Buying concert tickets off Craigslist... Paypal?

[jeromedawg]

Hey all,

I was looking to get tickets to a concert (they're not a super popular band) and saw some tickets on Craigslist that are a bit under the current selling price on Ticketmaster. I've sold tickets on CL before and it was pretty easy, but have never bought any myself. I realize there are probably a lot of scammers out there but it seems somewhat unlikely for this particular venue since it's a smaller-time artist. Was curious though what your guys' experience has been or if it's something I shouldn't bother with. These are $50 tickets where the going rate, after fees, etc would come out to $80-90 currently.

I've read about using a credit card via Paypal as this can give you some protection but not sure about that especially with Craigslist transactions...

BTW: these are for print-at-home/e-tickets

[formerlydivorcedmom]

You might want to check with the venue also - there's one here which stopped accepting print-at-home tickets at all.

[boarder42]

i did this last year i trusted the guy.  I dont know if they acutally worked b/c i found better tickets from someone else and resold the tickets i'd bought off craigslist with paypal

[Debts_of_Despair]

Meet them at the box office and have the venue verify the tickets are legit.  If so, pay cash.

[jeromedawg]

Meeting at the box office to have them verify the tickets makes the most sense, but I doubt the seller will want to do that - it's in downtown LA at the Greek Theater and we both don't live particularly close. Is there another way the venue would verify them without being there in person? I'd assume not, but it sounds like that's the most surefire way...

The seller says they bought the tickets off Goldstar so it doesn't seem like there's a straightforward way to change the name or transfer... at least, the seller hasn't said anything indicating so. Also, we asked what seats they are and they told us the section and row but didn't seem to know the seat #s off-hand. Not sure if they're selling for a friend or what but that wasn't reassuring (you'd think they'd be able to find the seat numbers pretty fast and just tell us)

[Saving in Austin]

I have bought tickets this way once or twice and did not have a problem.

If you use your credit card through PayPal, then Visa or any of the other card companies will protect your purchase.

[jeromedawg]

I have bought tickets this way once or twice and did not have a problem.

If you use your credit card through PayPal, then Visa or any of the other card companies will protect your purchase.

It's weird, I keep seeing ppl recommending *not* to use Paypal but I'm assuming that's if you pay as friends/family or if you use existing funds/bank-linked funds vs CC. You'll get assessed an additional charge sending CC funds but that's fine. But won't the seller be assessed any fees as non family/friends? I'm assuming, if you pay with Paypal, you'd want to buy "goods & services" and pay with CC right?

So even for e-tickets/print-at-home, Visa, etc will protect the purchase if you receive a bogus ticket (or one that has been printed twice and where the original seller or someone else they sold the same copy to just showed up earlier, etc?)

[Debts_of_Despair]

Buyer and seller will not  pay PP fees only if it's bank account funded AND you choose friends and family transaction.  Buyer will pay a fee if it's credit card funded or you select goods and services transaction.

[jeromedawg]

Buyer and seller will not  pay PP fees only if it's bank account funded AND you choose friends and family transaction.  Buyer will pay a fee if it's credit card funded or you select goods and services transaction.

This is what I thought... so it sounds like I'd be safe to buy e-tickets/print-at-home (and even do it all online and have them email the tickets) as long as I pay w/ a CC and for "goods and services" and note in the details/description that this is for the concert tickets, etc. I suppose another way to do it is to have the seller invoice me for the tickets right?

[Debts_of_Despair]

Buyer and seller will not  pay PP fees only if it's bank account funded AND you choose friends and family transaction.  Buyer will pay a fee if it's credit card funded or you select goods and services transaction.

This is what I thought... so it sounds like I'd be safe to buy e-tickets/print-at-home (and even do it all online and have them email the tickets) as long as I pay w/ a CC and for "goods and services" and note in the details/description that this is for the concert tickets, etc. I suppose another way to do it is to have the seller invoice me for the tickets right?

Yeah, you should be covered that way.  Just make sure they know they will be paying the fee. 

[jeromedawg]

Buyer and seller will not  pay PP fees only if it's bank account funded AND you choose friends and family transaction.  Buyer will pay a fee if it's credit card funded or you select goods and services transaction.

This is what I thought... so it sounds like I'd be safe to buy e-tickets/print-at-home (and even do it all online and have them email the tickets) as long as I pay w/ a CC and for "goods and services" and note in the details/description that this is for the concert tickets, etc. I suppose another way to do it is to have the seller invoice me for the tickets right?

Yeah, you should be covered that way.  Just make sure they know they will be paying the fee.

Any reason to only pay via Paypal with CC but not as "goods/services"? Also, if the seller prints multiple copies of tickets and sells to multiple buyers, it seems that would be covered as "fraud" but how would I as a buyer prove that something like that happened when disputing?

I'm probably being paranoid at this point but there are what-ifs of course

[jeromedawg]

So that seller ended up selling to another buyer. But I found another seller selling a pair of *hard* tickets - supposedly he's selling for a friend who won them on the radio. He's selling for $40 and we're meeting up later. Should I pay Paypal him with my Credit card still? Or is cash OK? He sounded pretty upfront about the tickets so I don't think he's scamming and over $40 it seems that would be a lot of trouble (if he were scamming)