Buying a ticket online is convenient, and still, how come so often it ends up with disappointment?
Complicated platforms, additional charges, and unpleasant surprises can take your enthusiasm for the event away. Don’t let this happen and prepare yourself with solutions for the problems you might encounter.
Above all, there are three event tickets principles – one: you need tickets to get in, two: buy for your friends too, and three: if you miss the date of the event, it doesn’t matter if you have tickets or not. For more details about troubles with tickets, read below.
Buying From An Unclear Reseller
By unclear we mean, a reseller that you can’t trace and that might be unauthorized. Buying from such sources might even be illegal.
Sometimes it’s just a matter of an innocent fan-to-fan interaction, however, on other occasions, it’s an intentional fraudulent practice and you can lose your money and, most importantly, waste the opportunity to attend the event.
What are the risks of buying from an unknown reseller:
- You might not receive your ticket.
- They can duplicate your ticket.
- They can overcharge you.
- You can purchase a fake ticket.
- They will not refund you in case the event is canceled.
Solution: Always do your research. Go to the event’s main page or their verified social media profiles and check which are the tickets providers. Follow the link for purchasing tickets from there or visit the website of the reseller and find the event there.
You can do an additional private investigation of the ticketing partners by checking their previous events, reviews, contacts, community space, etc. We know you’re good at that!
Tickets Are Reserved In Advance
How is it possible that the moment the tickets sale for an event you’ve been anticipating for a long time opens, all the tickets are gone? No, you were not a few seconds slower.
Instead, large quantities of tickets are instantly bought by bots making it a lost cause for you. The purpose is to sell you the tickets at a higher price later if you manage to find them at all.
Like at most trusted platforms, at Plentix we invest in eliminating the so-called ticket farming and speculative tickets. One way is using blockchain technology (our future strategy) as well as checkout validation. You, on your side, can also take steps against unofficial sellers who exercise buying early, through automation.
Solution: Don’t trust resellers who offer tickets before the official sale has started. If you notice such suspicious providers’ activities, you can even report them to the official event organizer.
You Got The Wrong Info
Finally, you got the tickets for your dream concert. It’s the day of the show and you’re delirious.
You put on your favorite party outfit, pick up your friends, but you get even more ecstatic when you reach the venue and you find out your group is the first one there…or the last one? Wait, something’s wrong, oh no, this is not the correct location!
We sincerely don’t wish you to go through such a chain of events. The reality is, miscommunication happens and it’s not your fault. For instance, you may pay for one category of seats and when you get to the venue, realize your ticket is for a different area.
A licensed seller or reseller will always inform you about changes in the event details and will most likely compensate you if necessary.
Solution: Check the news about the event regularly. Sometimes, circumstances are out of the organizers’ control. Maybe the company went into liquidation or the artists got sick – don’t assume there won’t be anything unexpected. If there’s a seating map available, use it and double-check if you’re picking the right ticket.
Make sure your ticket provider sends you notifications.
Awful User Experience
Poor user experience is a pushback. We hate it too.
Think of long customer journeys, dozens of required steps, ads on the way, broken mobile screens. Indeed, they’re all annoying obstacles but what can truly pull you out of your skin is a slow and complex checkout.
Anyway, if you get through this peak, it’s not over. A technical issue or an unpleasant surprise like “you have to physically pick up your ticket from this or that place” may still arise.
Solution: Not all ticketing platforms are complicated. You have all the power to demand a simplified seamless experience that also offers great features.
Look closely – is the website mobile-friendly, is it fast, do you find what you’re looking for within one or two clicks? Is it multilingual and does it accept various secure payment methods? If you encounter multiple NOs, put a red flag on it.
Scams
Some tickets sellers screw it unintentionally but others do it completely on purpose. They can issue genuinely fake tickets, advertise non-existent events, and offer unrealistic promotions.
It’s a swindle business just as any other swindle business. Some of the cheaters have a phony online presence but others might look legit so it’s your job to exercise caution.
Solution: If you have doubts, call the seller and ask your questions. Carefully check the details about the event you’re interested in. Is all the information disclosed? Is your experience transparent and personalized? Examine these points and if you notice a sign that something’s fishy, pay attention to it.
Overpriced Tickets
Don’t just take a price for granted because often the resellers add a juicy commission on top of the initial cost. Another problem that might appear is hidden fees for services you haven’t asked for.
Alternatively, some ticketing providers break down the ticket price into small pieces like taxes, facility fee, order processing fee, etc.
These small overhead charges are announced at the end of your visit after you’ve done all the work. It’s called drip pricing and the logic is – you’re not going to give up now for a dollar, will you?
Solution: Be alert during the payment process and notice what’s written even with the tiniest letters. Are there any transaction fees and if yes, are they reasonable?
As soon as you create a habit to question add-ons, you will discover many of them are not mandatory and it’s up to you what you’re paying for. Ideally, all financial information regarding your purchase will be clear and accessible.
After all, we call Plentix the social ticketing platform because we value your freedom to make choices and connect to others. Whether you’re an event organizer or an event goer, our goal is to make it easy for you, while, at the same time you’re secure.
If you want to ask a question about your event or your tickets, we’re available to chat.
