Getting burned buying fake event tickets really hurts. You lose your money, and miss the show you really wanted to go to. Many people have been taken advantage of when buying event tickets or know someone that has. People are hence sceptical of buying resale tickets or get caught up buying them in a way that is unsafe. After hearing many stories in the news about ticket scams I felt that it would be helpful to write an article on safe buying practices to adhere to when purchasing resale tickets.
The secondary ticket marketplace (resale) can be a daunting one if you don’t know how it works or what to look for. This article is intended to demystify the ticket resale market and guide buyers to making safer ticket purchasing decisions. Buying tickets doesn’t have to be complicated, as long as you know what to look for. Here is a list of what to look for when purchasing tickets to help ensure that your purchase is legitimate:
Things to Look For to Ensure Safety (ie. Legitimate Purchases):
• Company guarantee
• Credit Card protection
• Legitimate, trackable business
• Sales, return and privacy policies
• Address or phone number from established sources
Things to Avoid (ie. Can Indicate a Scam):
• Paying with cash, wire, money order, or E-Transfer
• Buying from an individual rather than a legitimate company (see above tips)
Lack of buyer protection. Company guarantees and acceptance of credit cards are good examples of buyer protection, as they help ensure a refund if you do not receive your tickets. A vendor’s word is not protection!
Overall, there are three places you can buy resale tickets from, and each vary in their level of safety:
Ticket Exchange (Safest):
A ticket exchange is a registered company that is licensed and compares all available tickets for an event. The ticket exchange will guarantee that your entire order is authentic and valid for the event. Multiple individual ticket brokers exist who are licensed and screened to fulfill these orders. These brokers will usually offer tickets in two forms e-tickets (sent to you via email) and hard tickets (paper tickets, usually delivered via Fedex or a similar courier). Vip Tickets Canada, StubHub, and Vivid Seats are some examples of legitimate ticket exchanges. Purchases are done via credit card to ensure buyer and seller protection. Tickets on these sites are considered to be at market value for an event (Note: this refers to the value at which tickets are being sold on the secondary market according to the ticket demand; this does not necessarily match up with the price printed on your ticket). Market value can be above or below face value (the amount printed on the ticket). Keep in mind that if an event isn’t sold out and it’s close to the event date, ticket exchanges such as Vip Tickets Canada will often have tickets for sale at a discounted rate below face value. There is typically also a service fee attached to the ticket price by the exchange. All ticket exchanges show tickets in real time and have a valid operating website that should be in proper english and have clickable links. Websites for valid ticket exchanges are screened and must hold valid PCI and SSL certificates to ensure your credit card details are safe.
Ticket Broker (Safe):
A ticket broker is a licensed company that purchases select tickets for an event for resale. They also often hold season tickets for sporting events. It is safe to buy tickets from a ticket broker that is licensed and reviewed. Check their reviews and buyer guarantee before purchase to ensure that you are covered. Valid ticket brokers will have a website on which their tickets are for sale, as well as often listing their tickets for sale on ticket exchanges such as Vip Tickets Canada. Note: A ticket scalper is not a ticket broker. A ticket broker will have a valid business license and any other regional or national licenses required to operate as a registered company.
Ticket Scalper (Not Safe):
The large majority of ticket scams fall into this category. Ticket scalpers are not licensed and are typically individuals rather than companies. Do not buy e-tickets from scalpers as these can be printed out on standard paper and resold many times. Typically ticket scalpers will ask for cash, E-Transfer, money order or wire as the method of payment. NONE of these methods allow for buyer protection, and if the ticket is fake you will have no way of getting a refund. Scalpers will not have a proper website with live tickets for sale. Note: Scammers often put pressure on people so to rush them into making poor decisions. Chances are that if they can’t take the time to make you feel comfortable, they shouldn’t be trusted. Unless you know the seller personally, you should always buy second hand tickets through a ticket exchange or ticket broker.
Some Final Advice on Purchasing Resale Tickets:
Always buy tickets with a credit card via a ticket marketplace such as Vip Tickets Canada.
Make sure you are buying from a legitimate business, especially when buying tickets off of Craigslist, Backpage or Kijiji(see the Do’s and Don’t’s Safety Checklist above).
Never buy tickets with cash, money order, e-transfer or a wire. Only a credit card will give you protection in the event of a fraudulent ticket.
Should your ticket not be valid, get a copy of the scan report from the ticket scanner. If the ticket was bought from a legitimate ticket exchange or broker, it was likely just a mistake in their system and you should be able to get a refund. If the ticket was bought from a scalper, DO NOT try and confront them personally, but rather contact the local authorities.
And finally: If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
Consider www.vipticketscanada.ca for your next safe ticket buying experience.
For more information about personal safety online, check out these resources:
www.getcybersafe.ca (Canada-specific)
www.staysafeonline.org
www.staysafeonline.org
www.onguardonline.gov
www.getsafeonline.org
www.wiredsafety.org
About:
VipTicketsCanada.ca is one of Canada’s largest privately owned ticket marketplaces. They provide the consumer with the right tools available to compare and purchase the best concert, sport, or theatre tickets in Canada or the USA. You can purchase tickets at the last moment before the event. All tickets are guaranteed and authentic.
VipTicketscanada.ca
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Disclaimer: VipTicketsCanada.ca is not associated with any of the artists, teams, venues, organizations, institutions, bands, or artists featured on their website in any way. Furthermore, any names or titles used in this press release are solely for descriptive purposes and do not imply, indicate, or suggest any type of affiliation, partnership, or endorsement.
Media Contact
Company Name: Vip Tickets Canada
Contact Person: Alena Ebeling
Email:Send Email
Phone: 855-315-1603
Address:185 -911 Yates St, Suite 587
City: Victoria
State: British Columbia
Country: Canada
Website: www.vipticketscanada.ca
