Ticketmaster Platinum seats are a special category of tickets sold through Ticketmaster for high demand events. They provide access to some of the best seats in the venue and include additional perks like premium parking and merchandise. However, Platinum tickets also tend to be very expensive compared to regular tickets for the same event. This leads many people to wonder – can you resell or scalp Platinum seats after you purchase them?
What are Ticketmaster Platinum seats?
Ticketmaster Platinum seats are an upgraded, premium ticket option offered directly through Ticketmaster. They give access to prime seating locations like near the stage or home team bench. Platinum seats may also come with VIP amenities such as:
- Preferred parking
- Expedited venue entry
- Access to VIP lounges
- Complimentary food and drinks
- Event merchandise
The key benefit to Platinum seats is getting the best available inventory that regular ticket buyers can’t access. They sell for higher prices compared to standard tickets for the same event. Popular concerts, games, and shows often have Platinum tickets priced at several times the base price.
Why does Ticketmaster offer Platinum seats?
Ticketmaster utilizes Platinum tickets as a dynamic pricing model based on demand. As a high demand event gains popularity and sells out, Ticketmaster can release Platinum seat inventory directly to fans at elevated market prices. This allows them to capture more value from hot events vs. letting it go to ticket brokers and resellers.
It also reduces the number of speculators buying up standard tickets in hopes of reselling at a profit. Since true fans can buy up the limited Platinum seats, regular tickets are more likely to go to people who actually want to attend the event.
Can you resell Ticketmaster Platinum seats?
Now let’s look at the question – can you resell or scalp Platinum seats after buying from Ticketmaster? There are a few key considerations.
Resale restrictions
Many Platinum tickets have strict resale restrictions in place. The tickets may be non-transferable, which prohibits reselling them on secondary sites. There may also be limits that only allow resales through partner platforms approved by Ticketmaster.
Trying to resell Platinum seats on a non-approved secondary marketplace could cause issues. For example, Ticketmaster could invalidate the barcodes and render the tickets useless to the buyer.
High prices and limited demand
Another factor is that Platinum tickets are already priced high due to demand. There may not be enough incremental demand for most events to profit from reselling them even higher on secondary markets.
As an example, a Platinum ticket priced at $400 could be difficult to flip for over $500, since there are few buyers willing to pay $500+ no matter how good the seats are. The limited resale market diminishes profit potential.
Buyer protections on resale platforms
If you resell Platinum tickets on a secondary marketplace, the buyer also has protections if the tickets are invalid. Sites like StubHub guarantee valid tickets, so you could be on the hook for refunding the buyer if Ticketmaster cancels barcode for terms violation. The buyer always gets their money back in those cases.
Examples of Platinum seat resale restrictions
To better understand the resale prohibitions, here are some examples of Platinum ticket policies for different events:
New York Yankees baseball
- Non-transferrable, no resale allowed except via Yankees Ticket Exchange
- Yankees may revoke and cancel tickets resold on unauthorized platforms
Rolling Stones concert tour
- Resale only permitted via StubHub – Ticketmaster’s approved resale partner
- Minimum resale price floors may apply
- Tickets resold elsewhere may be invalidated and entry to event denied
Super Bowl LVII
- Non-transferrable tickets
- Photo ID of buyer required to enter event
- No resale allowed under any circumstances per NFL rules
These all illustrate how Platinum tickets are very restricted when it comes to reselling. Violating the terms could lead to canceled barcodes and no entry allowed.
What are the risks of reselling Platinum seats?
Given the tight restrictions in place, there are risks if you try to resell Platinum seat tickets:
Having tickets invalidated
This is the biggest risk – the barcodes on the Platinum tickets could be canceled if resold against policy. This renders them worthless to the buyer. The original buyer would still be on the hook for refunding the amount paid.
Losing entry privileges
In some cases, reselling Platinum seats against policy could also forfeit your privileges to enter the event. Both the original buyer and subsequent ticket holder could be denied entry.
Account suspension or termination
Ticketmaster may suspend or fully close accounts involved in unauthorized Platinum ticket resales. This could impact your ability to purchase other tickets directly from Ticketmaster in the future.
Financial losses from refunds
As noted earlier, resale platforms like StubHub guarantee tickets are valid for the buyer. If your Platinum tickets get canceled after reselling, you would have to refund the amount paid by the buyer. This results in taking a direct financial loss on the invalidated seats.
Legal action
In rare cases, teams or events could pursue legal action for violating resale terms on Platinum tickets. This is usually only for major infractions involving high volumes of tickets though.
Should you risk reselling Platinum tickets?
Based on the strict limitations in place and risks involved, reselling Platinum tickets is extremely inadvisable in most circumstances. A few cases where you may have better odds include:
- Reselling through Ticketmaster’s approved exchange for that event
- Platinum tickets with looser resale restrictions, depending on event
- Selling at or below original purchase price – less risk than trying to profit
However, unless Ticketmaster provides explicit guidance allowing resale, doing so comes with notable risk of losing the tickets and your money. It’s best to use Platinum tickets as intended – to enjoy prime seating yourself at a premium price.
Alternatives to reselling Platinum seats
If you decide Platinum tickets are too expensive after purchasing, what other options exist besides prohibited resales? Some alternatives include:
Gift the tickets
You may gift Platinum tickets to another person as long as it’s not in exchange for over face value. Gifting to friends or family is allowed based on Ticketmaster resale policies.
Resell using Ticketmaster’s official exchange
Some events permit resales through Ticketmaster’s own resale platform. This allows recouping some costs through official means.
Eat the cost
Chalk it up as an expensive mistake, and don’t try to resell the Platinum seats against policy. Instead, enjoy the event yourself or see if tickets are eligible for refunds directly through Ticketmaster.
Donate the tickets
You can donate Platinum tickets to charity so the seats don’t go unused. Doing write it off as a tax deduction.
Key takeaways on Platinum tickets
To summarize the key points on whether Platinum seats can be resold:
- Platinum tickets have strict no resale terms for most events
- Trying to resell against policy risks invalidated barcodes and denied entry
- Limited demand and high existing prices restricts profit potential
- Reselling through unauthorized channels also risks account suspension and financial losses
- It’s not advisable to resell Platinum tickets given the tight restrictions
- Alternative options include gifting, donating, or reselling only via approved exchanges
The best option is enjoying the prime seating yourself or finding someone you trust to gift the tickets to. While Platinum seats carry high price tags, they offer a premium experience that hardcore fans are often willing to pay for.
Conclusion
Ticketmaster Platinum seats enable access to the hottest tickets in house, but come with many strings attached. The resale prohibitions and risks make it inadvisable for most people to resell Platinum tickets on secondary marketplaces. Doing so could result in canceled barcodes, denied entry, and financial losses from refunds. The safest options are using the tickets yourself, gifting to others, donating to charity, or reselling only via Ticketmaster’s approved exchange for that event. While tempting to flip for profit, Platinum seats are best reserved for personal use given the tight restrictions.
