Getting Tickets From Reseller Sites

If a show has sold out you may be forced to consider getting a ticket from either a reseller site or from another fan who no longer wants the ticket. Here we examine what you need to watch out for.

Can Anyone Resell Tickets?

At the time of writing it is not illegal to resell tickets for concerts or the theatre. It is however illegal to resell football tickets unless they are sold through the football clubs authorised service.

Official Ticket Websites

Official ticket websites include agencies like Ticketmaster. They are often authorised to sell tickets by the venue or the act. In this way you know the tickets are legitimate and you also know that you will usually pay the same price as if you were buying directly from the venue. Do however check for added fees like booking fees and postage costs. These type of sites may not be of use however if the gig is completely sold out. This is where you may be tempted to go to a reseller.

Reseller Sites

These sites exist for people to either sell or buy concert tickets usually for events that are sold out. The main concern about these sites is that you will pay over the odds for your ticket. The main warning here is to be very aware of what you are being charged and what you are willing to pay before you start this process. Many of these sites have been criticised for not being upfront enough with customers about charges.

What Should You Expect From Reseller Sites?

The Competition and Markets Authority continues to work with reseller sites to ensure they follow UK consumer law. in essence if you buy a ticket from a reseller you should expect to know if you have restricted views,if you buy multiples seats you should know if they are seated together or not, you should know before you agree to purchase exactly what the cost is, how much the price differs from the original face value of the ticket and you should know who to contact should there be a problem.

Should You Buy Direct From A Fan?

You may be tempted to buy from another fan but you do need to be careful here. There is no way for example that you can check the ticket is authentic. If you buy on a site like e bay or gumtree you may also pay well over the odds for the price of the ticket. Also, beware if you need to collect the ticket personally as you do not know who you are going to meet.

Protecting Your Purchase

There are a number of ways you can give yourself some financial protection. If you pay by credit card and you are spending over £100 then section 75 of the consumer credit act will protect you. If you are using a debit card then you will be protected by the chargeback scheme. Buying on e bay by paypal may accord you the Paypal Buyer protection. The problem with this last one however is that you may need to track the seller down which can be hard.

How Can You Best Sell Tickets?

On the other hand you may be the seller. So what is the best way to get rid of a ticket you no longer need? Check the venues website as many of them will have a path you can follow if you want to legitimately sell your ticket. Official agencies may also have a way for you to sell to them as will reseller sites.

Do watch out simply turning up on the night and trying to sell your ticket.Unless you have a license to sell on the street you will be acting illegally