Wilcox

Hi Everyone- just wanted to share some tips that I have obtained through the years. Hopefully I am posting this in the right place. If not, I apologize.

Been to many concerts over the years, and have been shut out of many concerts over the years. Through some extensive research and almost a borderline obssession regarding Ticketmaster and their "policies" I have obtained the following info that has helped me TREMENDOUSLY. Maybe this is all general knowledge, but if it helps just one person then great. If anything it may spark a conversation with additional tips:

1) For the love of God, be organized and ready when the public onsale gets close. If tickets go onsale at 10am, don't get up at 9:58 to get a cup of coffee.

2) Ticketmaster uses Time.gov as their clock, and you should too. One of the obstacles they put in place to discourage hacking programs (in addition to the "code" that you have to type in) is to stagger the times that tickets go onsale. Sometimes it may be 2 second past the hour, other times 4 seconds past, or 3 seconds.

(using 10am for this example) So when time.gov reads 10:00:00 and you immediately click on the link for the tickets page, you may be too early (especially if you try to jump the gun and click a couple seconds before the hour). Then you have to either refresh/go back and click the link again - and by then, guess what? The GA's just sold out. The goal is to get in on the first click, so then you don't have to go back or refresh. So wait until about 3 or 4 seconds past the hour then click, better to be 1 or 2 seconds late instead of too early - because by the time you get back in it's probably going to be too late.

3) Choose the tickets you want. Don't do "Best Available" because it is not always best available. TM likes to give you tickets in the upper level sometimes as their best available, to create a sense of panic. Then if you go back in and choose "lower level" magically there are tickets available in the lower level, or second level, etc. Funny how that works. If you want floors choose floors. As far as the number of tickets, go with 2. For high demand tickets such as U2 floor tickets, the chances of you pulling down 4 are slim. Not impossible, but slim. So play the odds.

4) Typing in codes. Ugh. What a pain-in-the-you-know-what. Typically, you only need to type in one word, if multiple words appear. Usually the longest one. If both words look to be about the same length, type in both to be safe. Any numbers do not need to be typed! Same with any words or letters that are grossly smeared or blurred, just ignore them and type what you can read. So if you get "apartment 1178" just type "apartment" and click enter.

Hope this helps and good luck!! I think the time.gov thing has been the biggest help. Nothing better than when you time it just right and go in and pull down some floors in a matter of seconds!!

If you are using your watch, cell phone, or the time on your computer you are at a huge disadvantage. Thoe clocks could be many seconds or even a whole minute off! Those seconds are precious.

U2BROTHR

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drt4

The smeary word codes are surprisingly unpicky based on what you report here. You don't even have to type in the numbers, or both words?!?! Seems like that would kind of defeat the purpose of confusing text recognition programs if you make it easy to pass. Still, it's worse if humans can't get through either. I had noticed that some letters are so unclear that they're almost impossible to get right, but Ticketmaster doesn't complain.

lemon_drop

Why does TM give you crap seats?? That's what I want to know. There are all these seats, I wish you could pick at least the section.
For instance, I wanted seats for Vegas, I found I got a row 2, seat 1.. sounds good right? I look at the seating map for Sam Boyd, look and it's a section that's on Edge's side.. and I'm thinking TM's site is so bizarre that this is as good as it's gonna get. Well, I take it, and it's so obstructed. I get to my seat, and the guy that has row 1, says he bought the seat the day before.. I say I'm going to Guest services.. and he's going to stay. I go and change my seats.
I wonder how we can get TM can change how we can LOOK at an actual seat map, select from an actual seat map and select an actual seat and ticket from that. Wouldn't that make sense?? Of course it would.

That's what I hate TM...

tryan101

I've found that often if you mis-spell the word(s), you still get in. its kind of like a guard at the gate that isn't checking your tickets. though I believe they turn it on and off as well.

HelloHelloHola

Las Vegas wasn't a ticketmaster show, and thus was the easiest show i've ever bought tix for

badu2fan

TM is a corporate rip off so they will put out bad seats just to get rid of them during the first day emotions...... Just like selling 250 buck seats that were behind and on the side of stage.....to Fan club members...

Wilcox

I've noticed this too. Take a word like "apartment." It sems like if you get the first 5 or 6 letter then you are fine. Because sometimes in my rush my typing gets sloppy towards the end of the word (ex: apartmejy), but it still works.

hedge

do you have any proof of that?
which show (s) ?

Wilcox

I put that on U2, and only U2.

Check out the Oakland seating chart, section 234 is a $250 level section, it's almost behind the stage- well basically it is behind the stage!

Hallucination

yup all the tips above are the way to go. Also I like to be ready an hour before hand or even just 30 minutes but do a couple practice runs on shows that have already gone on sale so you know where to click and what options to choose almost without having to look. Mind you be careful not to actually purchase these tickets in your practice runs. Also don't panic or rush. Once you've selected your tickets there'sa timer at the bottom that tells you how much time you have left before you lose those tickets. take your time and don't screw it up. I've never been shutout trying to get tickets for anything and it's because I know what I'm doing. I laugh at people who bitch about not ebing able t get tickets to shows cause they're sold out yet they logged on to ticketmaster at 9:10 or even 9:05 when tickets went onsale at 9:00

kramwest1

Advice?

Create a TM account if you don't already have one.

If you already do/when you do...BE LOGGED IN BEFORE THE SALE TIME!!!

Also, if you have a credit card on file with your account, make sure the expiration date is up-to-date before the sale time. Make sure ALL of your info is up-to-date.

If you are trying to get tickets during the General On-Sale, use the phone as well as your computer, but don't ignore one while you are using the other. Screwing up either will defeat the whole purpose of trying for tickets.


M

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Mr. Millennium

What kinda luck have people had with trying to get 5 tickets at once? I've only ever bought 2 at a time, but my whole family wants to go next summer so I will need to buy 5. Do my chances of getting tickets decrease because its more people, or does it not really matter? And I will be trying to get seats, not GA's.

Axver

Scoring 5 seats together will definitely be more of a challenge.

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Mr. Millennium

That's what I was thinking. If that is the case, would you guys still recommend selecting a specific section or should I just go with best available?