Vivid Seats is an online ticket marketplace that allows people to buy and sell tickets for sports, concerts, theater shows, and other live events. The site offers tickets resold by both professional ticket brokers and individual fans. With so many options for scoring tickets online these days, you may be wondering – is Vivid Seats trustworthy? Here’s what you need to know about using Vivid Seats and whether or not their tickets are reliable.
How Vivid Seats Works
Founded in 2001, Vivid Seats provides a platform for third party sellers to list event tickets for purchase. They don’t actually own or source the ticket inventory. Instead, sellers on the site set their own prices based on supply and demand. As with other secondary marketplaces like StubHub, you’ll often find significant markups on popular events compared to box office prices.
Vivid Seats does partner with some ticket suppliers to source exclusive ticket inventory for high demand events. They also work closely with ticket brokers, many of whom are licensed businesses, to provide access to a large selection of verified resale tickets.
The site lets buyers browse tickets and seating charts, compare prices offered by different sellers, and purchase event tickets. Once a ticket order is placed, the seller must confirm they have the listed tickets. The tickets are then transferred to the buyer electronically or shipped via FedEx. Vivid Seats charges service and delivery fees on top of the ticket price.
Are Vivid Seats Tickets Guaranteed?
One of the biggest concerns when buying tickets from a reseller is whether the seats will actually be valid and authentic when you show up for the event. Vivid Seats does guarantee that tickets purchased on their marketplace are 100% authentic and will be valid for entry.
This “100% Buyer Guarantee” means you’ll get a refund if:
- The tickets you ordered don’t arrive in time for the event
- The tickets are fake or non-transferrable
- The seat numbers don’t match what you ordered
- You’re denied entry due to an issue with the tickets
Vivid Seats will work to find replacement tickets if there is an issue. If replacements can’t be sourced, you will get a refund for the amount paid including service fees. The guarantee provides peace of mind that you won’t lose money on invalid tickets.
Ticket Verification Process
To ensure all tickets sold on their marketplace are authentic, Vivid Seats has a thorough verification process:
- Sellers must provide credit card and billing information to create an account
- Inventory listings are checked against Vivid’s database of event details
- Sellers must provide documentation proving they have the tickets in-hand for popular high demand events
- Listings may be removed if documentation isn’t provided when requested
- All seller accounts are vetted with background checks
While most tickets sold are legitimate, the vetting system aims to prevent fraud and make sure sellers can actually fulfill ticket orders. The site’s buyer guarantee provides a safety net in case any invalid tickets do slip through.
Common Questions About Vivid Seats
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about buying tickets from Vivid Seats:
Are the tickets overpriced?
It’s not unusual to find inflated ticket prices on Vivid Seats, especially for hot events where demand exceeds supply. Sellers can price tickets however they like. Event tickets with the highest demand typically have the biggest markups over face value prices. But for less popular events, you may find some tickets listed below face value. Shop around and compare Vivid Seats prices to other secondary marketplaces to potentially find a better deal.
What are the fees?
On top of the ticket price, Vivid Seats charges service and delivery fees. The service fee is around 25% of the ticket cost. For electronic delivery, there is a $2.49 delivery fee per ticket. For physical tickets shipped by FedEx, the delivery fee is around $20-$25 per order. Make sure to account for fees before completing your ticket purchase to avoid surprise charges at checkout.
Can tickets be transferred?
Vivid Seats tickets cannot be transferred to a new buyer after purchase. All sales are final. However, you can relist tickets you can no longer use yourself on the Vivid Seats marketplace. You would just need to create your own seller account. Any profits from reselling the tickets go to you, not Vivid Seats. Reselling platforms like Vivid Seats are intended for personal use to resell unwanted tickets only.
What is the refund policy?
Refunds are allowed only in very limited circumstances, like if an event is cancelled or rescheduled. Other than situations covered by the buyer guarantee around invalid tickets, Vivid Seats does not offer refunds if you can no longer attend an event or if you are unsatisfied with seat locations you purchased. Be sure to review event details like seating charts carefully before ordering tickets.
Can I get better seats?
