Ticketmaster Reviews 2024: Is Ticketmaster Legit, Safe and Reliable?

My TicketMaster Review: Is Ticketmaster Really Reliable?

I’ve heard a lot of good things about the reliability of Ticketmaster, which makes me feel less anxious to buy tickets from them. 

Though there are a lot of people who are satisfied with their purchases, I’ve also read a lot of negative comments from people about Ticketmaster. Most negative reviews are related to their pricing.

It goes to show that even though a company is known to be reliable, there’s always something that can be improved.

This review will touch upon some company history, the buying and selling process, feedback from their customers, and overall satisfaction. Of course, my personal experience with them

But, as early as now, I’ll tell you my rating for them. Stubhub gets 4.5 stars from me.

What are the Pros and Cons of Ticketmaster?

PROS

• Well-established and widely recognized ticketing platform

• Huge inventory of tickets for various events

• Primary seller for many events

• Reliable and secure ticketing services

• It's easy to buy, resell, and transfer tickets

CONS

• Higher fees than some of the alternatives 

• Lacks transparency on pricing

• Can sell out quickly, sometimes minutes after the event's tickets go on sale

• Dynamic pricing

• Difficulties with customer service—long wait times and unhelpful responses.

What is Ticketmaster?

Ticketmaster is a well-known ticketing platform. Even before I used them for the first time, I'd already heard about them. They have been in the ticketing industry since 1976, though it has gone through many ownership changes since then.

In 2010, Live Nation Entertainment merged with Ticketmaster to form Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.

They have a wide inventory of tickets and are often the primary sellers for many events, meaning they provide access to tickets directly from event organizers or venues. So, people consider them a reliable platform for buying and selling tickets for live events.

Because they are sometimes the primary ticket brokers, buyers don’t have to pay the middleman fee that most secondary market websites charge.

They have a mobile app that you can download where you can buy, sell, transfer, and manage your tickets.

What is Ticketmaster’s ticket resale and buying process?

Ticketmaster offers its platform to sell tickets that people don’t use anymore. Even though there are some events where they are the primary ticket seller, they are still in the business of ticket reselling.

How to sell tickets on Ticketmaster?

If you are interested in selling your tickets online, consider reselling them on the platform. Here’s the general process for selling your tickets on Ticketmaster:

1. Create a Ticketmaster Account

For you to be able to sell tickets, you need a Ticketmaster account. You can either sign up on their website or mobile app.

2. List Your Tickets

After creating an account, go to My Account and click on My Tickets, where you can then select See Details next to your event, then click on the Sell button.

Take note that you can only sell tickets bought from Ticketmaster. Also, some events may not allow their tickets to be resold. It depends on the organizer, so you should check the fine details of your tickets.

Listing your tickets for sale is free.

3. Set Your Price

Set a price for how much you want to sell your ticket for.

In some cases, there are price restrictions on your resale ticket, and your price should be within the minimum or maximum price that the event organizer has set.

4. Select a valid method of payment

Ticketmaster accepts different payout methods for sellers. It can be done through a bank transfer or PayPal.

5. Review your listing

After reviewing your listing, let Ticketmaster do its magic. Wait for Ticketmaster’s email once you have made a sale.

6. Receive Payment

Ticketmaster will pay you for the tickets sold within 5 to 7 business days. A service fee will be deducted from your total selling price.

The exact amount of fees that Ticketmaster will be getting varies depending on your ticket, but you’ll be able to see a preview of all listing details and the exact service fee that they’ll be deducting.

In my opinion, if you cannot attend the event and you want to get some of your money back, it’s good to sell it instead. 

The process for selling tickets on Ticketmaster is simple and easy to follow. And since they don’t allow the sale of tickets that are not bought from their platform, you can be assured that it is a valid ticket.

Here’s a quick video tutorial on how to transfer tickets on Ticketmaster’s mobile app:

How to buy tickets on Ticketmaster?

I didn’t have a hard time buying tickets from Ticketmaster. Like other ticketing websites that I’ve tried, the process is mostly the same. 

Nevertheless, here’s a short rundown of how to buy tickets from Ticketmaster:

1. Create a Ticketmaster Account

First-time users need to create an account on their website or mobile app. When you click on “Sign In” on their front page, you’ll see the option to “Sign  Up.”

They will be asking for your email address, password, first and last name, as well as your country of residence. I decided to sign up first to avoid any inconveniences along the way.

2. Search for the Event

After signing up, search for the event that you want to attend. You can type in the name of the event, the artist, or the team in the search bar.

