Secondary ticketing: mistakes not to be made when buying tickets for an event

A phenomenon we often hear about. But let’s see in detail what secondary ticketing is, what risks it entails and why it is never a good idea to buy tickets for a live event outside of official channels.

What is secondary ticketing?

Secondary ticketing is the unauthorized resale of tickets that have been purchased by the official primary channels for live events, such as concerts, festivals, sporting events, theater performances and comedy performances. In this illegal market, original ticket holders resell their tickets at a higher price than the original one, often much higher than the purchase price. In addition, in some cases, the resale tickets are not valid, which means that the ticket will be refused upon entry to the event.

What are the official primary channels from which to buy tickets?

Official ticket retailers are those who, through a contractual agreement with the main supplier (the owner or organizer or venue of the event), have received permission to sell tickets for a given event. Official ticket retailers, such as Ticketmaster, guarantee the validity of issued tickets and assistance in the event of unforeseen or problematic purchases. Outside the official channels these dynamics are not guaranteed, as the unofficial reality of resale, or marketplace, are limited to act as a link, without having any control over the primary issue of tickets sold/ purchased.

For this reason, Ticketmaster recommends buying tickets only from official circuits, without relying on reality/circuits that do not guarantee any kind of assistance to the final buyer.

Where to buy tickets safely?

Actually it is very simple: always visit the official website of the organizer, location, event or artist. Here you will surely find a link to the official sales channel.

What to do once you have purchased a ticket?

After buying a ticket, never post it anywhere with the visible barcode, as someone might use that barcode to access the event. If you want to share your tickets, never show the barcode.

Why is it important to buy tickets only from official channels?

Only if you buy a ticket through the official sales channel, you will know for sure that you are paying the correct original price, there are no hidden costs or increased prices. Some secondary sellers, however, double or even triple the official ticket price.

In addition, by buying from an official channel, you will know that the entrance to the event is guaranteed 100% and in case of cancellation for any reason, the seller guarantees a refund of the money spent. In case of changes related to the event, such as times, venue or other information, the official seller will inform the buyers as soon as possible.

Another aspect to consider is the management of personal data: official channels are required to manage them according to the laws governing this type of procedure (GDPR), while secondary ticketing channels, or individuals, cannot guarantee 100% transparency on data management.

Sold out, and now?

If you want to buy tickets for an event that is sold out, be careful! Tickets may still be available at official channels, or be put back on sale later. It is also possible for an event to be moved to a larger location or for an extra date to be added to a tour. Follow the social media of the event, the organizer, the artist or the location and subscribe to the newsletter of the official channels. This will help you to be informed quickly in case tickets become available again.

How to resell tickets easily and securely on Ticketmaster

You bought tickets for concerts, but you can’t attend anymore? Don’t worry, if you have purchased a ticket for a concert or other event and show on Ticketmaster.it and the event organizer has enabled the resale service, you can resell it easily and safely on our website. Once the ticket has been resold, the bearer of the original order will be refunded the face price and the pre-sale of the ticket itself (service fees and any shipping costs excluded), net of the cost of the resale service. For more information on how to resell tickets on Ticketmaster.it easily and safely visit our dedicated page.

5 risks of buying tickets outside official channels

We know how important it is for you to have a ticket that gives you access to an event you’ve been waiting for. When the tickets are sold out, or in other cases where they are not available on official channels, surely you have wondered if it is worth buying them through channels other than the official ones of Ticketmaster. Here are 5 reasons why this is not a good idea.

Counterfeit or duplicate tickets

Buying on unofficial channels can not be sure that the ticket is valid. You are exposed to buying a copy of a fake or duplicate ticket from a person or platform that makes copies of a Ticketmaster ticket or alters the format of our tickets almost identically. It is important to note that at the entrance of the area, these tickets will be identified as invalid and the complaint can only be made to the person or platform that sold it to you.

Financial fraud

Often a considerable increase is applied to the resale price of tickets. It is obvious that when tickets are no longer available, many fans decide to pay any amount or advance to secure the ticket at all costs. Retailers know this and it is very common to ask for deposits to reserve a ticket. In most situations, these retailers do not even have a real ticket, they only ask for this payment by bank transfer, but then block fans or disappear at the time when they should deliver the alleged ticket. It is not safe to buy a ticket this way just for the unnecessary expense of money it may involve, ending up being a scam.

Your consumer rights are cancelled

There is no assistance in case of unexpected events. If you purchase fake, duplicate or point-of-sale tickets other than our official channels, Ticketmaster has no way to enforce your rights as a consumer. For example, in cases of refunds for postponement or cancellation of an event, we may only make the corresponding payment or transfer to those who purchased the ticket or tickets directly from our official channels.

Direct impact on artists and those who work on the realization of the event

The revenues of the artist you are going to see in concerts and festivals, as well as of all the staff dedicated to producing the best experiences for fans, are covered by the price of tickets paid. When you pay more than the ticket price on the market and unofficial channels, your money doesn’t go to the artist you’re a fan of or the people who work at the event, but it ends up in the pockets of people who have nothing to do with the experience. Buying on official channels ensures that your money goes to the right people and are functional to the success of the live event.

Security of your data

When you buy through unofficial channels, your personal data such as names, bank accounts or addresses becomes vulnerable. This is because sales channels are not obliged to follow any GDPR regulations. By purchasing your tickets through Ticketmaster channels, your data is fully protected and encrypted so that no one can misuse it. We therefore advise you to pay close attention to your personal information.