CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – More concerts are returning to the Lowcountry after two years of COVID-19 cancellations.

But before buying tickets to see your favorite artists, make sure you read the fine print. One local man said that not doing so almost cost him hundreds of dollars.

Last November, Peter Lipkin bought his daughter and son-in-law two tickets to see Mrs. Doubtfire on Broadway in February. He spent over $400 on the tickets.

“It was on their list to see Mrs. Doubtfire, which is one of our faves,” he said.

Then in mid-January, Lipkin was notified that the theatre cancelled the performance.

“The shows were being withheld because of covid, so the theatre had closed,” said Lipkin.

Once things opened back up, Lipkin sent an email to the company asking to exchange his tickets.

“Gave them three different dates that would work, and said ‘could you swap out some tickets for something similar’ — I received back a notification that was very surprising,” Lipkin said.

Lipkin was informed that the tickets he bought on Ticketmaster were actually resale tickets. According to the company’s policy, resale tickets cannot be exchanged.

“You’re not really thinking about that when you’re purchasing a ticket,” Lipkin said. “You’re thinking about is the date available, are these seats good, and are they in the price range — and then click, you purchase it.”

It’s a mistake that Bailey Parker with the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs sees often.

“This is a common issue across the board,” she said. “Doesn’t matter if you’re buying concert tickets — whatever.”

She said it’s important to know what you’re getting into before making a purchase.

“There’s a lot in that fine print that can change your mind,” said Parker. “Like maybe I don’t want to go this route.”

Lipkin sent several emails to the company before reaching out to the Count on 2 Investigators.

The Investigators advised Lipkin to submit a claim with the Better Business Bureau, and Ticketmaster eventually refunded him more than $400. But he doesn’t want others to go through the same trouble.

Lipkin said. “Thanks very much to you for helping us, because we got that response and as soon as I filed a complaint I think it was within 48 hours I got the apology from the company and a full refund — so thank you.”

Lipkin was able to use the money he was refunded to buy tickets to another performance of Mrs. Doubtfire, and his daughter and son-in-law recently saw the show.