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If you are looking to purchase Tickets on eBay - you’re not alone!  eBay has more tickets bought and sold than any other site on the web.

Here are a few tips for buying tickets on eBay:

1.  Because eBay does not actually sell tickets, it is important to review the feedback of the Seller.  Look for how long they have sold on eBay, what Buyers have said in the comments, feedback score and percentage, and how much of their selling relates to tickets.

2.  If you are bidding on an auction - always wait until the last minute to bid (known as sniping.)  There is no advantage to bidding early.  Bid the maximum you are willing to pay, and do so at the last minute.

3.  Make sure you understand the fees associated with Buying.  Many sellers charge handling fees, in addition to shipping fees.  Consider all of these variables in the total cost before purchasing.

4.  Search for tickets on a regular basis.  Inventory changes quickly, so visit daily.  Even better, you can have eBay email you every time a new item is listed that matches your requirements.

5.  Don’t be afraid to email the Seller and ask if they are willing to lower their price.  Don’t give them your sob story, or try to convince them they are overpriced.  Simply send a respectful email that states you cannot afford the tickets at the price listed and ask if there is any chance they would be willing to sell the tickets for less.  We sell 2-3 sets of tickets well below our listed price each week.  We base our decisions on the market as well as how respectful the Buyer is in their email.

6.  If the Seller declines your offer, or you feel it is too aggressive to email and ask for a price reduction, consider sending an email that states you cannot afford the tickets at the price listed.  Thank the Seller for their time and let them know if anything changes, you would appreciate an email.  We have an entire list of people who have asked us to email them the day beofre a game or event if we need to sell our tickets.  Sometimes these Buyers get tickets at as little as 25% of face value.

7.  When searching for tickets - try every variation you can think of.  For example, SuperBowl is spelled as one word.  Every year amateur sellers list their tickets as Super Bowl Tickets.  Guess what?  Tickets listed with the misspelled version sell for 20% less.  Looking for Hannah Montana?  Have you tried Hanna Montana, or Hannah Montanna?  We have found some great deals on tickets by finding a hidden gem like this!  Professional Sellers list SuperBowl and SUper Bowl in their title - so every Buyer will find them.

8.  Always use Paypal and your Credit Card.  Their is nothing safer than Paypal on eBay, especially when you use your credit card.  Paypal offers its own fraud protection, and if that fails, your Credit Card company will almost always refund the fees in a fraud situation.

9.  Consider a deal off eBay.  This is strictly prohibited, but many Sellers will charge you 5-10% off the listed price for Tickets sold off eBay because they can save on fees.  I would still recommend using Paypal and your Credit Card - just to be as safe as possible. 

Good luck - and if you ahve a specific question or need help on eBay - let me know!

Yesterday’s post focused on the 6 places I like to search for tickets.

It begs the question - why hasn’t someone found a way to capture all the information regarding Tickets on sale, and list them on one site?

So if you needed tickets for the New England Patriots, Hannah Montana, The Police, Bon Jovi, or the Super Bowl you could visit one site that would compile the Sections, Rows, Seats and Prices in one location.  Instead of visiting Ticketmaster, eBay, Stubhub, TicketsNow, Craigslist, and a dozen other sites - you could make one stop and be confident in your purchase.

Turns out - SeatQuest - a Chicago based software company has built a site that does just that.  Their site is incredibly simple.  Just type in what you know about your event (anything from zip code to venue name, sports team to event date) and you will be given a list of options that match your search.

Once you narrow it down to a specific event - you will be able to view a map with all the seating options and pricing from SeatQuest affiliates.  Once you decide to purchase, you are redirected to the affiliate site to complete the sale.

In my initial research, I found that the only sources of tickets are currently eBay and TicketsNow.  I do not know if SeatQuest plans to add other large ticket sellers like StubHub or Ticketmaster. 

I also found some major events that did not have any tickets listed for sale.  Not sure if its a system glitch, or a result of only having a few affiliated sites.

In my opinion, if they add all the major players - they will instantly become the ONLY place to look for tickets.  If they remain affiliated with only a few of the players, they will just be one of a dozen places to look for tickets.  I sincerely hope they are able to come to terms with the other major ticket sites - as it will lead to an efficient market for everyone buying and selling tickets.

As of today, I have not bought or sold tickets on SeatQuest.  If you have either bought or sold tickets on SeatQuest please email me or leave a comment.  I will work to keep everyone informed of their progress!

Those of you who have read my profile know that I don’t just sell tickets, I buy them.  I am a fan just like you!

1.  Ticketmaster

I get two emails a day from fans wanting to buy tickets for events that are NOT sold out.  Don’t assume an event is sold out!  Go straight to the source because buying face value that are guaranteed authentic is better than just about every other option.

2.  Ticketmaster’s Ticket Exchange

This Ticketmaster’s answer to eBay, Stubhub, and every other ticket reseller.  Basically they allow people to buy and sell tickets that were originally bought on Ticketmaster.  They charge a fee to Buyers and Sellers, but the big plus is that they cancel the original tickets and reissue new ones - making their guarantee that the tickets are authentic the best in the Business.

3.  Stubhub

Now owned by eBay, Stubhub is advertised as the place where “Fans Buy and Sell Tickets.”  Truth is, 90%+ of the sellers on StubHub are Brokers.  Their site is easy to navigate and the maps make it easy to quickly see how much tickets cost for each section.  They have a huge selection of tickets (2nd only to eBay) and have an iron clad guarantee.  Basically if you don’t get the tickets you ordered in time, they replace them with comparable or better seats.  Overall, you will find Stubhub’s prices to be higher than some of the other options mentioned here.

4.  eBay

Still the powerhouse and largest marketplace for tickets.  The best thing about eBay is that the prices are often lower than other sites.  You can also find real fans selling tickets, which sometimes leads to a great deal.  On the downside, finding tickets is not nearly as easy as Stubhub or Ticketmaster’s two options.  And eBay no longer has any fraud protection that comes automatically with a purchase. 

5.  Local Ticket Brokers

If you live in a large city, chances are good that there are local Ticket Brokers.  You can find them online, in the yellow pages, or the newspaper.  Most people don’t realize that there is software that Brokers use to view other Broker’s inventories.  So almost any Broker you call can sell you tickets from another Broker’s inventory.  Obviously if 2 Brokers are invloved, your price is likely higher.  Cut out the middleman, and deal with a local Broker who may have your actual tickets in their inventory - saving you 10% or more.  In additon, a local Broker like has a much larger selection for hometown shows and sports. 

6.  Craigslist

Everyone’s favorite free classified site often has real fans selling tickets for face value.  In fact, the site prohibits selling over face value (in theory.)  The major downside is wondering if the tickets are real, where do you meet to exchange tickets and money, etc.  Don’t be afraid to place a “Wanted Ad” so that someone selling tickets may find it and contact you directly before listing them for sale.

Good luck!