Ebay

[FlyYourKite]

Ok so I snagged two GA tickets last night on Ebay. Two GAs to Toronto 9/17, hard tickets not ticketfast, and there was no picture of them displaying the barcode. I checked out the seller's feedback and 100% of it was positive and he had sold numerous tickets in the past. I e-mailed him with a few questions and got immediate and professional responses. They were sent out this morning and should arrive within 3-4 business days.

Alright, now I'm getting very anxious. I don't know what I'll do if these are fake. It seems very legit to me....I mean why would someone risk their reputation over a pair of tickets? Still though...I will definitely check them as soon as I get them and compare them with my Chicago ticket.

Can someone calm me down please? I know some people have had no problems with ebay but just ease my worries would ya?

 

[daygloeyes2]

I think you should be OK. Maybe you could send a message to one of the previous buyers(they're on the feedback page) and ask if they ever had any problems.

 

[leeannml]

We actually bought our Chicago 1 tickets through E-bay and everything went great, and funnily enough, we are now trying to buy tickets to Toronto 4 too!! Our seller had 100% feedback, got the tickets to us 2 day air and they scanned just fine. There was actually an article in the Chicago paper when we arrived talking about fake tickets so we were really nervous too.

The article said the way to tell if they are real is to tear them just a tiny bit on the bottom once you get them. If you can see blue threads running through the paper where you tore it, then they are real. We did this and sure enough, blue threads. Try this when you get them to help put your mind at ease.

Maybe we'll see you in Toronto, Chicago was awesome!!

 

[Liesje]

I tried some tricks I learned on here for how to detect fakes and it worked for me:

First, tear the ticket (just a tiny bit) somwhere where it doesn't matter. Inside, my ticket had a blue layer of fiber.

Then, light a match or a lighter and hold the ticket above it somewhere where it doesn't matter (NOT the barcode!!!). Immediately, the ticket will turn black on the top side, but won't burn on the bottom side. If it burns or turns brown like it's being cooked, then it's a fake.

 

[FlyYourKite]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I'll just wait nervously until they arrive and I can test them. I'll let you know what the verdict is!

 

[Chizip]

ripping your tickets to shreds and then lighting whats left of them on fire seems a little extreme

ive known lots of people who have gotten tickets from ebay and they have not had any problems, i wouldnt worry if i were you

 

[leeannml]

I'm not suggesting tearing your tickets to shreds, we tore a tiny bit in the bottom corner of ours just to see if the blue threads were there. Obviously you wouldn't tear the damn thing in half looking for them.

I totally understand FYK's nervousness, those pups ain't cheap on E-Bay!!!

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

Try taking your tickets to a local Ticketmaster outlet and have someone there take a look at them. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about, but doing this will help you rest assured until September.

 

[U2 Blinky Light]

I tried some tricks I learned on here for how to detect fakes and it worked for me:

First, tear the ticket (just a tiny bit) somwhere where it doesn't matter. Inside, my ticket had a blue layer of fiber.

Then, light a match or a lighter and hold the ticket above it somewhere where it doesn't matter (NOT the barcode!!!). Immediately, the ticket will turn black on the top side, but won't burn on the bottom side. If it burns or turns brown like it's being cooked, then it's a fake.

you are correct, but a novice will likely still be confused. a $10 battery powered black light works great, and they're great for buying on the streets(found at record shops and spencers). most blinks(fakes) don't have anything detectable on black light. Philly was the first place i saw fake tickets.

 

[U2Jazz]

A couple things...

You don't have to tear the ticket at all to see the blue threads...just look at the perforated edge where the ticket was ripped from the other ticket...you can see the blue there. BUT...the Toronto tickets DO NOT HAVE the blue threads in the middle. They are plain white all the way through. I just ripped my address ticket in half (that I got directly from Ticketmaster, so I know it's real)...no blue at all.

All these U2 tickets are printed with heat, not with ink. the words are burned onto the ticket. If it smears, it is ink and is fake. If you want to test the actual surface, an iron works much better than a lighter...you're not risking igniting the ticket. Just place a warm iron on a corner of the front...the part the iron touches will instantly turn black.

Don't compare a Toronto ticket to a Chicago ticket...I have both and they are pretty different. The colors are different. There is no tiny "TICKETMASTER" text around the middle part on the Toronto ones. Instead, there is a light Canadian flag in the middle. The Toronto ones have a zig-zag perforation down the middle instead of the straight line on the Chocago's. I have Toronto GAs to both 9/16 and 9/17...if you want me to send you a picture I'd be happy to.

 

[8rattoon]

Don't worry about it. Most sellers aren't gonna risk their reps, and if worse comes to worst you can get your money back.

 

[tabmanmatt]

should be fine, just be careful

I got my Chicago 2 show ticket on ebay for dirt cheap and was a little worried. But it turned out legit and everything was cool. just try those tricks people are writing and you should be fine.

 

[NHChris]

To a degree greater than for other bands, U2's fans are a top-notch group. You will find a marvelous kinship among fans, and that extends to dealings like these. I bought two GA tickets for Boston October 3 and traded one of them to a guy for a single October 4 ticket...so I could attend those two shows rather than just the one I originally had tickets for. The trade went flawlessly; he was thrilled; I was thrilled. The only slight mis-giving I have is that the ticket I traded said 'GA-Fan' and the one I got didn't. So, my fear is that I won't get into the ellipse October 4. In the end, small potatos.

Chris in NH

 

[leeannml]

U2 Jazz - could you post that photo of your tickets or e-mail it to me privately? We just ordered Toronto tickets on E-bay and we are a bit worried they might not be real. The seller had all positive feedback until AFTER our auction ended (of course!) then all of a sudden he has 2 negatives pop-up. We haven't received them yet, but if they actually show-up we want to be sure they are real.

Thanks!!!
Leeannml (e-mail: leeannml@bellsouth.net)

 

[leeannml]

Bump for a reply from U2 Jazz