buying a ticket off ebay?

[whateverworksout]

i've always just bought a ticket off the official websites as soon as they go on sale but i've heard a lot of people get them a lot cheaper off ebay, just wondering how reliable that is and whether people recommend doing it/how close to the festival would i have to wait to find them cheaper as i don't want to leave it too late and then they sell out so i end up not going all for the sake of saving like £10 or something

[kaosmark2]

It's not reliable. Tickets might sell out and you end up paying more. The slower sell outs reduce the number of people who buy immediately before making plans (it's often due to people not getting holiday off work, or having transport issues), reducing the number available. In the past, people bought one for every mate they thought might go, knowing they'd be able to make their money back/profit if they didn't. The increasing slower sell-outs (or in '11s case failure to) won't help you get a bargain any more. Last year I got mine for £170, so that's a saving of about £35, but I suspect the availability of significantly cheaper ones will reduce yet again this year.

I've never got a fake ticket doing it, BUT you have to be aware there's the chance of that. Ultimately, if you're 100% sure you want to go, buy through the official websites (ideally the efests links to support this site).

That said, I've bought more Reading tickets through ebay than through official sites. My reasoning is that my parents live right nearby, so I don't actually waste that much money on travel if I don't get in, I've not liked the lineup ENOUGH to justify the full ticket price, and I've been OK with the idea that it might not work out, and comfortable negotiating with street touts if I felt I needed to.

If you decide to go the ebay route, the time to do it is between 1-6 weeks before the festival. If you go earlier than that, you can't claim your money back if the ticket doesn't get you in because of how ebay's buyer protection rules work. If you go later, unless you can meet the seller, there's a chance it might not get to you in time. Also, bear in mind scams where they put the item as "photograph of reading ticket" or try and suggest it's a weekend ticket when actually it's a day ticket. They're fairly easy to spot, but make sure to read every bit of a listing before bidding.

If you definitely want to go, your mates are getting tickets, you feel it's worth the price and can afford it, buy through the official sites. It IS the only way to ensure you get a valid ticket that will get you in. Ebay's often worth the gamble, but you've got to accept what it is.

[Bisque]

I usually pay between £70-£125 for my Reading ticket. If you buy within a month of the tickets being posted you'll be covered by PayPal for a refund.

[Dead throne]

don't do it.

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

Why not? The line up isn't worth paying full price for, if you know what you're doing there's very little risk.

[Bisque]

don't do it.

[Chinaski_]

I've done it the last couple of years, saves you a bit of money and I've never had any trouble. Rather ironically Viagogo (of all people) have been selling tickets for very cheap close to the festival, try late July/early August for a bargain.

[Dead throne]

Why? I have never had any trouble. Just be sensible... check ratings, keep in contact with seller. Used to be the only way I could get a ticket as I couldn't afford it earlier in the year.