Although searching for events can be done without signing up, it’s still convenient for those who want to actually get tickets since you’ll still need to sign in to actually buy the tickets.

3. Select the Tickets

It’s time for you to choose the tickets that you want to buy. Select the number of tickets and the seating section. They also have an interactive seating map on the left-hand side of the screen.

4. Check Out

Once you have decided on your ticket selection, you can now proceed to the checkout page. Enter your billing and delivery details, along with your payment method. 

Ticketmaster has different payment methods: 

• Credit and debit cards

• PayPal

• Ticketmaster Gift Card

• Apple Pay 

• Amazon Pay

• Google Pay

• Venmo

If you are not signed in or don’t have a Ticketmaster account, a pop-up window will appear asking you to log into your account or make one.

5. Confirm Purchase

Make sure that you are really, really, really happy with the tickets that you are going to buy because all sales are final and they will not give you a refund after you have paid for the tickets.

Once your purchase is complete, wait for your confirmation email that contains your ticket information.

Ticketmaster offers different delivery methods for your ticket:

6. Attend and Enjoy your Event!

What’s left is to just be excited and make preparations for your event! I know I did!

Are Ticketmaster’s pricing and fees reasonable?

Now, let’s proceed to one of the most controversial parts of this review. Ticket pricing and fees.

I call it controversial because most of Ticketmaster’s prices are higher than other secondary ticket marketplaces out there. 

While doing this review, I’ve learned a lot about the fees that they add or deduct from their sellers and buyers. So, let’s get into it!

What are Ticketmaster's fees for sellers?

As a seller, you are not totally free to set a price for your tickets. They have a minimum set price and a ceiling set price for ticket resale. The price range depends on the event, venues, sports teams, or other event promoters who share the revenue.

Ticketmaster’s service fee is 10% to 15% of the ticket’s face value. They also have an order processing fee, which is usually a flat fee per order, typically $2 to $5 per ticket.

Lastly, there is the delivery fee in case the tickets need to be delivered.

From what I know, Ticketmaster’s 10% to 15% service fee is relatively the same as other ticket brokers like StubHub.

What are Ticketmaster's fees for buyers?

For the buyers, the pricing is almost the same as the seller’s pricing.

Ticketmaster charges a 10% to 15% service fee to the face value price of the ticket. This covers the cost of running the website and other expenses related to running the business.

They also have a fixed order processing fee, which ranges from $2 to 5%, and delivery fees in case you need to have your tickets delivered. It really depends on your delivery method. Is it through standard mail or electronic delivery?

Some tickets also include a facility charge which depends on Ticketmaster’s client and taxes depending on the city, state, and local taxes. These additional fees increase the cost of your ticket.

With all of these fees, people say that Ticketmaster charges too much, reaching up to 100% to 200% for service fees.

What are Ticketmaster's payment channels and currencies?

Because Ticketmaster sells tickets to different countries, they accept payment from different channels and currencies.

They also included some unaccepted methods of payment to make it easier for their buyers.

Is Ticketmaster legit and safe?

For Ticketmaster’s authenticity and safety, I decided to look at reviews and comments. Because who is the best person to ask about those things other than their buyers?

So far, people have had pretty good feedback regarding the authenticity of Ticketmaster’s tickets, both for sellers and buyers.

Most people also think that it is safe to buy tickets from Ticketmaster, especially if they are the primary ticket seller.

Ticketmaster also guarantees that your tickets are real and accurate compared to those you bought online.

So, when it comes to buying from Ticketmaster, you are safe. But then again, make sure that you are getting them from their official website and app to avoid being scammed.

Is Ticketmaster’s website and app user friendly?

When I used their website, it was seamless, and I did not encounter any problems. In some cases or countries, their website seems to have some issues. 

For someone who is trying to secure tickets for a popular event, this is very inconvenient. Based on my experience, tickets tend to sell very quickly because a lot of people are waiting for them to be released.

Ticketmaster’s mobile app is a convenient way to buy, sell, and keep track of your tickets.

Most of the reviews that I found said good things about the app, especially the convenience and user-friendly interface. 

Although the mobile app offers an easier option for buyers, some users encountered issues while using it.

Ticket Selection and Availability

Ticketmaster’s app and website provides access to many live events. They have a selection of tickets for concerts, sports, theater and comedy, family and other live entertainment events.

Their ticket availability depends not on the sellers but the event organizers. While this is a good thing, ticket sales are really high and most of the time tickets in Ticketmaster get sold out immediately.

Although Ticketmaster has a reputation of holding back tickets, and only releasing them as the event date approaches.

This is generally a good thing, depending on your perspective on late-ticket releases.

