Reselling misbought Wicked tickets. Craigslist or Ebay?
 

Well, OD was buying tickets to Wicked in San Diego while DH and I were in Europe, the day they went on sale, from TM. She pushed the wrong button and bought them in Chicago instead. So, now we need to sell. Would you sell on Ebay or CL? Which is safer do you think? This is all new to me, but don't really want to eat $300 and can't afford to fly to Chicago to see the play right now. HELP! Would love your opinions, tips, experiences with this.

Both are safe. Since you won't send the tickets until you have the cash there should not be any issue.

Hope it is OK to post this. This could easily happen to anyone and have never dealt with this before. And it would involve travel to go and see the musical, so it is kind of travel related.

It is difficult for all of us working and purchasing through TM and if you do goof, they do not exchange or refund, you eat it. So might be nice for others to know that there are alternatives out there to recoup lost revenues...

I'm going to stray a little from the OP's specific incident because I made a similar mistake. Perhaps someone will benefit from my error. I was buying three plane tickets on Expedia and clicked the wrong city on the drop-down menu and didn't notice. I was unfamiliar w/the airports in that state so I think that's why it didn't catch my eye until I read my print-out. Anyway, I called right away, and it cost me $30 x 3 to get it changed. I suppose I was really lucky they didn't charge the $100 fee. It happened so quickly that I didn't feel that lucky.

I've bought items on Ebay, but not sold. The only risk I can think of with tickets, since they are time sensitive, is if a buyer were to back out after committing to the purchase. Good luck.

YOu are far better selling them on ebay. More people buy from ebay, and you and the buyer are protected. You also might sign up for paypal so you can get instant payment. Also charge for overnight shipping so the tickets will get there the next day, so there won't be any cause for worry on either side.

I buy and sell on ebay and have only had a couple of problems and they were easily resolved.

Good luck

Did you try calling TM, Heavens?
You never know...my MIL lost tickets she had purchased, and they replaced them at the box office day of show (not sure if she originally bought them thru TM or box office though).

Have you tried talking to or begging TM Customer Service? Not one of the agents that answers the phone, ask for a supervisor and call during normal business hours.

Twice, after purchasing Broadway tickets about two months prior to the date of the perfomance, from them on the phone not on-line, I had a problem on my side.

One was having to return home for a family surgery that was later unexpectedly scheduled for the same day as the play. This was maybe 3-4 weeks before the performance. They were so understanding and told me to mail the tickets back and they would give me a credit card refund. They even reimbursed me for all of the service fees too.
How much time do you have? If your tickets, like our's are hard to get, TM acknowledged that they would have no trouble re-selling them.

Try that first, and since you are willing to re-purchase them in San Diego, they may just be willing to cooperate.

Nina

why not put them on both ebay and CL and see what happens?

ebay you can do the whole thing by mail and get paid in advance..


craigslist you have no "middleman" to collect payment etc. so if you;'e given a bad Money order etc you have no recourse...otherwise you have t let people come to your house to pay cash.,...

What is the date of the show? Unless it's right around the corner,I would do Ebay using both buy it now and reserve pricing.You very well may turn a nice profit,but at the very least you should recoup as much of the money as possible. If you've never sold on Ebay before, if you know someone who frequents the site and has good " positive feedback" you might want to have them list for you. I do frequent Ebay, and I prefer to shop with sellers who have a good feedback percentage.
IMO, if I paid $300, I would set the buy it now price at $400..possibly more if the tickets are hard to come by-which I believe,"Wicked" to be, right? Set the reserve at the minimum you are willing to take. No reserve can be risky. Just do a quick search and see what others are listing at for an idea of where to start. You may be able to raise you price,but still be lower than what others are asking-especially if you are holding good seats! Good, luck! I'm sure you'll have no problem finding a buyer!

"if you're given a bad Money order etc you have no recourse"

That is why you always wait for the check to clear before sending merchandise.

Another fragment of advice I got from my brother who sells stuff on ebay.

Sellers get ratings from their buyers and these are displayed on ebay. Some people are more reluctant to buy from a first-time seller. I would think that something like tickets would have a reasonable chance of selling, but you increase your chances if by chance a close family member or friend already is an established seller on Ebay and you could sell it thru their seller name.

Thanks all for the advice. The tickets, I believe, are on email so the buyer, with a code or something, can just download them.

My OD made the mistake so I am having her sell them. She has bought on ebay but not sold, so this will be a learning experience for all of us. Not sure I know anyone with Ebay experience and rating. Maybe my son from the Pokeman days, LOL.

We will probably set this up tomorrow so if you have any other words of wisdom please add to the post. You all are great.

Thanks for your tips.

Well, just looked into the tickets and they aren't great. They are in the middle of the balcony, way to the left. Maybe I will be lucky to get face value on these. Gonna list today and see what happens. What a pain.

Thanks all for your advice and tips.

Heavens, did you first try phoning TM, as has been suggested here (asking for a supervisor)?

