were confirmed by the Israeli Airport Authority, who provided a statement to CNN and offered some more information into what went on. "A couple and an infant with Belgian passports arrived for a flight at Terminal 1 without a ticket for the baby,” it read. “The couple also arrived late for the flight, once the check-in for the flight was closed. The couple left the infant seat with the baby and ran toward the security checks at Terminal 1 in an attempt to reach the boarding gate for the flight." A video allegedly from the airport at the time, staff can be heard expressing their sadness for the child. Another woman exclaims, “she left him there, I swear!” Ryanair staff also voiced their shock over the incident, telling N12, “we’re never seen anything like it.” Despite reports that the parents were detained, an Israel Police spokesman told CNN that the matter appeared to have been resolved by the time law enforcement arrived on the scene, stating that "the baby was with the parents and there's no further investigation." Images: Getty

Travel Trouble

British couple sell raffle tickets to offload home

A family forced to sell their home have had to get creative to do it after they were knocked back for a loan for a new house - and it could see a new owner claim the property for a £3 raffle ticket. Declan Garrett and wife Leoni Webb have been forced to sell their property in Weston-super-Mare, a town in North Somerset, due to the soaring cost of their mortgage. But, they can’t get a loan for a new home as banks knocked them back due to the size of their blended family, with a total of seven kids. With pressure coming from inflation and a rising cost of living, the couple turned to raffle tickets to raise the money they need for a new home that is big enough for their soon-to-be teenage kids. All interested buyers need to do is grab a raffle ticket and they could be in the running to win the keys to the coastal home, with the winner to be drawn on October 26. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CeyIP3klfj4/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CeyIP3klfj4/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Weston-super-Mare House Raffle (@wsmhouseraffle)</a> </div> </blockquote> But, there are some caveats. The couple launched the raffle through an online platform in June, telling The Sun that they need to sell about 100,000 tickets to raise the £300,000 they need. If they don’t reach their target, the main prize will instead become 75 percent of the amount raised through raffle ticket sales. In an emotional clip shared to an Instagram page dedicated to the house and raffle, Ms Webb explained that she and her husband would sell their home the usual way if they would. “Why on earth would we choose to open ourselves up to the criticism and absolute tolling that we have?” she said. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgAIYuNIPfL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgAIYuNIPfL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Weston-super-Mare House Raffle (@wsmhouseraffle)</a> </div> </blockquote> “The cost of living is absolutely ridiculous right now – we understand more than most. We have seven children who need feeding and clothing. “My husband is a school teacher and I worked in behavioural education, so I also work within schools. Ordinarily we wouldn’t be able to afford a house. We were very, very lucky to buy a house when we did. “As we are looking to move…so we decided to raffle off our house to give somebody the gift of owning a house. “I really hope we can pull this off.” The sale of raffle tickets for four-bedroom home closes on October 21 local time, with tickets available to be purchased <a href="https://raffique.co.uk/product/win-a-house-in-weston-super-mare/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Image: @wsmhouseraffle (Instagram)

Money & Banking

English cottage comes with free theme park tickets

A small cottage in the English countryside is up for sale, and it comes with an unusual bonus for its new owner. The two-bedroom home in Staffordshire has been <a href="https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/126610616#/?channel=RES_BUY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listed</a> for £200,000 ($NZ 395,000), and if its new owner moves in they can access free tickets to a local theme park. According to the Alton Towers Resort website, residents located within a three-kilometre radius can apply for 20 entries to its theme park or water park. With the charming cottage only a four-minute drive from Alton Towers Resort, the new residents will simply need to prove they live there with a council tax bill. As well as free tickets, the home also boasts a private garden, exposed stone walls that feature throughout, and a cosy interior of wooden cabinetry, timber floors, terracotta tiles and lattice windows. Barn-style doors are also found throughout the two-storey house, with the kitchen, lounge, and outdoor porch on the ground floor and two bedrooms and a shared bathroom on the first floor. Images: Rightmove

