PreferredSeat.com Blog

Common Ticket Questions

1. What is a ticket broker?
2. Is the reselling of tickets legal?
3. What is ticket scalping?
4. Where do ticket brokers get their tickets
   from?
5. How can you differentiate between
   who owns the tickets and who doesn’t, and why should I care.
6. What are hidden service charges
   and fees?
7. How can you determine if a
   ticket broker is reputable?
8. How are ticket prices determined?
9. What are consigned, spec and presold tickets
10. Why would I choose a broker such
    as Preferredseat.com to buy my tickets from?

1. What is a ticket broker?

A ticket broker is a reseller of tickets. They may be licensed by the city
they do business in, or they may just resell tickets on the internet, without
a license being required.

2. Is the reselling tickets legal?

The reselling of tickets is legal in most states for any amount over the face
value. Some may have restrictions on the amount over the face value that can
be charged or a percentage over the face value.

3. What is ticket scalping?

Scalping is the reselling of tickets for a profit, often well above the established
or printed value. Scalping is still illegal in most states when it is performed
within an established distance from the venue, but is not often enforced except
in the case of major events.
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4. Where do ticket brokers get their tickets from?

There are two main types of ticket brokers, those that stock tickets which
could include season tickets to sports teams, premium concert season tickets
and theater subscription seats.  And then there are the majority of ticket
brokers that just resell other tickets owned by the first group of brokers.
And these brokers may have hundreds or thousands of affiliates reselling tickets
that are marked up multiple times .
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5. How can you differentiate between who owns the
   tickets and who doesn’t and why would I care?

If you buy directly from the holder of the tickets, you will get the best
price. The further you get from the original purchaser the more likely you
will pay much more. The best way to tell who owns the ticket is by the price,
the ticket holder will have the lowest price. But finding the ticket holder
from the thousands of sites on the internet is tough, and comparing prices
is hard too with all the hidden service charges and fees. You will probably
have to settle for the safest company with the best price.
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6. What are hidden service charges and fees?

Hidden service charges and fees are found on most of the websites reselling
tickets on the internet. The first price you see is usually the advertised
price, then after completing a form with your information, there are more fees
added to your order, usually an additional 10 to 20% more. This is done to
compete against other brokers by claiming the lowest price, and hope you don’t
notice, or just give up and accept the extra fee. The policy of our company
is No Hidden Fees.
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7. How can you determine if a ticket broker is reputable?

Just like any company you do business with on the web, it doesn’t hurt to
do your homework.

• Check the Better Business Bureau for complaints, how they handle them and
  how long they’ve been in business.
• See if they have a contact page, physical address, and a phone number.
• Check their return policy and guarantee, they should offer a full refund
  for cancelled events.
• Search Google for their business name, if you find complaints, there’s
  probably a reason.

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8. How are ticket prices determined?

Ticket prices are usually determined by market demand. Sold out events or
premium seats usually demand the highest premium, and that premium is dependent
on the popularity of the event,  the number of tickets on sale for each particular
section, and the time left before the event takes place. In many
cases, it’s a judgment call, just like any purchase you make, everything has
profit attached to it, it’s up to you to determine if it is worth the price.
By doing a little due diligence, you can get an idea if it is a competitive
price.
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9. What are consigned, spec and presold tickets?

Consigned tickets are those that a ticket broker accepts to attempt to sell
for a season ticket owner or concert or theater ticket holder, in exchange
for a profit on the sale of the ticket.
Spec tickets or speculation tickets are those that ticket brokers list before
they have the actual ticket. They may have a long history of getting a ticket
and will guarantee that exact seat or better. They may simply be taking a gamble
and the outrageous price may be the indicator.
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10. Why should I buy tickets from Preferredseat.com
    rather than other resellers?
• Reliability, Integrity, honesty
• Better Business Bureau Member with a "A+" Rating and "O" Complaints
  on File
• Lowest overall prices
• No Hidden Fees
• Over 21 years experience
• Family Owned and Operated