How to beat the seat cheats
How to beat the seat cheats
By Marshall Loeb, MarketWatch
Buying tickets for shows, concerts and sporting events online is akin to
walking a virtual tightrope, with box offices and authorized companies
on one side and ticket scalpers on the other. Fall on the wrong side and
you will likely have to deal with outrageous prices and refused refunds.
To avoid getting fleeced by shady ticket sellers, which often disguise
themselves as legitimate Web sites, heed these six tips from AARP
magazine author Laura Daily.
- Go to the source. Don’t just do an Internet search for “Meadowlands
and tickets.” You could be lured to a site that looks real but is
actually a scalper in disguise. Always visit an event’s official Web
site or call the venue directly.
- Join the club. Sign up for alerts, venue memberships and fan clubs
that move you to the head of the line. Insiders often learn about
advance sales and find out first when a show goes on sale.
Strategize. If you’re dealing with a broker, don’t jump on the first
seats you’re offered. The closer you get to an event, the more likely
prices are to drop as sellers get desperate to get rid of their
merchandise.
- Be persistent. No show is sold out until the curtain rises. Sponsors
may not use their full allocation and extra shows may be added. Official
ticket sites are also increasingly trying to combat hucksters;
Ticketmaster, for example, often puts tickets back up for sale after
finding that a buyer’s credit-card number is fraudulent. Don’t hesitate
to call the box office the day of the performance.
- Beware of e-tickets. Some venues send buyers e-tickets that you print
from your computer. They’re perfectly legit, but be wary if you buy them
secondhand. There’s nothing to stop a scalper from selling copies of the
printout. If you buy from a reseller, ask for a regular ticket.
- Research their rep. It’s no guarantee you’ll get a good deal, but make
sure a broker is licensed by the National Association of Ticket Brokers
(http://www.natb.org). Buying from a real storefront can help, too,
since you can actually see the tickets. And check the seat map: those
“great seats” on sale may actually be nose-bleeders.
Marshall Loeb, former editor of Fortune, Money, and the Columbia
Journalism Review, writes for MarketWatch
http://www.marketwatch.com