Real Estate

Howzat! Tickets now up for grabs for Warnie's state funeral

Over 50,000 people will be able to join Shane Warne’s family in farewelling the iconic cricketer at his state funeral - but those who miss out on the coveted tickets can still pay their respects. Victorian Premier Dan Andrews revealed that tickets for the service - due to be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 30 - will be free, with <a href="https://www.vic.gov.au/state-memorial-service-shane-warne" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online booking</a> starting at 3pm on Tuesday. The Premier took to Twitter to share new details about the service on Tuesday morning. “We’ve got some details locked in for Warnie’s memorial at the MCG,” Mr Andrews wrote. “And don’t worry - if you can’t make it, the memorial will be livestreamed.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> We've got some details locked in for Warnie's memorial at the MCG. The service will begin at 7pm, 30 March. Free tickets will be available for booking from today at 3pm, at <a href="https://t.co/qXOL7WTyrk">https://t.co/qXOL7WTyrk</a> And don't worry - if you can't make it, the memorial will be livestreamed. — Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/1505998214381850625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote> It is expected that at least 50,000 fans will be joining Warne’s family and friends, as well as dignitaries and invited guests at the MCG. These guests will include former and current cricketers, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed he will be attending. Others including Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and UK pop star Ed Sheeran have also expressed their interest in being involved in the event, as reported by the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-10637171/Shane-Warne-memorial-services-tickets-available-TODAY.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a>, while Warne’s ex-fiancee Elizabeth Hurley is understood to be trying to make the service. Most of the tickets will be available for the Great Southern Stand, which will be renamed the Shane Warne Stand in tribute. The service is due to commence from 7pm, with attendees - who must be fully vaccinated - required to be seated by 6.45pm. Depending on demand, more tickets may become available. Members of the public can submit online tributes to the cricket icon until April 10, and the family has requested that donations be made to the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health in lieu of flowers. Cricket grounds across Australia are also understood to be live streaming events paying tribute to Warne following his death on March 4. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the final details for the event at the Sydney Cricket Ground are still being finalised, but that it would be run alongside the Melbourne event and would be unticketed with free entry. “We are working through that at the moment with (Venues NSW chairman) Tony Shepherd and the team at Cricket Australia,” Mr Perrottet said. “We want to run those events alongside each other. Obviously, we will live stream the memorial service in the MCG - that’s incredibly important. “I think it’s important that we provide the opportunity for people to come to the cricket ground and pay their respects to Shane and to his family and friends.” The SCG service will include live tributes to Warne - who holds the record for the most test wickets at the grounds - and footage of his achievements. Venue NSW chairman Tony Shepherd said Mr Perrottet, Sports Minister Stuart Ayres, and former Prime Minister John Howard were also invited to the SCG memorial. A spokesperson from Cricket Australia told the <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/shane-warne-memorial-service-to-be-held-at-sydney-cricket-ground/news-story/5f3bc78ad88382c7ce3e0644b7ca1d4b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Telegraph</a> other cricket grounds were considering hosting services, including Adelaide Oval. “The SCG has expressed its intention to live stream Shane Warne’s memorial service and is of course welcome to do so,” they said. “Other grounds around Australia including Adelaide Oval are understood to be considering doing the same thing.” Image: Getty Images

