Ticketmaster, the largest ticket sales and distribution company in the United States, requires customers to provide a phone number when purchasing tickets online. This requirement often frustrates customers who worry about being inundated with spam calls and texts after sharing their contact information.
However, there are legitimate reasons for Ticketmaster to collect phone numbers from ticket buyers. Here are some of the key reasons why Ticketmaster asks for your phone number and what they do with it:
To Send Updates About Your Purchase
One of the main reasons Ticketmaster collects phone numbers is to send updates about your ticket purchase via call or text message. This includes:
- Confirmation of your ticket purchase
- Notification if the event is postponed, rescheduled, or canceled
- Reminders about the event as the date approaches
- Information about weather or traffic issues that may impact the event
Getting real-time updates by phone ensures you don’t miss important notifications about the event you bought tickets for.
To Notify You About Issues With Your Tickets
Ticketmaster may also use your phone number to call or text you about any problems with your ticket order. For example, you might get a call if:
- There was an issue processing your payment
- Your tickets were lost in transit and replacements need to be issued
- The ticket allocation or seats you requested are no longer available
Phone notifications allow Ticketmaster to resolve these types of issues quickly with the customer directly.
To Contact You About Cancellations and Refunds
If an event is canceled or rescheduled, Ticketmaster uses customer phone numbers to communicate about refunds or exchanging tickets for a new date. Getting a direct call or text message ensures customers are aware of the cancellation and how to redeem unused tickets.
To Verify Your Identity
Collecting phone numbers allows Ticketmaster to verify customer identities, protecting both buyers and Ticketmaster from fraudulent transactions. If there are signs someone may be using your account fraudulently, Ticketmaster can call you directly to confirm.
To Facilitate Ticket Transfers
For many events, Ticketmaster offers ticket transfer services that allow customers to securely send tickets to someone else. To transfer tickets, both the sender and recipient are required to verify their phone numbers. This ensures the right tickets get sent to the intended recipient.
How Does Ticketmaster Use My Phone Number?
Ticketmaster uses customer phone numbers in a few key ways:
Text Notifications About Your Purchase
Once you complete a ticket purchase, Ticketmaster will immediately send you a text message confirming the details. You’ll get another text notification when the tickets are shipped or ready for download on your Ticketmaster account.
As the event date approaches, you may receive reminder texts a few weeks out and again a few days before the event.
These confirmation texts come from a short code number, not a full 10-digit phone number. The short code for Ticketmaster is 27235.
Automated Call Updates
In some cases, like event cancellations, Ticketmaster may call you with recorded messages about refunds or other important updates. These automated calls also come from the 27235 short code number.
Direct Support Calls
If Ticketmaster needs to reach you directly about an urgent issue with your order, you may get a phone call from a 416 area code number. When you receive these types of support calls, answering them directly can help resolve problems faster.
SMS Surveys
After you attend an event you purchased tickets for on Ticketmaster, you may receive an SMS survey about your experience. These surveys provide valuable feedback to help Ticketmaster improve services.
Does Ticketmaster Share or Sell My Phone Number?
Ticketmaster states that they do not rent, sell, or share your phone number with any third parties without your consent. Their Privacy Policy specifies that customer data is only shared with third parties for operations relevant to ticket purchasing. This includes:
- Event providers hosting the event
- Venues where events take place
- Payment processors that handle your ticket payment
- Mailing houses that distribute printed tickets
- Computer reservation systems like airline frequent flyer programs
- Fraud prevention and risk management services
Your phone number may be provided to the event organizer or venue for matters like communication about the event or entry to the venue. However, they are not permitted to use it for marketing purposes without your authorization.
Ticketmaster does use aggregated, anonymized data to analyze usage patterns and improve their services. However, individual customer data is not shared externally for advertising or marketing unrelated to Ticketmaster.
How Long Does Ticketmaster Keep My Phone Number?
Ticketmaster states that customer phone numbers are retained for as long as the information is necessary to provide services or as permitted by law. Typically, your number is kept as long as your Ticketmaster account is active.
If you close your Ticketmaster account, the company says they restrict access to your personal information and only maintain it for purposes such as:
- Completing transactional or legal requirements
- Detecting security incidents
- Protecting against fraud or illegal activity
- Technical reasons like debugging and repairing errors
- Auditing interactions
Once your customer record is no longer necessary for these purposes, Ticketmaster claims they take steps to properly dispose of or anonymize personal data. However, some information may persist within backups or aggregated data sets.
Can I Choose Not to Share My Phone Number?
Unfortunately, providing a phone number when purchasing tickets on Ticketmaster is mandatory. The phone number field cannot be left blank, as it’s required for the purposes outlined above.
If you wish to minimize unsolicited communications, you can set your notification preferences within your Ticketmaster account settings. This allows you to opt out of marketing emails, SMS, or phone calls that are not essential for fulfillment.
Some customers choose to use a Google Voice number or other virtual phone line when purchasing tickets. This provides an extra layer of privacy. However, it’s important to ensure the number you provide is one that you can answer, otherwise you may miss important updates about your purchase.
Conclusion
Ticketmaster’s phone number requirement understandably raises concerns about privacy and personal data usage. However, the company has legitimate operational reasons for collecting customer phone numbers tied directly to ticket sales and services. They state that numbers are not rented, sold, or shared without consent.
While providing your phone number is mandatory, you do have choices like using a virtual number or limiting promotional contacts through preference settings. With vigilance and thoughtful data sharing, you can enjoy the convenience of Ticketmaster’s services while also protecting your personal information.
