Using Google and BBB When Buying Concert Tickets

Previously I posted Buying Concert and Event Tickets Online. A short best practices guide for buying concert tickets online.

The following expands on the BBB and Google research aspects of finding a reputable online merchant. This will work for any product you buy online. I will use concert tickets for the purposes of this article.

Whenever I buy anything online, in just a few minutes, I can weed out iffy online stores. And I also have a nice list of reputable stores that I can go comparison shopping on. Since I've actually been through this process several times. In the rest of this example I will be looking for event tickets.

First, I go to Google©, or your favorite search engine, and type wicked tickets chicago. I use the broadest search term to bring up the maximum amount of sponsored links. In this case I'm looking to buy wicked tickets, so I want to find ads. If someone is paying for an advertisment they probably have the tickets.

Most of the time you will find enough results on the first couple pages. Click down as deep as you'd like though. Once the ads start repeating you should have a a nice list of sites that have exactly what you want.

Now I go to www.bbb.org, it's not the only resource, but it's one of the best. The BBB is a quick, easy way to find out about sellers. Simply click on the USA site to search nationwide. The site then gives you several ways to search for on and off line merchants and charities.

1. I click on Check Out a Busines or Charity button.
2. Type my main keyword, "tickets" in the Business/Charity Name box.
3. Select a state, city or zip code if you want to narrow my search.
4. Check the "Limit my results to BBB Accredited Businesses" box and click Search.

Now I have a nice list of sites that I feel comfortable buying tickets from that are also on google. It's really that simple. I can't speak for everyone, but I've never had an issue using this method.

Related Articles

Buying Concert and Event Tickets Online (3/13/2010)

What Happens After I Buy My Tickets Online? (3/14/2010)