Caring

Lottery winner drowns with winning ticket still in his wallet

A 57-year-old man has drowned in a lake with a winning lottery ticket in his wallet. Michigan-local Gregory Jarvis was found washed up on a beach in the state's east, almost 10 days after scooping the impressive jackpot. Gregory had been at a local inn on September 13 when he won $45,000 in a Club Keno game. He was unable to cash out his winnings straight away, as he didn't have his social security card with him at the time. According to the state of Michigan and <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc12.com/2021/09/28/caseville-drowning-victim-had-winning-lottery-ticket-his-wallet/" target="_blank">ABC12 news</a>, social security cards must be presented in order to cash lottery jackpot winnings over $600. Gregory had applied for a new card and was planning to visit his family with the winnings once he could cash them in, according to the Blue Water Inn owner Dawn Talaski. Gregory returned to the inn's bar on September 19 to celebrate his win as he bought a round of drinks. However, when he didn't show up as usual the following day, inn owner Dawn became concerned. "He wasn’t here all week and we thought, something is wrong," she said. Gregory's boss even went to the bar on September 22 to search for him when he hadn't shown up for work. Two days later, a local resident called the police when they witnesses a body had washed ashore on their private beach in Huron County. The body was found near a boat, and police confirmed the boat belonged to Gregory Jarvis. An autopsy revealed that Gregory had hit his head before he drowned. Local police found the winning lottery ticket in Gregory's wallet, which prompted an investigation to rule out foul play. Their investigation showed no such motives or evidence, as Caseville Police Chief Kyle Romzek said, "We are thinking that he was tying up his boat, slipped and fell, hit his head and that’s where he ended up in the water." The winning lottery ticket has now been handed over to Gregory's relatives. Image credits: Facebook / Shutterstock

Money & Banking

How to spot concert ticket scams

Music fans in Singapore are in for a treat with top acts like Maroon 5, Jason Mraz and Mariah Carey coming through in the next few months. However, with high tickets prices and sellout concerts, it’s getting harder than ever to catch a live show without contemplating selling an internal organ. The bargain hunters among us will turn to the next best place for tickets: online marketplaces like Carousell, Craigslist or Gumtree. But as anyone who has ever spent time on these sites will know, you need to exercise a great deal of caution or you could end up poorer with nothing to show for it. Heed these 4 warning signs that you could be dealing with a scammer, and save yourself some disappointment and some money! The tickets are cheaper than retail While there may be genuine cases where a legitimate seller will need to offload his tickets (for example, a work emergency that prevents him from going to the concert), it’s not realistic to expect him to incur a significant loss, especially if the tickets are for sold out concerts. If someone is offering deeply discounted tickets, keep scrolling! You are dealing with a scammer. The seller doesn't want to meet Alarm bells should ring if the seller doesn’t want to have a face-to-face meeting and wants to get the deal done quickly through an online funds transfer, promising to mail the tickets after you’ve paid. We’re willing to bet that you will never receive your tickets or hear from him or her ever again after you’ve transferred the money. If you’re one of the lucky few who has found a genuine seller, always insist on a face-to-face meeting in public to complete the transaction. However, there is still a possibility that the tickets are fake or duplicates so buyer beware. Opt for physical tickets If you’re buying tickets from a seller on an online marketplace, make sure you receive printed physical tickets and not PDF copies or e-tickets. The scammer may have sold the same e-ticket to several buyers, which means you won’t be able to use them. Read the reviews Does the seller have any reviews or is he a new member? Does he have other listings? Sellers who are new and don’t have anything else up for sale may be scammers looking to make a quick buck off the naïve and vulnerable. Stay vigilant! Image credit: Shutterstock This article first appeared on <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/true-stories-lifestyle/how-spot-concert-ticket-scams" target="_blank">Reader's Digest</a>.

Music

4 ways to spot concert ticket scams

As your favourite band or artist comes to a city near you, it can be harder to get your hands on tickets due to demand. The bargain hunters among us will turn to the next best place for tickets: online marketplaces like Carousell, Craigslist or Gumtree. But as anyone who has ever spent time on these sites will know, you need to exercise a great deal of caution or you could end up poorer with nothing to show for it. Heed these 4 warning signs that you could be dealing with a scammer, and save yourself some disappointment and some money! 1. The tickets are cheaper than retail While there may be genuine cases where a legitimate seller will need to offload his tickets (for example, a work emergency that prevents him from going to the concert), it’s not realistic to expect him to incur a significant loss, especially if the tickets are for sold out concerts. If someone is offering deeply discounted tickets, keep scrolling! You are dealing with a scammer. 2. The seller doesn't want to meet Alarm bells should ring if the seller doesn’t want to have a face-to-face meeting and wants to get the deal done quickly through an online funds transfer, promising to mail the tickets after you’ve paid. We’re willing to bet that you will never receive your tickets or hear from him or her ever again after you’ve transferred the money. If you’re one of the lucky few who has found a genuine seller, always insist on a face-to-face meeting in public to complete the transaction. However, there is still a possibility that the tickets are fake or duplicates so buyer beware. 3. Opt for physical tickets If you’re buying tickets from a seller on an online marketplace, make sure you receive printed physical tickets and not PDF copies or e-tickets. The scammer may have sold the same e-ticket to several buyers, which means you won’t be able to use them. 4. Read the reviews Does the seller have any reviews or is he a new member? Does he have other listings? Sellers who are new and don’t have anything else up for sale may be scammers looking to make a quick buck off the naïve and vulnerable. Stay vigilant and happy concert going! Written by Siti Rohani. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/how-spot-concert-ticket-scams">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA93V" title="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN93V">here’s our best subscription offer</a>.

