For anyone who has struggled through trying to get tickets for a popular show, it becomes apparent very quickly that the odds are stacked against you.
You may be under the illusion that if you sit online, or on the phone, with Ticketmaster the very moment that tickets go on sale, that you have an equal and fair chance of getting tickets as everyone else. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case.
That’s why I’ve listed 4 sites to serve as alternatives if you’re desperately looking for that concert ticket which is unavailable anywhere else!
How to Get Tickets Despite the Ticketmaster Monopoly
The truth is, the event ticket market is stacked higher against you than a Vegas casino. A venue that accomodates 20,000 wild fans can sell out in about the time it takes for you to log into your computer. While Ticketmaster has the appearance of fairness in that ticket sales start at exactly a certain time (usually on Saturday), sales take place through so many outlets that available seats can disappear in minutes.
To make matters worse, while you may think that the moment the clock strikes 9 a.m. on Saturday that you have a chance to get the best seat, think again. Before the tickets even go on sale, entire batches are claimed by the artist’s own organization, corporate sponsors, season pass holders and others. At least 20% of available seats are already gone by the time the doors open for sales. Even worse, professional “scalpers” who have contacts within organizations such as the National Associate of Ticket Brokers, are somehow able to grab up the best seats in the house long before you ever pick up the phone to make that call.
However, never fear – just because Ticketmaster says that all seats are sold, you still have options. We’ve already covered a few cool applications like Roosterfly, which lets you compare event ticket prices, or FanSnap, an app that lets you search for available event tickets. However, I wanted to review 4 of the best websites to get awesome seats at popular, hard-to-get-into shows.
TicketCity – If You Can’t Beat Em, Join Em
Because of the fact that so many groups and organizations have access to the best seats before you do and you really want to get good seats for the show (especially after Ticketmaster has sold out), your best bet is to track down and purchase tickets on the secondary market — since that’s really where all the best seats are. It’s a dog-eat-dog market even involving corruption and bribery, in some cases.
Brokers (essentially scalpers) use inside connections to garnish huge blocks of tickets for sale on the secondary market. Case in point is TicketCity. Randy Cohen, CEO of TicketCity, told BNET in an interview:
We have relationships and contracts with people and venues. Through our relationships, we’re able to get tickets.
TicketCity covers just about any sort of event you’d probably be interested in including sports, theatre and concerts. There’s even a large button to click if you’re interested in selling your own tickets to TicketCity! There are also ticket specials in select locations and a 200% money-back guarantee. This is obviously one of the “big dogs” of ticket brokerages.
RazorGator – For Hard-to-Get Tickets
Another major broker of event tickets is the very popular site RazorGator. It even touts itself as the place to go when you’re dying to get popular tickets and can’t find them anywhere else. How does RazorGator get these rare tickets? Wouldn’t you like to know?
RazorGator is a pretty cool site, and it covers more event types compared to many other sites. Where else could you get tickets for a rodeo, Cirque du Soleil, and a Nickelback concert all in one place? You get a 100% money-back guarantee and there’s even another section of the site called “Fan2Fan Exchange” where fans can either exchange or sell tickets. Sort of like a third market for ticket sales.
Fox World Travel Tickets – Travel & Tickets Go Hand in Hand
Fox World Travel is a travel agency based out of Wisconsin that eventually realized that a large majority of what their clients wanted to do when traveling included obtaining tickets for shows, games or other events. The agency entered the world of ticket brockerage at their site, where you can find tickets for just about any kind of show.
This is only one example, there are lots of other travel sites out there that offer access to tickets, so make sure to hunt them down. In fact, ask a local travel agent in your area - they likely have access to blocks of popular even tickets as well.
TicketsToGo – Small Can Be a Good Thing
Were you ever in a situation where you were dating a girl you really wanted to impress, and she said something along the lines of, “Oh, I’ve always wanted to go see the Lion King on Broadway but they’re sold out for months!” Now, how cool would it be to have a buddy who you could call on your cellphone and say, “Hey, dude… could you hook me up with a couple of tickets to the Lion King?” Well, at TicketsToGo, you’ve got that dude to call.
At TicketsToGo, you place an order for a show and even if it’s officially sold out, this independent broker will access a “a large network of professional suppliers” to locate an available ticket for you. You’re surely going to pay a lot more for it – but at this point, when you’re dying to see the your favorite band or singer, and completely bummed out that there aren’t any seats left, does it really matter, if it means you can get in the door? Definitely use TicketsToGo as the last option, but at least it’s an option that you have.
Have you ever had any success getting hard-to-get tickets? What resources do you use? Share your insight in the comments section below.
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