In recent years, there has been a growing demand for old and inactive Ticketmaster accounts. Ticketmaster is one of the largest ticket sales and distribution companies, providing ticketing services for many major concerts, sporting events, and live entertainment shows. With high fees and quick sellouts becoming commonplace for in-demand events, people are looking for any edge they can get to improve their chances of securing tickets. This has led to a strange market for old and unused Ticketmaster accounts.
Loyalty Programs
One of the main reasons people want access to aging Ticketmaster accounts is for the loyalty programs. Ticketmaster and partner venues often give presale ticket access to returning customers as a reward for patronage. By using an account that has previously purchased tickets, buyers can gain access to presales and early batches of tickets before the general public. This gives them a significant advantage in ordering tickets for hot shows before they sell out. The older and more active the account’s purchase history is, the greater the presale ticket allowance.
Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan system takes this one step further. With Verified Fan, Ticketmaster evaluates each user’s purchase history and selectivity gives verified, vetted fans early presale access. Having an established account with past ticket purchases gives buyers a better chance at being designated as a Verified Fan and getting early access. For very popular shows and concerts that sell out instantly, gaining presale access through an older account could mean the difference between getting tickets and not.
Avoiding Ticket Limits
Ticketmaster also commonly places ticket limits on popular events. This restricts how many tickets each account can purchase, typically between 4-8 tickets. This is done to prevent ticket brokers and scalpers from buying up all the tickets and reselling them at inflated prices. However, for large groups of friends or families hoping to all attend an event together, these ticket limits can make that difficult. This provides an incentive to seek out older Ticketmaster accounts that have not yet purchased tickets. By using multiple accounts, each with their own purchase allowance, groups can bypass ticket limit restrictions and acquire more tickets.
Accumulated Loyalty Points and Discounts
Some Ticketmaster accounts accumulate loyalty points and status through repeated ticket purchases. These loyalty programs provide customers with special perks and discounts for future ticket purchases. For example, Ticketmaster’s VIP Loyalty program grants members access to VIP packages, preferred seating, ticket discounts and other benefits based on points accumulated by spending money on tickets. VIP Loyalty status also grants early access to tickets and exclusives. For high demand shows where any advantage is helpful, obtaining an older account with accumulated loyalty points and status provides a buyer real value. It essentially lets them cut to the front of the line and save money through loyalty discounts.
Elite Presales and Amex Presales
Two other valuable presale opportunities offered by Ticketmaster are the Elite Presales and American Express Presales. The Elite Presale provides early access to tickets for customers with an established history of high Ticketmaster spending. American Express also partners with Ticketmaster to give AmEx card members exclusive presale windows for popular events. To access these presales, and account must have significant past Ticketmaster purchase activity. This makes aged accounts far more valuable and desirable compared to fresh accounts.
Avoiding Fraud Locks and Restrictions
One challenge with new Ticketmaster accounts is they are often subjected to fraud monitoring locks and restrictions. Because brand new accounts have no purchase history, Ticketmaster will often limit their functionality to prevent scalpers and bots. This may include requiring CAPTCHA verifications, restricting checkout speeds, limiting daily purchases and other inconveniences. More established accounts that demonstrate legitimate human usage patterns escape these restrictions. This makes them faster and more reliable for purchasing in-demand tickets.
Geographic and Identify Advantages
Ticketmaster accounts also accumulate geographic and identity advantages over time. For instance, local customers may get priority access to venues and events near their listed location in the account. The billing addresses, payment methods and stable device IDs also help prove the account is legitimately tied to a real identity and location. Fresh accounts lack this depth of identity, so old accounts often have advantages accessing geo-restricted tickets. Furthermore, the names associated with long-term accounts may improve chances in ticket lotteries and other random selection processes.
Why Sell Old Accounts? Money!
Given all these advantages, there is a booming market for aged Ticketmaster accounts. For those no longer using their Ticketmaster accounts, selling them offers an opportunity to make quick cash. Depending on account history and perks, people can sell old Ticketmaster accounts for $100 to $600+. Products like LoyaltyBear even facilitate brokering these account sales. So EMPTY accounts just sitting around accumulate value. Savvy sellers take advantage of this demand.
Risks of Account Sharing
While tempting for buyers and sellers, using accounts not registered personally does violate Ticketmaster’s Terms of Service. If detected, Ticketmaster may cancel tickets or suspend accounts engaged in unauthorized account sharing. Ticketing accounts are also sometimes placed under identity verification or have limits imposed if suspicious patterns occur. Buyers should weight these risks of account bans and order cancellations against any perceived benefits.
The Technology Arms Race
To combat shared accounts and other tricks, Ticketmaster is in an arms race with these unauthorized account users. As buyers find ways around limits, Ticketmaster implements new safeguards, trying to verify identity and maintain fairness. Technologies like multi-factor authentication, device fingerprinting, facial recognition, and ticket delivery requirements help Ticketmaster restrict abuses. But the market pressure remains, so account sharing continues.
Is It Ethical?
The ethics of account sharing are questionable. While those buying and selling accounts view it simply as savvy arbitrage, it does undermine Ticketmaster’s intentions and procedures. Strictly speaking, it violates the Ticketing Terms of Service. Circumventing ticket limits and gaining unauthorized presale access takes advantage of loopholes, denying ordinary fans fair access. Yet proponents view it as a victimless crime, just smart consumers navigating an imperfect system. There are reasonable arguments on both sides.
The Future of Ticketing
As long as there is more demand for hot tickets than supply, there will likely be a black market for Ticketmaster accounts and workarounds. Short of requiring government-issued ID verification, the loyalty programs and seniority benefits are here to stay. While Ticketmaster tries to manage this as best it can, ultimately the consumer demand drives the account sharing behavior. As technology improves, Ticketmaster may gain better tools to clamp down on unauthorized account use. But for now, the cat and mouse game continues.
Conclusion
The demand for aged Ticketmaster accounts stems from a variety of advantages they offer ticket buyers seeking scarce, high demand event seats. Loyalty presales, accumulated status, ticket limits, and identity benefits incentivize buyers to seek out these accounts. Sellers likewise capitalize on the opportunity to make easy money selling unused accounts. This black market persists as Ticketmaster tries to balance fairness with rewarding loyal customers. For fans desperate for prime tickets, the risks and ethics may be secondary to gaining any advantage. Until and unless Ticketmaster closes these account loopholes, the sharing market is likely to endure.