Music

Cheap flight hack: How to save money when booking your plane ticket

A variety of factors can turn what is supposed to be a cheap weekend away into an expensive venture out. These factors include whether or not you’re travelling in peak season, who you’re flying with and whether or not you want to go up a class in the flight. However, according to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.expediagroup.com/" target="_blank">Expedia Group</a>, there’s a way you can get cheaper flights and it all comes down to the day you’re booking them. With airfares rising and no sign of slowing down, this is the day you’re going to want to bookmark for flights. It’s Sunday. <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.expediagroup.com/" target="_blank">Expedia Group</a> narrowed down on the perfect day after analysing airline routes and prices of tickets in a joint research project with the Airline Reporting Corporation. On Friday, they’re at their highest. On Sunday, they’re at their lowest. However, you’re more likely to save if your first day of travel is a Friday. This is the day you want to head to the airport and fly out, with Sunday copping higher fares. In order to save, you book on a Sunday for a Friday flight. It might not be a bulletproof scenario every time, but according to Expedia’s analysis, you’re in with a good chance. Are you going to try this hack and see if it works? Let us know in the comments below.

Travel Tips

Woman's surprising discovery on plane ticket

A woman has taken to social media to complain about a budget airline after they booked her into a seat that didn’t exist. The passenger, who is called Satwika Ika on Facebook, said the blunder occurred on Indonesian airline Lion Air. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fika.satwika%2Fposts%2F10217313106569013&width=500" width="500" height="664" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe> She was supposed to fly from Palembang, a city in Indonesia, to the capital city of Jakarta. But according to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/7343013/seat-lion-air-plane-doesnt-exist/" target="_blank">The Sun</a>, when Satwika hopped on the plane she was unable to find her seat number 35F – and quickly discovered that seats only went up to row 34. Satwika said the flight attendants were rude and unhelpful and asked her to sit in one of the seats in row number 34. She was then moved to yet another seat when another passenger claimed the seat she was sitting in. Recounting the incident, she said a huge argument then started with the crew members. She said she was not the only one that had been assigned an imaginary seat, as a family along with a child were also searching for seats in row 35. Satwika said she is yet to receive an apology from airline employees. After the post started gaining traction, only then did the airline respond and said they needed to change the flight to a smaller aircraft than the first one, because of scheduling issues that had caused delays. It’s unclear whether Satwika made it to her destination or not. The airline’s Corporate Communications officer, Danang Mandala Prihantoro explained that the flight was initially meant to involve an aircraft with a capacity of 39 seat rows.

