Getting tickets for the world’s biggest artists or sports events is a thankless task. For one thing, the release times are often inconvenient, such as 8 am in the middle of your commute or at one o’clock in the morning, meaning you need to stay awake to get online and buy your ticket. And if you manage to log on at the right time, there is still no guarantee that you’ll succeed.
After waiting in a virtual queue for what can be hours, waiting for the number ahead of you to slowly disperse, it is heartbreaking to get to the front only to find out that the event is now sold out. But getting tickets from the original source is only one route to seeing popular stars live, such as Billie Eilish or Drake, or bagging a spot to see the LA Rams go for their second consecutive Superbowl title.
Second-hand ticket marketplaces are a dark horse, providing peak tickets at often a fraction of the price – but even as attractive as they sound, there are pros and cons and things to look out for when using a site like this. As such, the following article covers a few key elements you need to take into account when scouring for tickets to your next big event – ones that’ll help you snatch a ticket safely, securely, and, best of all: for the right price.
Ensure the Booking Site Offers Cyber Protection
Cyber fraud is becoming more and more prevalent as the internet age storms onwards. In fact, studies show that over a third of online consumers have reported losing money due to fraud, which is why it’s crucial to only use ticket sites that employ a high level of cyber security that protects their business, their customers’ data, and their money during and after transactions.
In fact, one way in which companies can better protect their clients’ online purchases is to use a fully secured artificial intelligence transaction monitoring system, giving their consumers peace of mind that they will not become a part of this statistic.
Check Ticket Authenticity
Have you ever bought a ticket from a secondary marketplace and become worried that you’d be turned away for having a fake ticket on the big day, causing heartbreak as everybody else gets to enjoy the experience? Horror stories such as this litter the internet, and people are right to be cautious.
Some ticket touts operate by selling unsuspecting consumers fake tickets, and they’re not all that uncommon. As such, you need to make sure you purchase your tickets – whether they’re second-hand or not – using a reputable site with plenty of positive reviews from past customers.
Box Office ticket sales reviews are an excellent example of what to look for in a trustworthy ticket-buying platform, which should inspire confidence while reassuring you that tickets sold via a secure ticket purchase are valid and authentic – so you won’t need to worry about being disappointed come the day of the event.
Check The Cancellation and Refund Policies
While the world has, to an extent, gone back to normal and sports events, concerts, and theater productions are back with a bang, there is no certainty that this will continue indefinitely. The last few years have shown the peaks of COVID-19 infections tend to hit as fall and winter arrive, and since 2020 many shows have had to be canceled due to lockdowns and illness, some permanently.
So, one of the most important procedures to have in place when buying tickets for your favorite artist or team is to ensure that you are guaranteed a 100% refund should the worst happen – after all, you never know what may happen, so it’s best to be prepared.
Choose the Right Ticket
One tremendous benefit of buying tickets via a second-hand marketplace is that a whole host of options are available to you, with a much less pressurized time constraint to pick and pay.
Choosing your ticket is a big deal; choose a seat too far away, and you might miss your once-in-a-lifetime moment in the show, or one that has you seated or standing too close to the action might be entirely unaffordable!
However, by booking a middle-tier ticket, you can rest assured that you will not only catch every moment, but you may also be bumped up to the top tier without the insane price tag to go alongside it.