Is SeatGeek reliable Ticketmaster?

When it comes to purchasing tickets for concerts, sports events, and other live entertainment, SeatGeek and Ticketmaster are two of the most popular options. With SeatGeek’s rapid growth in recent years, some have questioned how it stacks up against industry giant Ticketmaster in terms of reliability and customer experience.

What is SeatGeek?

SeatGeek is an online ticket marketplace that allows customers to buy and sell tickets for live events. The company was founded in 2009 and has grown rapidly over the past decade, positioning itself as a modern, mobile-focused alternative to traditional players like Ticketmaster.

SeatGeek does not sell tickets directly. Instead, it serves as a platform connecting third-party sellers with buyers. Sellers can list tickets for sale, and buyers can search for, compare, and purchase tickets all in one place. This gives buyers access to tickets from a wide range of sources, including season ticket holders, promoters, teams/artists directly, and other fans looking to resell.

What is Ticketmaster?

Ticketmaster is the largest primary ticket provider in the United States. It sells tickets on behalf of teams, theaters, festivals, and other event organizers. As an official source, Ticketmaster has exclusive partnerships with many major event venues and organizations. It also runs its own secondary resale market for ticket exchange.

Ticketmaster has been around since 1976 and has expanded globally, giving it decades more experience than SeatGeek. However, its size and dominance in the industry have also exposed it to criticism over high fees and other unpopular policies.

How does SeatGeek work?

Here is an overview of how SeatGeek works for buyers:

• Search for tickets – Buyers can search SeatGeek’s listings for events by keyword, date, location, performer, team, or venue.
• View listings – SeatGeek will display ticket listings from multiple sellers, along with a Deal Score rating to indicate the quality of each deal.
• Compare options – Users can evaluate listings based on location within the venue, price, seller rating, and more.
• Purchase tickets – When ready to purchase, buyers select their desired tickets and proceed through checkout.
• Get tickets – After purchase, sellers deliver tickets to the buyer electronically or by mail.

SeatGeek provides buyer protection to ensure users either receive valid tickets or get fully refunded if issues arise. Sellers handle all aspects of fulfillment.

How does Ticketmaster work?

Ticketmaster’s process works a bit differently since it acts as an official primary seller in most cases:

• Search events – Users can browse and search for events just like on SeatGeek.
• Buy from Ticketmaster – Instead of evaluating third-party listings, tickets come directly from Ticketmaster’s inventory.
• Checkout – Buyers enter payment information and complete the transaction through Ticketmaster.
• Get tickets – Ticketmaster emails ticket delivery details to the buyer. Tickets are typically delivered electronically but can be express mailed for a fee.

In cases where Ticketmaster is selling tickets on behalf of a team or event organizer, they are the official source. For resale tickets, Ticketmaster operates an exchange with third-party sellers similar to SeatGeek.

Key Differences

When comparing SeatGeek vs Ticketmaster, here are some of the key differences:

SeatGeek Reliability

When buying tickets on SeatGeek, reliability depends largely on the individual seller fulfilling your order. SeatGeek does not directly sell or fulfill any tickets. However, they do aim to promote reliability in a few key ways:

• Seller profiles – Each seller has a profile showing key details, like average shipping time, response rate, and reviews from past buyers.
• Deal Score – SeatGeek’s Deal Score algorithm gives buyers an objective rating for each listing based on its value compared to similar tickets.
• Buyer guarantees – If a seller does not deliver valid tickets, SeatGeek guarantees a full refund or comparable replacement tickets.

User reviews indicate the majority of transactions go smoothly. However, compared to Ticketmaster you are relying on an individual seller to come through every time.

Common SeatGeek Issues

Here are some of the most common issues reported by SeatGeek users:

• Invalid or fraudulent tickets – In rare cases, users report being sent fake or already-used tickets.
• Delivery problems – Sellers may deliver tickets late or not at all in some instances.
• Incorrect tickets – Buyers could receive tickets different from what they purchased, often unintentionally.
• No seller response – The seller fails to respond or deliver tickets with no explanation.

SeatGeek’s buyer guarantee should cover users in these situations. However, it can still mean lost time coordinating replacements or refunds.

Is SeatGeek Safe?