Vivid Seats will not upgrade your seats or move you to a better location in a venue. The tickets will be for the exact seats, rows, and quantity you agreed to purchase. Double check seating details like views and location within a section before placing an order.
How are tickets delivered?
Tickets can be delivered electronically to your smartphone via the Vivid Seats app. This gets you tickets instantly without waiting for shipping. Physical paper tickets can also be shipped by FedEx, usually within 5 days domestic or 10 days international delivery. Tickets will arrive in time for the event as long as you don’t order at the last minute.
Pros of Buying From Vivid Seats
Some key advantages of using Vivid Seats include:
- Large inventory – With countless sellers listing tickets, you’ll have a robust selection of seats for most events.
- Access to sold out events – Hard to get tickets are often available from resellers after box office sell outs.
- Last minute tickets – You can buy tickets right up until showtime for instant delivery.
- Seating charts – Detailed venue seating maps let you see views before choosing seats.
- Price comparison – You can easily view and compare ticket prices from different sellers.
- Buyer guarantee – Provides protection in case the tickets have issues.
- Established company – Reputable secondary ticket market with a long track record.
The large selection and buyer guarantee help make up for the higher prices you’ll often find compared to box office rates.
Cons of Buying From Vivid Seats
Some downsides to be aware of include:
- Higher prices – Popular tickets can be marked up excessively compared to face value costs.
- High fees – Services fees add 25%+ to your order on top of inflated ticket prices.
- Misleading listings – Prices don’t always accurately reflect demand, so deals may not be real.
- Non-transferable – Inability to resell or transfer tickets to someone else if plans change.
- Scams – A few fake ticket listings inevitably slip through screening processes.
- No refunds – Refunds are offered in very limited cases outside of the buyer guarantee.
While the convenience can be worth it for hot events you can’t buy directly, you may overpay for tickets to lower demand events. Thoroughly compare all costs and policies before purchasing tickets.
Alternatives to Vivid Seats
Before you buy from Vivid Seats, also consider checking out some competing secondary ticket marketplaces:
StubHub
Owned by eBay, StubHub is the largest and most well known ticket resale platform. They offer a very similar buying experience to VividSeats. However, their ticket inventory tends to focus more on sports than concerts. Prices and fees are comparable between the two sites.
SeatGeek
SeatGeek operates its own ticket resale marketplace while also aggregating inventory from other major platforms. Their Deal Score rating engine ranks each ticket deal. With competitive pricing and enticing discounts for first time buyers, SeatGeek is worth checking before purchasing.
TicketNetwork
As one of the largest players in secondary ticket sales, TicketNetwork partners with a network of ticket suppliers to provide guaranteed authentic seats. Their site highlights exclusive ticket deals not always found on other resale platforms.
Gametime
Strictly focused on last minute mobile ticket sales, Gametime can get you great deals on unsold seats right up until start time for events. Their inventory comes directly from teams, theaters and promoters making tickets easy to trust.
Craigslist
For local events, you may be able to score tickets for below market rates by buying from individuals on Craigslist. Just be extra cautious validating tickets and buyer information to avoid scams.
Tips for Using Vivid Seats
Keep these tips in mind to make sure you have the best experience possible buying tickets through Vivid Seats:
- Comparison shop prices across multiple sites to find the best deals.
- Don’t assume seller ratings equal trustworthiness – scammers can create fake reviews.
- Carefully examine seating charts and views before selecting seats.
- Sort price listings from low to high to identify best values.
- Filter ticket listings by sellers with a Best Value Guarantee for safer bets.
- Avoid buying tickets last minute unless you can have them electronically delivered.
- Review order confirmation details carefully to verify accuracy.
- Save all ticket purchase information in case you need to reference later.
The Bottom Line
Is Vivid Seats trustworthy? In general, yes, buying tickets through their marketplace is safe when you stick to sellers with solid reputations. Their buyer guarantee also helps protect you financially in the rare instance you receive fraudulent or invalid tickets. While convenience comes at the cost of inflated prices and fees compared to box office rates, the peace of mind and huge selection of verified resale inventory make Vivid Seats one of the top options for scoring tickets to sold out and high demand events.