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eBay Guides - Tickets Buying Guide


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Tickets Buying Guide


Get the hottest concert and theatre tickets, discover once-in-a-lifetime experiences, or score premium seats to your home team's next game on eBay Canada.

Select the Type of Tickets You Want


Select the Type of Tickets You Want

Find tickets to almost anything, including concerts, sporting events, and theme parks, on eBay.


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Follow Ticket Shopping Tips


Follow Ticket Shopping Tips

Familiarize yourself with the event venue and the ticket pricing structure.

  • Get a sense for ticket pricing: Everyone wants to get a good deal. To get a sense of the current market value for tickets, search Completed Listings to see how much similar tickets sold for in the past 14 days on eBay.

  • Learn ticket item details: Read item descriptions carefully to get details about an item or promotion offered by a seller.

  • Explore event venue seating options: Will you get good seats? Most sellers include a venue name and venue map in listings. The venue map allows you to see seating section locations within a venue.

  • Look at pictures: Sellers should provide a scan of tickets. Ask for proof of authenticity for high-priced tickets costing more than $300 per ticket.

  • Know ticket shipping terms: Look at who will pay for shipping, how much it costs, the delivery method, and item location. If you don't feel comfortable with a seller's terms, don't buy. Fair prices for shipping a pair of tickets include $3.00 for standard (US Mail) and $15.00 for overnight shipping via UPS or FedEX.

  • Discover ticket payment options: Does a seller accept PayPal? This payment method securely stores your credit card information and allows you to pay for items quickly and easily. PayPal Buyer Protection may even cover your purchase up to C$1,250. Never pay using instant cash transfer services such as Western Union or MoneyGram International.

Use common sense while you shop. Tickets and prices that seem too good to be true should immediately send up a red flag. If you have any questions, be sure to ask the seller.


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Study Ticket Regulations & Refunds


Study Ticket Regulations & Refunds

Some states have laws against reselling tickets for events inside the state for more than face value. However, you can legally buy and sell tickets without restrictions in most states. eBay permits nationwide ticket sales and manages sales in a way that accommodates all state ticket resale laws and encourages lawful transactions.

Learn about eBay ticket policies

eBay's policies are based on the location of the seller and buyer. You should ensure that your transaction complies with all laws in your area. If a seller lives in a restricted state, he or she needs to adhere to that state's resale regulations, including sales over face value. If a buyer lives in a restricted state, he or she also needs to adhere to that state's regulations, even if the seller lives outside the state.

Everyone should respect the laws of states where they live and do business. To determine if tickets for an event have resale restrictions, eBay verifies the location of all ticket buyers and sellers based on registration information and credit card information. You could face penalties for violating state laws regulating resale of tickets. Visit the Rules & Regulations page to get information about specific state restrictions before you buy.

Understand "face value"

"Face value" includes the price of the ticket and any services charges and tax charged by the original ticket provider. In a few of the restricted ticket states, sellers can charge an additional fee, usually no more than $3 per ticket, to a buyer. The seller can also charge actual postage costs, but no additional handling fees.

Watch for pre-sale listings

Be aware of listings where delivery of the tickets will not occur within 30 days. Read about eBay's Pre-Sale Policy.

Know your ticket refund options

All tickets should have the same return and refund policies. However, the buyer and seller need to determine and agree on exact terms before a buyer bids or opts to buy tickets using Buy It Now. An item listing should include a clear refund policy in case an event gets canceled. Many sellers offer refunds for tickets returned within 15 days of announced event cancellation; sellers usually qualify to receive a refund for canceled events from the original ticket vender. If an item listing does not have a refund policy, click the Ask seller a question link under the seller's profile and email your question before you bid or buy.


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Find Tickets on eBay


Find Tickets on eBay

Once you know what type of tickets you want, go to the Tickets portal and start searching for items on eBay.

  • Hot lists: Find links to highly popular events on the Hot Sports and Hot Concerts lists located on the left side of the Tickets homepage.

  • Tickets Finder: Use the drop-down menus on the Tickets Finder to quickly narrow down item listings by event type, venue location, date, number of tickets, and price. You can find it on the Tickets homepage or on the left side of pages showing search results.

  • Keywords: Search eBay listing titles for specific words. For example, if you wanted to find U2 concert tickets, you'd type "u2" into eBay's general Search box or into the Keywords box on the Tickets Finder. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay's Search Tipspage for more tips on searching with keywords.

  • Limit listings: Limit your results to Auction or Buy it Now listings by clicking the appropriate tabs at the top of your search results page.

  • Search Options: Use the Search Options box on the left side of listings pages to narrow search results. Sort by sellers who accept PayPal, search Completed Listings, exclude listings that don't include Buy It Now, set a price range, or find sellers who live in your area.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.


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Buy Tickets With Confidence


Buy Tickets With Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

  • Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

  • If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

  • Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay protection programs.

  • Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

  • What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

  • What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

  • Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay and PayPal are there for you.

  • Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to C$1,250.

  • eBay Security & Resolution Centre: Visit the Security & Resolution Centre to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.


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