Travel Trouble

Lotto “winner” who claimed $5 million jackpot is exposed for using fake ticket

A British man has been charged with lottery fraud after nearly a decade for using an alleged fake ticket to claim a $5 million jackpot. Hertfordshire Police said 53-year-old Edward Putman had been charged with fraud by false representation after an investigation into the incident that occurred in 2009. The winning numbers 6, 9, 20, 21, 31, 34 were drawn on March 11 and matched a ticket bought in Worcestershire, about two hours way from where Mr Putman was living at the time. When no one came forward to claim the prize, Mr Putman saw it as an opportunity to take the jackpot for himself. The £2.5 million ($5 million) was paid out by National Lottery operator Camelot, even though the ticket Mr Putman provided did not have a working barcode. “In 2015 an investigation was opened by Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit, after evidence came to light that the claim was not genuine,” police said in a statement. As reported by <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/09/11/lotto-winner-charged-fraud-claiming-25m-jackpot-almost-10-years/">The Telegraph</a>, at the time of the incident, Mr Putman asked for “no publicity” after winning the jackpot. With the money he obtained, he went on to purchase two homes in the village of Kings Langley – one for £600,000 ($1.2 million) and another for £400,000 ($800,000). He also went and bought over a dozen cars. The issue is said to have been “immediately brought to the attention of the Commission and police” and after conducting an in-depth investigation, the UK Gambling Commission fined Camelot £3 million ($6 million). Mr Putman was reportedly arrested in 2015 but released without charge. The investigation conducted by the Commission concluded that, “whilst it could not be certain a fraud had taken place, it was more likely than not that a fraudulent prize claim had been made and paid out” on a “deliberately damaged ticket.” “The Gambling Commission’s chief concern is to ensure the National Lottery is run with integrity and that player interests are protected,” Commission chief executive Sarah Harrison said in a statement at the time. “Camelot’s failures in this case are serious and the penalty package reflects this. Importantly, the package also ensures that good causes will not lose out as a result of Camelot’s licence breach. “Lottery players can feel reassured that our investigations have found no evidence of similar events happening and that controls are in place today to mitigate against future prize payout failings of this type.” Mr Putman was released on bail to appear at St Albans Magistrates Court on October 16.

Technology

Woman misses out on seeing dying mum after plane ticket bungle

Carrol Amrich was already seated on the plane, ready to visit her dying mother, when she was removed by United Airlines’ staff minutes before take-off. The gate agent informed her that her ticket had been cancelled, and despite her pleas she was told “nobody flies for free”. Carrol offered to pay for another ticket but wasn’t allowed back on board, with the airline claiming that the plane had already left. The ticket bungle was due to a technicality. The ticket for the flight had been purchased by her landlord. Traveler Help Desk, the company that sold the ticket, cancelled it because her landlord had made a change directly with United rather than going through the company. However, at the time the airline assured them it was fine to do so. Distressed and desperate, Carrol received no help from the airline so she was left to drive to her mother from Colorado to Minnesota. She called her mother, begging her to hold on a little while longer while she embarked on her long journey ahead. The next time her phone rang, it was to tell her that her mother had passed away. “I drove 1000 miles (1610 kilometres), and she was gone before I got here,” Ms. Amrich told the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/26/business/united-airlines-traveler-help-desk.html" target="_blank">New York Times</a> two days later. “I never stopped to rest. I went straight through. And she was gone. “I cried the whole way from Pueblo. I’ve been awake for two days. I haven’t eaten for two days.” Traveler Help Desk spokeswoman Carolyn Gallant confirmed the ticket had been cancelled as a protection against fraud. “I am just so sorry for Ms Amrich’s loss,” Ms Gallant said. “I understand it was unfortunate the ticket ended up voided. Had she contacted us directly to make the change, this all would have been avoided.” The flight date had been changed when her mother’s health worsened, requiring Carrol to visit immediately. United Airlines claimed on the phone that it was fine to make the change through them instead of Traveler Help Desk.

