Guide To Buying World Series Tickets
World Series tickets are some of the most sought after sports tickets in the world and fans will pay almost anything to get them. Tickets are not cheap and never will be, but even the most ardent fans are looking for the best deal. So, here are some suggestions to avoid getting ripped off when buying tickets for the 2012 World Series games.
Complete Giants World Series Coverage
1. Compare ticket prices online with multiple sources
When the cost of tickets can vary by hundreds of dollars, it just makes sense to take the extra few minutes to compare prices. Don't be tempted to settle with the first choice in the search engine results and never look any further. You can find similar seating selections on any of dozens of sites, allowing for a simple price comparison.
2. Don't forget about service fees
There are service fees with many online ticket brokers that you don't always see until you choose the delivery option for your tickets. The higher the ticket price, often the larger the fee. These service fees can be significant, running anywhere from 10% to 20% of the ticket price. For a ticket that runs from an average of $1000 or more per seat you may be able to save hundreds in fees by comparing the different broker fees..
3. Look for bargains
Not all World Series tickets are priced alike, it's dictated by what price each fan or broker is looking to sell their extra seats for. On sites such as StubHub.com, TicketsNow.com and PreferredSeat.com, scroll down their lists of tickets and watch for bargains. The prices will get higher as you go from standing room only to the best seats, but often a fan will list their tickets cheaper than others just to sell them sooner.
4. Buy tickets at the right time
When is the right time to buy? Follow the ticket prices and see if they are going up or down and if the numbers of available tickets are going down as well. While there are no guarantees, sometimes prices are the cheapest between 7am and 10am on the morning of a game. That's because some sellers often choose this time to unload last minute tickets with discounted prices. But the bargains go fast and typically only the highest priced tickets will remain a few hours before game time - and those may never be discounted.
5. Don't get ripped off
Know who you are buying from. When you find the right seats at the right price take a few minutes to check the companies record with the Better Business Bureau. The BBB can verify whether the business is legitimate and how many complaints have been filed against them. Also, you can do some research yourself online by adding "complaints" to the company name in a search box on Google, Yahoo or Bing. Those searches may reveal if complaints have been filed on various online rating sites.
The bottom line is if you're going to spend a lot of money on a single game, you may as well take the time to make sure you don't pay more than you have to - and that you don't get taken.
(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
