Top 3 Broadway Shows Ticket Scams
Some of the content for this article has been influenced by a great article on the same topic at nytix.com. In writing this article, my ideas became so intertwined with the ideas of the other article that I wanted to make sure to give proper credit.
Regarding the items in this list, keep in mind your ticket source. Purchase only from the box office or a licensed ticket broker, preferably with a well-established track record.
Drumroll, please…. So, here they are – the top three things that you should be aware of when buying tickets to your next Broadway show:
1. Reproduced Tickets. Security surrounding paper tickets is really quite archaic when you consider the technology that is available on the average desktop to create card stock duplicates. Just think about it … scan – print – sell, and your craigslist friend or Mr. street scalper is $600 richer. When inspecting your tickets beware of any obvious signs of forgery like faint ink, smudges, or misspellings (did I spell that right?).
Sometimes duplicate tickets are even legit! What?? Stay with me here… imagine this scenario… Mr. unscrupulous purchases two legit tickets to a game, then three days later returns to the theater to claim that he (I’m assuming that it’s a “he” because they wouldn’t call them bad “guys” if they weren’t… men) has lost his tickets and could he please have a replacement set. The ticket office loves repeat customers and so they grant a new set of tickets for the same exact seats. Mr. Devious (he has identity issues) then sells both sets of Broadway tickets to unsuspecting victims.
Assuming a bar code system, whoever gets to the theater first gets in, while the latecomers get sent home or questioned for possessing duplicate tickets… Assuming a good old fashioned take ‘em and tear ‘em ticket system, both couples get in and have a good old fashioned brawl over who gets to sit in the orchestra section and who is going to stand in the back of the top balcony for the show…
2. Seats not where you thought they were… OK, so have you ever bought tickets to a movie after asking the guy behind the glass if there was still room in the theater only to get into the theater and realize that the only seats left are in the front row and all the way to the right of the screen?? You spend the whole night with your neck in positions it was never meant to be in while your eyes try to makes sense of the half of the movie that is happening in your peripheral vision.
You think the same thing doesn’t happen for Broadway shows?? Guess again… As hard as we try at SeatKarma, the data simply doesn’t exist to account for every sight obstruction for every show in every theater across this great land we call home. Beware of the super deal! The ticket owner might know something that you don’t about the seats. When the tickets are purchased from the box office whoever purchases them will be informed if there are obstructions or other factors that have caused the seat to be discounted.
Also keep in mind that in some older theaters, seats that are next to each other do not have sequential numbering. Here’s a shameless plug: All of the tickets that we search on SeatKarma.com are next to each other, unless otherwise noted.
3. Perfectly Good Tickets… For the Wrong Show… Oh, this could never happen, right?? Street scalper doesn’t sell tickets for the mattinee showing, so he comes back in the evening and by the light of the moon tries to put a quick one over on you… Check the time on the tickets!! A legit ticket broker could make an honest mistake in this regard. But if they do, they are going to make it right. A fly-by-night scalper never stands on the same street corner twice (and after selling you bad tickets he’ll probably come back in some makeup and a three foot faux beard to slow down your identification of him – this is Broadway, after all)…
So, now that I’ve scared you to death, what are some good methods to avoid being scammed on secondary tickets?
1. Buy from a Licensed Reputable Ticket Broker or Marketplace Service. OK, I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t have any personal skin in this game… SeatKarma makes it’s cha-ching by referring you to the best deals from reputable ticket sources. Check out our ticket price comparison search engine. Search for the event that you want and find a great deal from a great broker or marketplace website.
2. Don’t buy from Craigslist-type Services. Man, this is difficult for me to even say… because I love craigslist. I personally buy tons of stuff off craigslist and it’s a lot of fun meeting new people, and getting a great deal. When I buy a table and chairs from someone, I know what I’m getting. Unfortunately, when you buy a set of tickets, you are just buying little slips of paper, and the true value isn’t realized until much later. If you transacted in the McDonald’s parking lot, how are you going to track this person down when you can’t get into the game?
Whew, that was more than I intended to write and if you made it this far, I applaud your effort. Hopefully, these tips will help you enjoy the show instead of lamenting the fact that you got scammed!
