The Ultimate eBay Ticket Guide!

Are you new to buying tickets on eBay?  Have you had a rough experience dealing with ticket brokers on ebay?  Are you a fed up seller? 

I am writing this guide to save everyone's time, both the buyers and the sellers of tickets. 

Now read on and learn what you can expect and what problems you can avoid.  Don't be the clueless seller who uses "Hannah Montana Tickets...." as their title for a 4 pack of front row seats at Allstate Arena.  Don't be the newbie buyer asking every buyer begging for free tickets because your sister's best friend's dog chewed through your Ticketmaster envelope and now you can't go.

The most important aspect of customer interaction is knowing the expectations of both the buyer and the seller. 

What is the seller to expect of its buyer?

In General...

1. You, as a buyer and member of the ebay community, are expected to read the entire auction listing, including the title, subtitle, item specifics, item description, and payment details before asking a question or bidding on the item.  Some listings are long, but they are long for a reason.  It is not the sellers fault that you didn't read the details.  Don't win the auction then back out because you happened to read the listing after you won the item.  The hardest thing sellers have to deal with is non-paying buyers, and it often ends up in UGLY situations.
2. You are expected to ask the seller a question BEFORE bidding if you do not understand something in the listing.  If you notice an error in the listing, tell the seller so they can fix it.  If the item specifics say the show is on the 8th but the seller describes the tickets as being for the 18th, let the seller know, and don't worry about it.  If you ask an obvious question that is already answered in the listing, don't be surprised if the seller doesn't answer.  We as sellers are often bombarded by e-mails, so please explain your question and make sure you can't find the answer yourself.
3. PAY IMMEDIATELY!!!  Pay attention to the auctions you bid on and notify the seller if you dont think you will pay immediately.  If you leave a best offer, it is a legally binding contract, so don't leave a best offer on multiple listings of the same items, because there is a good chance you can win both.  Don't expect a seller to let you out of a contractual agreement.  Sellers specifically time their auctions and put a lot of time and effort into their listings.
4. Use the eBay event finder when searching for tickets.  Searching "Celtics vs Lakers tickets on 2/12" will not return the result you want.  If you know what event you want, use the event finder.  Also, don't forget to check out the listings found in eBay stores.  Sellers often list their entire ticket inventory in their eBay store, allowing you to search all items buy a seller and save $$$ on shipping.
5. Use BUY IT NOW when it is available.  If there are many listings for the same item, sellers keep their BUY IT NOW prices in line with auction ending prices.  It is easier for both the buyer and the seller to use BUY IT NOW instead of messing around with auctions.  Why wait all day for an auction to end if its just going to end for the same price as similarily listed BUY IT NOW listings?
6. E-tickets, Ticketfast, print at home, and all other forms of tickets are still tickets.  Hard tickets still have value as they are usually better souvenirs and may make a better presentation as a gift, but a ticket is a ticket.  If you really need to know if the tickets you are purchasing are E-Tickets or Hard tickets, you can ask the seller a question.  If the seller has great feedback you know he is legit and you don't have to worry.  Selling tickets is not easy and most brokers run into many problems with deadbeat buyers, so you know a broker at least 98% positive feedback is quite trustworthy.  In my opinion, sellers with great feedback and/or powerseller status are more reputable than your average company, as they put their personal service behind every sale.
7. Unless stated in the auction, don't expect to get the tickets the day after you buy them.  It often takes ticket brokers several weeks if not months to receive the tickets from Ticketmaster.  Be patient.  It is in the broker's best interest to send the tickets to you as soon as he can.
8. Ticket brokers often face a lot of issues out of their control (another reason why it is virtually impossible to maintain 100% feedback) so please be understanding of a situation if it may occur.  Things happen.  Ticketmaster loses tickets, the mail gets delayed, vendors have computer problems, vendors change policies last minute, tickets get destroyed, websites crash, etc....  Any reputable ticket seller will go and do their best to please their customer no matter what happens.  Ask any ticket broker what the craziest thing they've ever done for a customer and I'm sure you will be amazed by the stories.
9. If there was a problem with your tickets, consult the seller before leaving feedback.  If your tickets were denied or there was a problem with your seats, it may not necessarily be the ticket broker's fault.  Also, it is very easy to track down information regarding fraudulent tickets, so if the tickets really were fake, the seller will be tracked down.  Believe it or not, most ticket sellers on eBay who have had customer's claim chargebacks have had no problem proving the legitimacy of the tickets and winning the dispute.

Being a member of eBay is like being a member of a small community.  This community requires everyone to get along, so dont be a jerk!  Feedback is just a way of letting people know how much other people like you.  Read the feedback another buyer might have left and try to find a similar item to yours.  If you are new and aren't familiar with how things work, don't assume you can barge your way into the community and boss everyone around!  Be patient and learn!