I made the same mistake (my family swears I am the only person ever to do this)...

I did a google search on Big Brothers and the city (Phoenix) - and then cold called them. They were thrilled to get the tickets. I received a lovely letter and a tax write off. Just another thought of how to make the best of your mistake...

Well, no I didn't call TM. I could swear that my OD said she called them right away bc she was in such a panic after she realized what she had done. I will check with her and see if that is correct. I can't believe they would take them back, especially since they dumped some pretty crappy tickets on us anyway. That "best tickets available" baloney can really be a lot of baloney...I am very unhappy with the tickets they issued us.

Julie in Colorado, that is a great idea, but being that I am out $300, I would really like to get back some of that loss.

OK, called TM. No dice for refund. Can't do on their exchange program either, why, don't know. AND they have added performances in Oct. so that is why the summer performances are not sold out. This is not looking good for me,people.

Will post on CL and Ebay today. And just cross our fingers.

While I don't know what date you posted, I looked at "Wicked Chicago" and there are alot of dates listed and a pretty big price range. The only possible trouble I see for you is the fact that you have Ticketfast tickets. There is no way to know whether or not the seller has sold those tickets to multiple buyers, since all you need to do is send a link and the buyer will print them out. First person to get to the venue is the only one getting in on those tickets.My friend got burned on ticketfasts-he bought Yankee/ Sox tickets and when he got to the stadium they were already scanned in. Several people I know (myself included) avoid ticketfast tickets purchased second hand for that very reason.That's where having alot of great positive feedback helps-you;re more likely to be trusted.

I'll cross my fingers for you! I'm sure you'll sell them..I still stand by pricing ideas if you have a few weeks to go. You can always lower the buy it now price as you get closer to the date-that's what ticket brokers do!

Craig's List is free, and you'll probably get locals from the area where the concert is, contacting you. My contacts with TM have always gone sour, such as when they sell me the wrong seats that I was purchasing online. Also you can get a Paypal account to get the money from your buyer, pass on the costs for that to buyer, and also the cost to overnight the tickets to them.

I would caution a buyer away from the kind of tix you are trying to sell (see klr's description). I would see if TM would switch them out for real paper tix - even for a fee. The donation idea sounds like the best option at this time - or a quick trip to Chicago.

So the problem in reselling is trusting that I haven't resold them to another party? Humm, seems like the idea is good bc there are no shipping fees. Wonder why TM can't put some indicator on the online ticket to show they have been printed or not? Wouldn't that be helpful.

TM is just out for the money, seems to me. I have totally been burned in my book. Again, the crappy seats. I will never buy again from TM unless I SEE where the seats are before buying. Then they give you no backup. Really don't understand the problem with no exchanges, if they had added the exchange service.

I am feeling so screwed right now. By my neighbor who sat on this for two months, by TM who sold us crappy tickets for $65, and TM for no help whatsoever for the mistake, for the exchange, for nada. And now I am finding out that these tickets might not be trusted for reselling. How else could I get screwed over in this deal? Get NOTHING for the tickets.

Thanks for letting me rant. I am getting very upset and not sleeping over this now. I am mad about losing the money and mad at my neighbor. Ugh. And mad at me for being so patient with neighbor. Really wasn't expecting all of this hassle about it. Wicked is a whole other sitch in San Diego, which is a two week stint that is sold out. Thought Chicago was the same.

Heavens, I don't know. I've never sold tix on either. I would trust an ebay seller with a good history record - but you don't have that.

I would caution someone against buying this tix from someone they did not know personally.

I DO know that scalpers outside a concert were asking if anyone had tix to sell. I nodded yes, and when I pulled out the printed page from the TM he grimaced and waved me off. The scalper didn't want them - I assumed because he didn't think he could resell them (a few minutes later). He was buying as many "real" tix he could get.

Be upset, rant, try to dump the tickets and if you can't then just tally it up to as a learning lesson and move on, but don't lose sleep over this!

Heavens,

I would still try to sell on Ebay even with a paper ticket from TM. My brother has purchased tickets this way several times. He actually prefers this over having a real ticket mailed to him. He has never been burned and figures he is protected by PayPal if anything goes wrong. If his assumption is wrong I'm sure an Ebay expert will correct me on this.

Heavens,

TM's customer service is awful indeed, but you can't bame them for "selling you crappy tickets" -- you know what seats you're getting well before you go through the payment process. Just because the best seats available aren't good seats, you can't blame TM. Blame the 1200 people who bought tickets before you did for that performance.

That said, I always prefer eBay because you know when the sale will end and the buyer is required to pay. On Craigslist, they can just decide not to complete the sale, and then you're stuck. Make sure you check eBay's resale policy before posting an astronomical Buy It Now price as one poster suggested -- in some states you're legally required to post tickets at their face value (though it's perfectly legit if they're bid up to a higher price). eBay should also give you better luck in terms of selling e-tickets -- the seller will be more comfortable buying e-tickets through eBay because they know they have recourse if you scam them (which you're not). It's jus a better situation from every angle.

