When buying tickets from SeatGeek, one of the top concerns for many customers is whether or not their purchase is guaranteed. With so many ticket resellers out there, it can be difficult to know who to trust. In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at SeatGeek’s buyer guarantees and policies to help you understand exactly what you’re covered for when you purchase tickets through them.
SeatGeek Buyer Guarantee Overview
SeatGeek provides a buyer guarantee on all ticket purchases made through their platform. This guarantee states that they will provide valid tickets for your event or offer you a refund. Here are some key things to know about the SeatGeek buyer guarantee:
- It applies to all ticket purchases, including resale and primary market tickets.
- If your ticket is invalid for any reason, they will find you comparable or better replacement tickets. If none are available, you’ll get a full refund.
- To be eligible, you must purchase your tickets at least 1 hour before the event.
- If you receive invalid tickets, you must notify SeatGeek as soon as you find out, but no later than 48 hours after the event.
Overall, SeatGeek provides a fairly strong buyer guarantee compared to many other ticket sites. As long as you purchase tickets in advance and notify them promptly about any issues, they state that you will either get into the event or get your money back.
What does “100% guaranteed” mean?
When SeatGeek says their tickets are “100% guaranteed”, they are referring specifically to their buyer guarantee outlined above. It does not necessarily mean the tickets are 100% valid or will work 100% of the time.
Rather, the “100% guarantee” indicates that if for any reason your ticket does not grant you entry to the event, SeatGeek will provide a refund or replacement tickets to make it right. This takes the risk out of buying from them, as you know you’ll either get into the event or get your money back.
However, it’s important to note that the guarantee is dependent on you following the required steps, such as purchasing early and notifying them promptly of any issues. As long as you hold up your end of the bargain, they promise to make the situation right.
What does the SeatGeek guarantee cover?
SeatGeek’s buyer guarantee covers the following scenarios:
- Invalid tickets – This includes fake/counterfeit tickets, tickets that don’t scan properly, duplicated tickets, and any other tickets that are deemed invalid for entry.
- Event is canceled or postponed – If the event organizer cancels or postpones the event, you are covered for a refund.
- Error in ticket details – If there is an error in the ticket listing that causes you to receive incorrect tickets, SeatGeek will fix the issue.
- Seller backs out – If a seller backs out after you place an order, your order will be canceled and your money refunded.
The key thing the guarantee protects you against is receiving invalid or fraudulent tickets that don’t grant you entry. As long as your tickets don’t work as expected, SeatGeek promises to provide replacements or a full refund.
What does the guarantee not cover?
While SeatGeek’s buyer guarantee is quite robust, there are some things it does not cover, including:
- Dissatisfaction with seats – If you are unhappy with the location of the seats but the tickets are otherwise valid, this is not covered under the guarantee.
- Delays getting into venue – Issues like long lines causing you to miss part of the event are not covered.
- Lost or stolen tickets – You are responsible for keeping your tickets safe. Lost or stolen tickets are not covered.
- Tickets purchased within 1 hour of event – The guarantee only applies to tickets purchased at least 1 hour in advance.
Essentially, the guarantee is focused on ticket validity and fraud protection, not more subjective concerns like seat quality or delays at the venue. As long as your tickets successfully grant you entry, SeatGeek is unlikely to provide compensation under their buyer guarantee.
Steps to get covered by the SeatGeek guarantee
To ensure you are fully covered by SeatGeek’s buyer guarantee, there are a few important steps to follow when purchasing tickets:
- Buy tickets at least 1 hour before the event – This is a requirement to be eligible for the guarantee.
- Register your tickets – Create a SeatGeek account and register the tickets to your account. This connects you to the order.
- Double check ticket details – Verify the event name, date, seat info, etc. to ensure you got the right tickets.
- Get order confirmation – Save the confirmation email for your records in case you need to contact support.
- Check tickets carefully – When you receive the physical tickets, inspect them closely and verify they look legitimate.
If you follow those steps and still encounter invalid tickets or other issues, you’ll be in a good position to take advantage of the SeatGeek guarantee.