Pros of late ticket release

• More opportunities for fans to attend the event

• Increase excitement and anticipation for the event

Cons of late ticket release

• It can be frustrating for fans who bought their tickets earlier due to feelings of missing out on better seats or prices

• Late ticket releases sometimes have unexpected fees or restrictions

• Stressful for fans who are not yet sure whether they will be able to attend an event until the last minute

So, if you have an event that was previously sold out, check Ticketmaster’s site in case they released a new batch of tickets for your show.

Are buyers satisfied with Ticketmaster and their customer service?

Ticketmaster’s customer support and satisfaction are not entirely good, despite their guarantees. Based on Customer Service Scoreboard they only have 24.10 overall rating out of 200.

On the contrary, Ticketmaster's app has a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars on the Apple App Store, with a lot of positive reviews regarding their experience with the company.

So, it’s really hard to have a fixed opinion regarding their customer service and satisfaction. Some customers are reporting negative experiences, while others swear by it, saying it’s easy to use and trustworthy.

Is Ticketmaster legit? Overall user satisfaction and recommendations

Without accounting for other people’s reviews, I’m kind of happy with my ticket purchase. I was able to receive my mobile tickets and didn’t encounter any problems like slow website loading.

Ticketmaster has been in the entertainment business for years, and they have established their reputation in the industry of ticketing. Although, not everyone is happy with their services.

Being the primary seller for some of their events proves to be a great advantage compared to its competitors like StubHub. Also, not allowing other tickets not originally bought from their website is another way to ensure that tickets are authentic.

Buying, selling, and transferring tickets is also easy.

However, negative experiences were mentioned. High ticket prices and fluctuating fees are some of the main turnoffs for many, especially if they are looking for ticket deals. They lack transparency on pricing, and you may find cheaper tickets elsewhere.

Tickets also tend to sell out quickly, so you have to be fast when securing your tickets. Hopefully, the website won’t crash. Customer service, on the other hand, needs some improvement.

So, is Ticketmaster legit?

In totality, when it comes to reliability and security, they are okay. They have made their platform secure. But they still need to work on ticket price transparency and customer service.

I give Ticketmaster a 4.5-star rating.

Are there any Ticketmaster Alternatives?

There are other alternative ticket brokers that you can check out in case are having second thoughts on buying tickets from Ticketmaster. 

There are some alternatives where you can score ticket deals that are lower than what Ticketmaster is offering.

Here are some of my recommendations. Check them out, but at the same time, be an informed buyer because there are many scammers out there. 

Research and select options that will protect you from scammers. No one likes to be scammed out of their money.

Viagogo

Viagogo is a company founded in London in 2006 by Eric Baker, the co-founder of StubHub in the US.

Viagogo acts as a secondary ticket marketplace. They are partnered with different sporting teams and music festivals. 

Despite being a legitimate ticket marketplace, I saw some complaints regarding the organization allowing professional resellers to advertise on their site. As a result, there are sometimes increased ticket prices and scams.

Though this is the case, many people still use the platform because they offer low-priced tickets and have a wide range of tickets for in-demand events.

Vivid Seats

Another ticket exchange retail company that connects buyers and sellers for live events is Vivid Seats. They mostly sell live event tickets in the United States and Canada.

The company was a result of a merger with Horizon Acquisition Corporation in 2021 and is still relatively new. 

Even though the company is not as tenured as Ticketmaster, they are focusing on making event discovery and ticket purchase easy and exciting for fans.

They have a 100% buyer guarantee and offer a rewards program for their loyal customers. Generally, they are a legitimate company and a safe exchange and resale platform.

SeatGeek

Another ticket marketplace is SeatGeek. The company was established in 2009 and expanded its services to both secondary and ticketing in 2016 with sports teams and live events.

SeatGeek’s platform is easy to use, whether you are buying or reselling tickets.

One downside of SeatGeek is that they have a limited range of events for ticket buyers. Their ticket prices are also a bit unpredictable since they depend on the seller.

Even though its popularity is not that of Ticketmaster, SeatGeek is legit, and it delivers good service to its buyers.

StubHub

Last but not least among my recommended ticket marketplaces is StubHub.

StubHub is one of the most tenured ticket marketplaces, having been around for 20 years. It sold millions of tickets to fans around the world. It is a legitimate company with an A- rating on the Better Business Bureau.

Their ticket selection is better compared to SeatGeek, and they offer events that include concerts, sports, and theater shows.

Like other alternatives that we’ve mentioned, they have a 100% fan protection guarantee for legit and authentic premium tickets to US major events and shows.