Man oh man, let me blame TM, please????

Part of the problem is that TM's website is not easy to navigate. When my OD bought them, she was thrilled to get anything at all. Then to find out that somehow she had gotten into Chicago's tickets and not San Diegos, well, sorry, you can't convince me that some of this isn't intentional. And then, if you screw up, you are stuck.

But you all have made me feel better about things. I will be listing at face value of the ticket. At this rate I'll be lucky to get 50% on the dollar and I will be happy with that.

Thanks all. Yes, this is a sucky learning experience, IMO. SO, all, learn from me and don't do it yourself.

I really appreciate you all replying to this rant. You are talking me down and now I don't want to go and kill my neighbor. At least not right now. So that is a good think. But really, thanks.

I still don't get the neighbor part of this.

I've sold things on ebay, including ticketfast tickets, with no problem at all. Just remember to include the ebay fees in your asking price (they can add up), so you don't lose money.

good luck with selling your tickets! did you see how many tickets are on ebay...from .99 all the way up. (who would buy a ticket for .99 and think it's for real?) Let us know how you did.

Heavens, I retract my cautions. There are others with experience with this. Trust them and try to disregard my concerns. Good luck.

I do agree that ebay gives a sense of protection and given that they use PayPal the buyer should know that everything is on the up and up.

99 cents is a starting point for the bidding. There is probably a "reserve" price that has to be met (that the seller sets) for the bid process to be completed.

thanks starrsville...never used ebay so now i know. thought it was weird.

ebay is great! I love it. Got seriously addicted and had to stop. :-)

Heavens,
One more word of advice re eBay -- you might want to go into your seller preferences (use their help feature if you can't find) and block bidders who have a negative feedback rating or have gotten negative feedback in the past few months. That way, you're less likely to get a bidder who will claim you didn't send the tickets. On your end, the e-tickets will be harder to prove they've been successfully used by the buyer, so take steps to protect yourself before you sell! (Not trying to scare you away from eBay...so far I've had mostly smooth transactions through them!)

OK, here is the neighbor part. OD did this per my instructions while DH and I were in Europe, on the day the tickets went on sale in San Diego. She was buying four ticket, for us and neighbor/daughter. When OD did this mistake, she cried. Then called neighbor to tell her. Neighbor said don't worry, maybe her other daughter who is nearby will buy them.

When we get home from trip, she is working on getting tickets for daughter. Then she decides she is going to chi to use tickets with daughter. I tell her she doesn't have to do that. I can sell tickets. Well, to make a long story short, this went back and forth. I din't check the seats, she makes arrangements for her daughter to go, but decides that tickets for Sat. matinee is better for her, so drops my tickets and buys new ones for Sat. This is last weekend. She sat on these tickets for two months.

My bad, I didn't think I would have trouble selling, and I didn't check the seats. So, now, I am pissed at neighbor, TM, and Me for being so patient. But I really thought neighbor was going to use them. So, this is how I got in pickle. My bad, I know. Live and learn. But you know, I could really use that $300 this summer.

Thanks again for listening.

What if you call a ticket broker in Chicago and see if they are interested in your tickets. You probably won't get face value even, but it is better than nothing.

It's a shame your neighbor didn't use those seats in Chicago. I would have used them even if they were not as good as others available-just to help the situation. Good friend...
I just got a bit burned by a friend's procrastination on Etheridge tickets- could have snagged 14 th row seats on TM for face value-but one friend wanted to wait for "better seats to open up" against my advice. Guess what? ended up 1 row ahead, but had to pay an extra $50 a piece on Ebay in order to avoid nosebleed seats that were available through TM 2 months later! Procrastinator friend bought the first two rounds that night!!

I agree to shoot for face value,but be willing to recoup any part of it. I had originally suggested going over face (as is very normal on Ebay) before I looked at the saturation of tickets available on Ebay,and learned of the ticketfast tickets. There are definately rules about how much you can sell for over face value,but they are different in each state. I'm just familiar with NJ and WA/OR now...I've made nice profits on tickets I've sold on Ebay,and I've been able to get better seats with that profit..nothing I feel guilty about,cause I've also been willing to pay far over face value for things too!

I'm sure all will work out in the end..

I have another ebay question. No bidders thus far, so trying not to panic.

Do you think I would have better luck to split them up? If I split them up (two and two) then I would have to print them out and send them to two different places. But to me, in order to get rid of them, don't mind doing that. What do you think? Sell them in Chicago as four or two and two?

Thanks again for your help.

Offering both options in the same listing is a common practice. Of course, you would hope that somebody grabs all 4 at once before someone else only wants 2 of them,as you may or may not sell the other 2....sounds like you'd be happy recouping any of the money, so I'd make the change. You would just have to send a new invoice to reflect total for 2 instead of 4 if that's what was sold....