In general, yes, SeatGeek is considered safe to use. The vast majority of transactions are completed smoothly with no issues. There are a few factors that promote safety and security on SeatGeek:

• Secure checkout using industry standard encryption
• No storage of full payment card numbers
• Email and phone verification of accounts
• Strict seller vetting process
• Tracking of delivery via their app and email updates
• 100% money back guarantees

As long as buyers choose highly rated sellers and understand the risk of third-party transactions, SeatGeek is reasonably safe for ticket purchases.

Ticketmaster Reliability

Since Ticketmaster is a primary seller for the majority of events, reliability depends largely on their own internal processes. Ticketmaster sells 50+ million primary tickets per year, so most transactions go smoothly. A few factors promote reliable ticket sales:

• Direct partnerships – Ticketmaster has direct relationships with venues, promoters, and event organizers.
• First access – As the primary seller, Ticketmaster gets inventory before it becomes available elsewhere.
• Delivery infrastructure – They have dedicated delivery systems to get tickets to buyers securely.
• Refunds/exchanges – Canceled or changed events allow Ticketmaster customers to get full refunds and exchanges.

For resale marketplace tickets, reliability depends on individual sellers like SeatGeek. But primary market sales directly through Ticketmaster are generally very reliable.

Common Ticketmaster Issues

Here are some common complaints about Ticketmaster among customers:

• High fees – Order processing, service, and delivery fees often add substantial costs.
• Confusing listings – Identifying primary vs. resale tickets can be tricky.
• Technical issues – Website/app glitches during high traffic ticket sales.
• Long queues – Demand for hot tickets means waiting in virtual lines.
• Lack of transparency – Dynamic pricing models sometimes inflate costs.

While frustrations exist, the overall reliability of getting valid tickets in time for events remains high. Most issues come down to an opinion on their policies or fees rather than failure to deliver working tickets.

Is Ticketmaster Safe?

Yes, Ticketmaster is generally very safe to use for the vast majority of customers. As a longstanding primary ticket provider, they employ strong security measures including:

• Encrypted checkout process
• No payment data stored after transactions
• Account verification steps during setup
• Technologies to detect bots/fraudulent activity
• Regular audits and security reviews

There are isolated instances of account hacks, stolen cards, or other security issues. But overall, Ticketmaster utilizes secure systems to protect customer transactions and data.

SeatGeek vs. Ticketmaster: Which is More Reliable?

In most cases, Ticketmaster takes the edge when it comes to reliability:

• As the primary source, Ticketmaster owns the event ticket inventory and delivery process end-to-end.
• SeatGeek depends on thousands of individual sellers fulfilling orders accurately and on time.
• Ticketmaster has a longer track record as an established player in the industry.
• SeatGeek is still building trust and consistency across its seller network.

However, SeatGeek buyers are protected by guarantees if anything goes wrong. And the company continues to improve vetting and monitoring of sellers to boost reliability.

For high demand events where tickets sell out instantly, Ticketmaster is often more reliable for getting seats right away. But for less popular events or last minute purchases, SeatGeek can provide good availability utilizing its marketplace model.

Should You Use SeatGeek or Ticketmaster?

Here are a few factors to help choose between using SeatGeek or Ticketmaster as your ticket provider:

• Hot events – For extremely high demand events that will sell out quickly, Ticketmaster is likely the most reliable option for fast access.
• Obscure events – SeatGeek may offer better availability for niche events or last minute purchases.
• Marketplace deals – SeatGeek is the place to look if you want to find discounted secondary market tickets being resold.
• Buyer guarantees – SeatGeek offers stronger protections if tickets don’t work out as expected.
• Fees – Ticketmaster is notorious for higher fees, while SeatGeek tends to be more transparent and affordable.

Checking both sources is wise to compare all available inventory and pricing. Some buyers prefer using SeatGeek to find deals then cross-reference with Ticketmaster prices to validate the savings.

The Bottom Line

Ticketmaster continues to dominate as the go-to source for primary event tickets with its exclusive deals and longstanding relationships. But SeatGeek offers a viable alternative for comparison shopping and finding rebundled inventory through resale.

While SeatGeek trails in reliability compared to Ticketmaster, its buyer guarantees help reduce the risks of using third-party sellers. As SeatGeek grows, its reliability is likely to improve across the board.

For most events, checking prices on both Ticketmaster and SeatGeek takes little additional effort. Viewing listings side-by-side allows buyers to decide if the potential rewards of marketplace deals on SeatGeek outweigh the slightly higher risks compared to primary ticket providers.