How to get your money back if tickets are invalid
If you follow the steps above and still end up with invalid tickets that don’t grant you entry, here is the process to get your money back under the SeatGeek guarantee:
- Contact SeatGeek ASAP – Notify them within 48 hours after the event starts.
- Provide details – Explain what happened and why your tickets did not work.
- Send documentation – Provide documentation like order confirmation, ticket copies, venue rejection, etc.
- Return invalid tickets – You must return any invalid tickets to SeatGeek.
- Wait for resolution – SeatGeek will review your case and respond with a resolution in 3-5 business days.
- Receive replacement tickets or refund – If approved, you will get new tickets or a refund within 5-7 business days.
As long as you follow this process promptly after encountering an issue with your tickets, SeatGeek will honor their 100% buyer guarantee and make the situation right.
Tips for a smooth ticket buying experience
Here are some additional tips for making sure your ticket purchase through SeatGeek goes smoothly:
- Purchase early to get the best deal and give more time to address any potential issues.
- Select the “Best Value” sorting filter to find deals.
- Use the interactive seat map to evaluate seat options.
- Read seller ratings and reviews carefully before purchasing.
- Confirm your seats align with the seat map before finalizing the purchase.
- Save your order confirmation for records and register your tickets to your account.
- If purchasing right before the event, use instant download tickets to avoid delivery delays.
- Contact support immediately if you encounter any problems with your tickets.
Following these tips will help prevent issues from happening in the first place. But if any problems do come up, SeatGeek’s 100% buyer guarantee has you covered.
SeatGeek customer service
SeatGeek provides customer service via phone, email, and online chat:
- Phone: 866-788-2482
- Email: [email protected]
- Online chat: Available via their website during business hours
Their customer service team is available 7 days a week to help with any questions or issues before, during, or after your ticket purchase. This includes assisting with the buyer guarantee process if you end up with invalid tickets.
Based on reviews, SeatGeek customer service response times and resolution quality are fairly good overall. Simple inquiries tend to be handled swiftly in just minutes via chat, while more complex issues like refund requests may take closer to 24-48 hours to finalize via email and phone support.
Is SeatGeek trustworthy?
When considering a ticket marketplace like SeatGeek, an important question is whether or not they can be trusted to provide valid tickets and good service.
Overall, SeatGeek does have a good reputation as a trustworthy ticket source, for a few key reasons:
- They have been in business over 10 years since their founding in 2009.
- They have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
- They use secure checkout via SSL and do not store full payment info.
- They have positive reviews from most customers online.
- Their 100% buyer guarantee protects you in case issues arise.
While there is always some risk buying tickets from a reseller marketplace, SeatGeek has demonstrated themselves to be a legitimate business with reasonable practices in place to build buyer trust.
Pros of buying from SeatGeek
Here are some of the key benefits SeatGeek offers as a ticket marketplace:
- Wide event selection including sports, concerts, theater, and more
- Access to sold out events by tapping into the secondary market
- Often better prices than primary ticketing sites
- No hidden fees – all costs shown upfront
- Seat views to evaluate options before buying
- Strong buyer guarantee provides peace of mind
- Good customer service reputation
Cons to consider
The potential downsides to keep in mind include:
- Higher risk of fraud since dealing with resellers
- No control over factors like seat quality and obstructed views
- Tickets cannot be returned or exchanged except for issues covered by the guarantee
- Variable pricing means costs can fluctuate
- Fees and shipping costs add to the total cost
The verdict on SeatGeek’s guarantee
In summary, SeatGeek provides a fairly robust 100% buyer guarantee that aims to give customers confidence in their ticket purchases. If you receive invalid tickets for any reason, they promise to provide replacement tickets of equal or greater value or issue you a full refund.
However, there are limitations in terms of which situations are covered. Subjective concerns like not liking your seats would not be eligible for compensation under the normal guarantee policy. There are also requirements like notifying them within 48 hours that must be met to qualify.
Overall, their buyer guarantee does seem to provide meaningful protection against invalid tickets and outright fraud. But it is not an unlimited guarantee covering any and all dissatisfaction with ticket purchases. As long as you understand the limitations and follow the required steps, their buyer guarantee should give you satisfactory peace of mind when ordering tickets.