Concert How to Guides
Tips on Buying Your Tickets
Take a couple of seconds to research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.
Know Your Purchase
* Figure shipping costs into your final price and make sure the seller will insure your tickets when they ship.
* Does the seller have a ticket refund policy? If so, what are the terms? If you want more refund information from a seller, ask by clicking the seller's "Ask seller a question" link under their profile.
Know Your Seller
* What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have? Do they have a lot of Feedback for tickets? How long have they been selling these items?
* What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?
* Does the seller have a return policy? Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?
Buyer Protection
* PayPal Buyer Protection: In the unlikely event that something goes wrong, PayPal is there for you. Learn about PayPal Buyer Protection and how your purchases can be covered up to $1,000.
* eBay Security & Resolution Center: If a problem arises in your transaction, eBay can help you solve it quickly and efficiently. Visit the Security & Resolution Center to learn more about eBay's resolution tools.
How to Buy the Best Tickets from Ticketmaster
It’s doubtful that anyone who has tried to buy tickets from Ticketmaster didn’t come away from the experience frustrated or down right angry. I remember back in the 80's trying unsuccessfully to get through by phone to Ticketmaster to buy Bruce Springsteen tickets. Even getting through by phone or online can be next to impossible at the moment the tickets first go on sale and you do get through, all the good tickets are gone and you’re left with the worst seats.
Here are a few tips that may help you score some good seats through Ticketmaster as reported in reviews by those awful scalpers:
1. Forget the phone or Internet. There’s too many people trying to get through at the same time so you risk getting seats that suck or not getting through at all. There are Ticketmaster locations that are not as well known. Go to the Ticketmaster website and search for retail stores in your area that sell Ticketmaster tickets. Try and pick a place that is not very popular or crowded. It will pay to drive a ways from town if you live in a big city to find the best remote location.
2. Plan to arrive about three hours early so you can get in front of the line. Really it depends on the demand for tickets, so you may have to arrive much earlier. As employees begin to arrive for work, say your hello’s, be nice and let them know what your waiting for. It is important that these people to like you.
As other fans start arriving to get in line, the store manager may come out and try and organize the crowd. People may try to cut you out of line, so be prepared to assertively let the manager know you were first in line and been waiting the longest. Just be very nice, patient and assertive which will go along way with the people working at the store.
3. Be prepared to pay for your tickets in cash and let the store clerk know this when your about to buy your tickets. Ticket brokers know the Ticketmaster system obviously, because they are the ones who end up reselling the best seats to us for hundreds more. Yes, we all have a right to be angry, but for now we have to learn the game and fend for ourselves.
4. The Ticketmaster computer system uses X codes. When an employee enters your request for tickets, they use the default X1 code. The computer begins searching for front row dead center as the best available ticket, then second row, third row, etc.
What you must do is instruct the clerk to type in X2 or X3 into the Ticketmaster system. The computer will begin searching for seats from the front row to the left or to the right, instead of searching for front row dead center. You’ll get a better seat because you are not competing for front row dead center like everyone else is, unknowingly, in the default X1 code.
If you need more than 2 tickets together, you’ll get crappy seats. For example if you need 4 tickets, you need to buy 2 sets of 2 in order to get the very best seats available. Tell the store clerk to type in X2Q or X3Q twice.
This way the computer will print the first set of tickets, then automatically be ready to print out the second set of tickets, speeding up the search process. Remember to be extra polite to the store clerk and let them know you are just a dedicated fan who researched how to get the best seats. They might not be cooperative if they think you're a broker.
Good luck and remember there are also great tickets for sale on Ebay: