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How to stay secure when buying festival tickets online
Other | Wednesday 19th November 2014 | Osh
When you’re at the front of a crowd, stood in front of the decks with the speakers pulsing next to you, it’s normal to feel like you’re completely lucky. I always get the feeling that I’m part of a very special moment when I’m listening to one of my favourite DJs close up. The thing is, even before the special turn of events that has somehow resulted in me securing a super sweet spot, while the stars align so that my favourite artist plays one of my favourite tracks, there’s been a little luck that has come into play.
As any music fan and festival goer will know, making sure these magical musical moments happen means securing festival tickets and that, my friends, is a process not always easily navigated. With this in mind, I’m going to run through some of the basics:
Security things to be aware of:
We all like to think that we’re financially aware, but it’s not just my 50-year-old mum who occasionally falls foul of ticket scams online. She accidentally gave away two Coldplay tickets (she's 50, okay?) by posting them before she received payment when selling on a ticket sales site. Buying from official ticket sites or the festival site itself is always the safest option, and don’t forget to check the secure sign is showing when you enter your details.
The advantages of buying festival tickets with a credit card:
I’m not about to encourage everyone to plunge themselves into debt and possibly go off on a series of party boats while following their favourite DJs across Europe next summer (though it would be a pretty awesome thing to do), but, if you can keep your spending in check, credit cards offer a little more protection when you buy things online. You’re usually insured against fraud under your terms and conditions. Not sure if your credit score is up to it? Get your credit report.
Other things you should know about buying festival tickets:
When tickets go on sale for a gig or festival I really want to go to, like everyone else I sit with my credit card in one hand ready to type my details into the ticket site at record speed. It goes without saying that you’ll have already checked it’s the right site and the right time. A lot of the European festivals are now allowing you to skip this step to an extent or to spread the pain across a few months. Festivals like Primavera , Outlook and Hideout release tickets at different price points in waves – so if you’re prepared to book before the line-up you can save a lot, as long as your typing fingers are pro-performing.
Registering with the festival website is the best way to get reminders about release dates. Some festivals like Beacons are now offering greater booking flexibility by allowing festival goers to follow a payment schedule, rather than paying all in one go and this proved a life saver for me last summer for me. If you’ve got the cash to splash, there are also discounts or free tickets available for some festivals if you order a certain number of tickets in one go; just make sure you get your mates' contributions up front!
