AXS tickets have become one of the most popular ways for fans to purchase tickets for concerts, sports events, and other live entertainment. As demand for tickets continues to rise, many are left wondering – can AXS tickets really be trusted? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll examine the key facts about AXS ticketing to help you decide if it’s the right choice when buying tickets.
What is AXS Ticketing?
AXS Ticketing is a digital ticketing platform owned by AEG, one of the largest concert and live events companies in the world. AXS provides ticket sales and distribution for AEG owned or operated venues like the Staples Center, The O2 Arena, and Coachella music festival. Beyond just AEG events, AXS also provides ticketing services for thousands of other venues, sports teams, and live events around the world. Some key features of AXS ticketing include:
- Digital ticketing – all AXS tickets are digital tickets on your smartphone rather than paper tickets.
- Dynamic pricing – ticket prices can fluctuate based on demand.
- Verified resale marketplace – AXS operates an official resale marketplace for tickets.
- AXS Mobile ID – digital ticket identification using facial recognition at venue entrances.
Overall, AXS serves over 300 million ticket buyers across the globe each year. It’s emerged as a major player in event ticketing alongside other established companies like Ticketmaster.
Are AXS tickets trustworthy?
When evaluating if AXS tickets can be trusted, there are a few key factors to consider:
Official source
Purchasing tickets directly from AXS.com ensures you are buying officially sanctioned tickets from the venue or event organizer. This avoids the risk of purchasing fake or fraudulent tickets from unauthorized 3rd party resellers. AXS tickets purchased from the official website will always scan successfully at the venue.
Consumer protections
AXS provides consumer protections that help safeguard ticket purchases in case issues arise. This includes guarantees on valid tickets and full refunds if an event is canceled and not rescheduled. Their FanProtect Guarantee offers 125% refund credit if you can’t attend an event due to certain covered circumstances.
Verified resale marketplace
AXS operates an official resale marketplace for tickets called AXS Official Resale. Sellers must verify their tickets before listing to ensure validity. As the middleman, AXS also guarantees the tickets sold on the resale marketplace are authentic. This makes buying tickets from AXS Official Resale more secure than 3rd party resellers.
Mobile ticket identification
AXS Mobile ID makes fraudulent paper tickets essentially obsolete. Ticket holders validate entry using facial recognition matched against the original ticket purchaser’s identity. This biometric verification provides end-to-end digital ticket traceability and prevents duplication of valid tickets.
Data security
Maintaining fan and client data privacy is crucial in the ticketing industry. AXS employs data security measures like SSL encryption and fraud monitoring to protect user personal information and payment data. Their systems are monitored 24/7 and undergo regular security audits.
Downsides of AXS
While AXS tickets may be highly trustworthy from an authenticity perspective, there are some downsides of using AXS ticketing including:
- Higher fees – AXS service fees for ticket buyers tend to be higher than competitors.
- Less ticket availability – AXS contracts with venues means fewer tickets available on primary market.
- Lacks resale price controls – AXS Official Resale allows prices based on demand rather than face value.
- ID requirements – AXS Mobile ID could raise privacy issues and excludes anonymous ticket transfers.
Common AXS ticket scams
Despite their reliability, AXS ticket scams still persist and fans need to be aware of the most frequent ones:
Fake websites
Be wary of copycat websites disguising themselves as the real AXS.com. Only purchase from the official AXS website to avoid being scammed.
Social media offers
Scammers will often try selling fake or non-existent tickets through social platforms like Twitter and Craigslist. Only buy from trusted users and be skeptical of deals that seem too good to be true.
Cash payment requests
Any seller asking for cash, wire transfers, gift cards or other non-reversible payment methods is a huge red flag for a scam. Only pay via secure methods like credit card on official AXS channels.
AXS spoof calls
Con artists may try calling or emailing pretending to be AXS support in order to steal your personal information. Remember that AXS will never call out of the blue seeking financial details.
Ticket printing cons
Since all AXS tickets are 100% digital, any offers to print or ship paper tickets for you are always a scam. All valid AXS tickets can only be accessed via AXS mobile app.
Is AXS or Ticketmaster better?
AXS and Ticketmaster are the two dominant players in primary market event ticketing. Here’s how they compare:
AXS | Ticketmaster | |
---|---|---|
Fees | Higher | Lower |
Ticket availability | Less | More |
Venues | 5,000+ venues | 70,000+ venues |
Upsells | Minimal | Aggressive |
Verified resale? | Yes | No |
Seat maps | Interactive maps | Static maps |
Refunds/exchanges | Restrictive | Flexible |
In general, Ticketmaster works with significantly more venues and events. But AXS offers a more transparent and secure way to resell tickets through its official resale marketplace. AXS tends to have pricier fees but less aggressive upselling tactics during checkout compared to Ticketmaster.
Tips for buying AXS tickets
Follow these tips when purchasing AXS tickets to ensure a smooth, scam-free experience:
- Buy early – Purchase tickets as soon as sales start to secure seats before they sell out.
- Check presales – Take advantage of artist fan club and credit card presales where available.
- Beware of resale markup – Expect to pay 2-5x more on AXS Official Resale after initial sellout.
- Add to Apple/Google wallet – This speeds up checkout vs manually entering payment info.
- Review carefully – Double check date, time, seats before final confirmation.
- Save confirmation – Keep your AXS order confirmation as a record of purchase.
Bookmarking the AXS website and creating an account ahead of time can also help navigate the buying process more seamlessly.
Conclusion
While no ticketing provider is perfect, AXS offers a reliable way for fans to purchase official tickets. As long as you buy from authorized sources, understand the limitations, and avoid scams, AXS tickets can generally be trusted. However, buyers need to be aware of higher fees, limited availability, and looser resale restrictions compared to other major ticket sellers. Following best practices for ticket buying and safeguarding personal data can help maximize your peace of mind when using AXS.