Travel Trouble

10 attractions where it's worth buying tickets in advance

Because no one likes waiting in line. 1. Empire State Building, New York City Even on a slow day, you’re going to wait at least 20 minutes in line for the Empire State Building, reaching up to two hours during peak times. The best option is to buy a ticket to the main observation deck on the 86th floor and then you can decide if you want to buy an extra ticket and go all the way up to 102. 2. Anne Frank House, Amsterdam From 9am to 3.30pm each day, the excellent Anne Frank House is only open to people who have pre-purchased tickets online. No tickets are sold at the entrance, so make sure you plan ahead and book through the official website. 3. Burj Khalifa, Dubai The world’s tallest building is one of Dubai’s most popular attractions. If you buy tickets in advance you can choose a date and time that suits you, then walk straight through. If you turn up on the day, you could be in for a long wait or even be turned away as all the tickets are sold out. 4. Eiffel Tower, Paris More than seven million people visit the Eiffel Tower each year and in busy periods you can be waiting in line for several hours. Book tickets online up to two months in advance, pick your time slot and then go straight to the front of the queue. Parfait. 5. The Shard, London Entry to the tallest building in the UK (and in all of western Europe) is frequently sold out, especially on weekends or public holidays and during school holidays. Buy from the official site and you can also take advantage of a 15% discount. 6. Sistine Chapel, Rome You can’t actually purchase a ticket for the Sistine Chapel, but instead buy a pass to the adjoining Vatican Museum and walk through. Book online, pay the extra €4 for ‘skip the line’ access and walk straight to the front of the line. But even with these tickets, you’re still likely to face a bit of a wait as security is very tight. 7. The Louvre, Paris The most-visited museum in the world is famous for the Mona Lisa and for big lines. Buy your tickets online, choose a timeslot and then head for the entrances at Porte des Lions or the Richelieu Wing to save even more time. 8. The London Eye, London TripAdvisor recently found The London Eye has the longest line of any tourist attraction in the world – and average of 2.5 hours. If you’ve got the cash, pay an extra £12 (on top of the standard £20 ticket) and skip the queue. Or for £36 you can get a glass of chilled bubbles to go with the experience. 9. Sagrada Familia, Barcelona Gaudi’s great unfinished work is Barcelona’s most popular attraction and lines can stretch for at least two hours. Buy tickets online and get a set time to visit or book a guided tour, which comes with fast track entry and a knowledgeable tour guide to explain this fascinating cathedral. 10. Statue of Liberty, New York If you want to get right up inside Lady Liberty’s crown, you’ll need to book well in advance – just 10 people are allowed in at a time. They can often be sold out for months ahead, so make your booking as soon as you know your dates for NYC. And be aware that you’ll need to climb up around 27 storeys worth of stairs to get there. Have you been to these attractions?

International Travel

The free tickets you should never accept when travelling

When you travel you have the opportunity to enrich and educate yourself. From immersing yourself in another country’s culture, to seeing historical landmarks before your own eyes, you will be left with experiences that are priceless. Unfortunately, however, con artists try to prey upon unsuspecting tourists while they are wrapped in their holiday fantasy. Here are the scams you need to be aware of. 1. “Free” comedy If you are offered free comedy tickets, unfortunately, the offer is too good to be true. The tickets might let you in the venue for free, but generally a mandatory two-drink minimum is the norm. Secondly, these venues are rarely funny and though they may advertise a celebrity’s name on their venue, it is highly unlikely they will be there. 2. Pedicabs Pedicabs, popular in America and Asia, allow for a tourist to get driven around by a driver on a bicycle. The issue for tourists revolves around the unclear rates and whether there are extra fees. In New York, pedicabs are required to post clear signs indicating the per minute charge. However, enforcement isn’t always great so be sure to clarify the price with the driver before hopping in. 3. The “Buddhist” monks In western travel hotspots, there is a new trend of residents dressing up as monks and asking for money for charitable causes. For those who can’t differentiate between real monks and impersonators, the fake ones have been known to offer medallions in exchange for money. A good tip if you are unsure of their authenticity, is to see if locals are bypassing these monks. If they are being ignored by locals, they are probably not real. The fake monks also tend to congregate around popular landmarks. 4. Fake subway tickets In some cities around the world, men and women will offer subway swipes for a set price. It is best to always buy your public transport fares from genuine agents or machines, even if someone else is selling one for “cheaper”. 5. Costumed characters If you are in a major city and there is someone dressed up in costume as a famous character, don’t expect to get a photo with them for free. In New York and Los Angeles, these people are notorious for demanding ridiculous sums of money for posing in photos. Have you ever been tricked by any of these things while you were on holidays? Let us know in the comments below.

