Buying event tickets on EBay - Help, please!

[bsnyder]

Arggg! I've screwed up and need to buy tickets to a sporting event and it's sold out.

I've never used Ebay (for anything), but there are some tickets available with the Buy It Now feature. The price is not too bad, considering that I really need these tickets.

I know there are a lot of EBay experts here on the DIS. So, how does this work? Is there a chance I could get screwed - paying for them and not getting the tickets, or having them be different than advertised or not authentic?

I have a couple of other more conventional avenues I'm pursuing, but am really desparate to nail this down asap. But I don't want to use EBay if there's a chance I could be ripped off.

 

[tmt martins]

If they take credit cards or paypal you have a chance if they are not what is advertised but read the listing VERY GOOD.

If they are local and doing a local pickup you can try that and have someone along that could verifie the tickets .

I have purchased NFL football tickets before and all was good but check feedback and see if they have been selling the same type items as before.

 

[salmoneous]

Is there a chance of getting ripped off? You bet. But your odds are much better with ebay than with some guy off the street.

What you want to do is read a seller's feedback. Every seller will have feedback left from people they've done business with in the past. After reading through a couple pages of feedback, you get a pretty good feel for what kind of person they are to do business with. If somebody has been around a while, has lots of feedback, a good feedback ratio (99%+), and sounds like has been a good guy to work with, you odds of getting ripped off are very low (but, as I said, not zero).

 

[Cindy's Mom]

I make it a point to buy from ticket brokers on ebay. I never by from a person who has this as their first transaction. UNLESS I am able to meet them and exchange the cash for the tix.

 

[bsnyder]

I make it a point to buy from ticket brokers on ebay. I never by from a person who has this as their first transaction. UNLESS I am able to meet them and exchange the cash for the tix.

It won't be possible to do it in person, that's why I'm wary.

But at least I know this is an option - I am looking at the feedback now and I think I'll be able to find something that has a very low risk.

 

[mickeysgal]

We just recently bought baseball tickets on Ebay. We made sure their feedback was as close to 100% as possible with a high feedback number.
Just be careful who you choose, make sure there is insurance, delivery confirmation on them, and pay with Paypal. Paying via Paypal will give you some measure of security.

 

[momma leaps]

We purchased concert tickets for Coldplay for our DD. The concert was sold out. I waited toooo long to purchase them and had to get them thru Ebay.

Had a good experience. Read feedback. Pay with a credit card in the event you pay and never get the tickets. You can dispute the charge.

 

[Jennifer S]

We bought Kenney Chesney and Toby Keith tickets from ebay - the concert was not sold out yet. We just wanted good seats. Didn't have any problems at all.

 

[Connieh]

Hello,

I have purchased tickets for sporting events on ebay with good luck. Just check the feedback.

Also have you tried stubhub.com, I have used this site to purchase tickets and prices are reasonable, no bidding, just pay the asking price.

Good luck

 

[bsnyder]

Thanks! Lots of great info and ya'll have been so helpful! I am breathing a sigh of relief - this is going to be an easy problem to solve!

 

[Imzadi]

Make sure you read the NEGATIVE feedback as well as the positive. They may have good feedback, but if they also have a few negs that say the same sort of thing, "Item a fake, no refund" "Item not sent in time," this would be a person to stay away from. You don't want to be one of the few where things go horribly wrong.

 

[Missy1961]

I bought tickets from ebay, but back in 2001! It was a positive experience. But I think I'd feel better buying from Stub Hub. I've heard of a new problem. Many teams allow buyers to print their own tickets at home. There have been reports of people printing out multiples and selling them more than once.