There are a multitude of websites from which to buy tickets on the web, be it from a shows official website, an agency, a ticket exchange site or an auction site like Ebay.  Purchasing tickets online can be a preferable method for securing tickets if you want to plan a trip to theatre well in advance and/or if you live abroad and want to secure a ticket for a show on your arrival. However there are a few things we think you should consider before making an online payment.

Ticket Websites – please add your review:

• Theatreline

Our Advice on Online Purchasing

• Is the site you are purchasing from the official show site? Sometimes this is the safest way to purchase a ticket, however official sites are not always the place to go for discounts.
• If you are purchasing through an agency then check for the STAR logo
•  Is the payment method secure? Does it have the secure logo (usually a padlock) at the top of the browser? If it does not then it is highly inadvisable to purchase a ticket
• Is there a contact telephone number? All legitimate sites should have a number for you call should you wish to speak to someone about a ticketing issue. (See our advice on booking over the phone below
• Ebay or ticket exchange sites:  If a show is genuinely ‘sold out’ Ebay or exchange sites could seem like the only way to get hold of sort after tickets. However you will be taking a gamble as whether or not the seller is honest. The tickets could be duplicates, way over the face value and/or not as described. For example, a seller that is offering 6 seats to a sold out performance may well have 6 individual seats, but there is no way of knowing that they will all be together. Also purchasing through systems like PayPal often adds a further level of security to your transaction.

Our Advice on Telephone Purchases

If you see a ticket site also has a phone line, you may prefer to speak to somebody in person. Having a real person to interact with is peferable to some customers as they like to feel they are being listened to and that their needs are going to be understood and therefore met. However we still feel that customers should consider the following advice when considering an over the phone purchase:

As booking over the phone would involve reading out personal details it is advisable that you know exactly who you are calling before you attempt to purchase tickets. Make sure the person on the other end of the phone lays out all of the information of the booking (such as the time, date, price etc of the performance) before you make a purchase. As a general rule, it is not advisable to contact a phone line that has no associated website or fixed address.