International Travel

Why you should always book tickets in advance

There are lots of benefits to planning ahead. 1. You can save money Everyone likes to save money on holiday. Most attractions around the world will offer a discount for people who book online. This could be through their official site or a third party operator offering a great deal. This becomes even more important if you are travelling with a group or plan on attending a lot of different attractions, which can quickly add up. 2. You don’t have to line up How much of your life do you think you have spent waiting in queues? Next time, book ahead and go straight to the front. The bonus here is often twofold – you won’t have to line up at the ticket booth and then again at the front gate. Most pre-paid tickets will have a special line of their own where you can walk straight inside. 3. You can get it on your mobile Gone are the days of having to print out a physical ticket to take with you, which could make it hard to book ahead. Now, you’ll book online and receive an email or direct link to your tickets. Take your phone with you, scan it at the gate and you're in. You are also helping the environment by saving paper. 4. You won’t miss out Some really popular attractions can be booked out days or even weeks in advance. It would be very disappointing to arrive and find that there’s no chance of getting in. Booking in advance ensures you secure a ticket and also lets you schedule the rest of your days around availability. 5. You can take advantage of combo deals When you’re in a new destination, there are usually a few different attractions you want to see. If you buy tickets in advance, you can look for combo deals that will bring together everything you want to see. You will save money and may even get a few bonus extras that weren’t on your list. Do you agree with these tips?

Travel Tips

68-year-old man finds winning $30 million lottery ticket in shirt pocket

A 68-year-old man in the US has made an incredible discovery in his shirt pocket, finding a winning US $24 million (NZ $30.3 million) lottery ticket, days before the deadline. New Jersey resident Jimmie Smith reportedly often bought tickets without closely checking the results, stashing them in his shirt pocket out of habit. The New York Lottery gives winners 12 months to claim their prize, and had Smith waited another 48 hours the winning ticket would’ve expired for good. The gaming commission knew the winning ticket was out there, and had put the call out on social media to make sure entrants had checked all their tickets. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Play <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LOTTO?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LOTTO</a>, been to TriBeCa? Check your tickets to see if you’re a $24M winner! Your winnings expire on 5/25/17! <a href="https://t.co/jMAy3GYlmi">https://t.co/jMAy3GYlmi</a> <a href="https://t.co/qtC0tJcS4c">pic.twitter.com/qtC0tJcS4c</a> — New York Lottery (@newyorklottery) <a href="https://twitter.com/newyorklottery/status/865668290143596545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2017</a></blockquote> Smith, a retired security officer, reportedly noticed the story in the local news and then went through his shirt to see if his tickets matched up. When they did, he didn’t know what to say. “I had to stick my head out the window and breathe in some fresh air,” he said. “I was in serious doubt. I really had to convince myself this was real.” Smith will receive the winnings in instalments over the next 26 years. What are your thoughts?

Money & Banking

Over 60

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

Search

"This is horrific": Queen icon calls out convincing scam

Oasis issue urgent warning after scalpers list tickets for $42,000

So when should you book that flight? The truth on airline prices

Driver's shock after copping $2.2 million speeding ticket

Beyond Barbie and Oppenheimer, how do cinemas make money? And do we pay too much for movie tickets?

Parents leave baby at airport counter after refusing to buy extra ticket

British couple sell raffle tickets to offload home

English cottage comes with free theme park tickets

Howzat! Tickets now up for grabs for Warnie's state funeral

Lottery winner drowns with winning ticket still in his wallet

How to spot concert ticket scams

4 ways to spot concert ticket scams

Cheap flight hack: How to save money when booking your plane ticket

Woman's surprising discovery on plane ticket

Lotto “winner” who claimed $5 million jackpot is exposed for using fake ticket

Woman misses out on seeing dying mum after plane ticket bungle

10 attractions where it's worth buying tickets in advance

The free tickets you should never accept when travelling

Why you should always book tickets in advance

68-year-old man finds winning $30 million lottery ticket in shirt pocket