[Amphibious Ticket Minion]

HOW TO BUY AND SELL A BURNING MAN TICKET

There are some folks who try to profit off of reselling tickets, fake or legit. This goes against the ethos of our community. Below are some tips to keep these transactions safe and ensure no hassles at the gate.

RESELLING AT A HIGHER PRICE JUST PLAIN SUCKS
If you want to sell your ticket we ask that you please do not sell it for more than you paid. If buying, do not buy a ticket for higher than the face value printed on it. As long as people are willing to get overcharged, there will always be unscrupulous folks out there peddling overpriced tickets.

There are many security features on the tickets including special shiny gold foil on one side, maroon foil on the back and raised embossing in a custom pattern. Buying in person means you can check the tickets for these features and make sure the numbers and price match what you’ve been told.

SCAM WARNINGS
We suggest you buy your ticket from a legitimate source: the Burning Man website tickets.burningman.com or one of the walk in ticket outlets (listed on the ticket page), and save yourself the hassle of at the very least feeling ripped off and at the most not being allowed into the event because you have a fake ticket. If you choose to purchase through a third party we highly suggest you meet in person for the tickets and not risk buying through the mail. The Eplaya is a good place to post buying or selling tickets.

Here are scams to look out for that have happened in the past:
1. Seller gives tickets numbers from another person’s tickets and may even produce photos of the tickets, doesn’t actually have the tickets though, then collects money via mail or Paypal and cuts off contact with buyer. Recourse: possible chargeback through Paypal, no recourse if money order or cash
2. Seller gives their ticket numbers out, collects money and mails an empty envelope or nothing at all. Recourse: possible chargeback through Paypal, no recourse if money order or cash
3. Seller claims tickets can be printed out at home using a special link they will give out. Collects money and sends bogus email, then cuts off contact. NOTE: BURNING MAN TICKETS CANNOT BE PRINTED AT HOME.
Recourse: possible chargeback through Paypal, no recourse if money order or cash

GET INFORMED
If you are buying a ticket and want to check to make sure it hasn’t been reported lost, stolen or part of a scam - send us an email partiserv(at) burningman(dot)com BEFORE you buy it with ALL of the following:
1. The full name of the original ticket holder and the email address they used to purchase the ticket(s)
2. The 8 character ticket serial codes off the back of the ticket(s) as well as the 5 digit number. Without all of that information we cannot check for you.

We will let you know to the best of our ability that the tickets have not been reported lost or stolen or falsely used in any kind of scam. But in the end we cannot be responsible for a dishonest person who is running a scam. We just do what we can on our end.

If you are buying or selling a ticket, please let us know your mailing address so we can make sure to get you the current Survival Guide and other important information about Burning Man 2010. Our permits require us to send every ticket holder a Survival Guide and it contains unique important information each year. We absolutely do not sell or give your information to ANYONE. Send us an email to: partiserv@burningman.com with your street address and whose tickets you are purchasing.

Good luck buying and selling and a safe journey to the playa!

BM Ticket Minions
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" Causality? Well, OK, you know one event causes another, OK, but sometimes you just gotta say, the laws of time and space? Who gives a smeg!' "-Kryten

[1962]

I'd love to read any tips for people who bought a ticket but then can't go, and are selling it. I'm selling mine through this eplaya forum and am doing everything possible to have the buyer be sure it's legit. But if you can't find a local buyer (even in Chicago! Geez!) how do sellers protect themselves before putting our glorious ticket in the mail to a total stranger? Is it a given that they pay you first?

[AntiM]

Indeed, they pay you first. Use paypal so if the ticket never appears, they can get their money back. I used paypal but the guy was a flake (sold two tickets and thought I was the happy lady, not the angry lady) and by the time he told me he couldn't figure out how to fill out the UPS insurance claim, my time to claim with paypal was past. (I think he did and kept the money). I got burned, the ticket had vanished in the UPS truck in my hometown. That's why there's a piece of candy in the envelope, so it can't fall behind things.
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Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects.

[Sunkix4]

How long after we email for verification should we expect to hear back?!? I'm so anxious to have my ticket in hand!! :)

[Risky]

*sigh*

[1962]

Here's what we did that worked too:

Seller of ticket (me) videotapes self putting ticket into mailer already addressed to buyer with decoration or other markings to identify it. Make sure you video the package being sealed with the ticket inside.

Then at the post office, stamp and insure it, then again videotape the package up close (for identifying) -- and video it going into the mailbox there.

Immediately send the videos to the buyer.

Doesn't make the seller confident unless payment was received already. But definitely helps the buyer who's waiting for that package to arrive.

P.S. Checking out each other via email, live phone etc helps too.

[Tiglove17]

What are the procedures for selling/buying will call tickets??!

[LindseyRaeFace]

Wil call ticket info:

http://tickets2.burningman.com/faq.php#elsepickup

=)

My Question: Whats the best way to handle this: A person is bartering a ticket fo massage, im ther massae therapist, they are will call tickets. I think they bought their tickets together so they cant change the whole order, can they pick up their tickets and leave mind under my name to pick up with photo ID?

THANKS!

[MrNobodyWTB]

"If you want to sell your ticket we ask that you please do not sell it for more than you paid."

If I [i]were[/i] to be reselling a ticket (for whatever reason). I would merely want to re-coup the entire costs that the ticket cost me.

"If buying, do not buy a ticket for higher than the face value printed on it."

When you buy your ticket online when they go on sale, you also have to pay for shipping, and taxes, which equal to more than the face value.



I'm not saying anyone should charge more than what they paid, I'm merely pointing out that some people might have paid more than face value for their tickets, because of tax and shipping.. my 2cents anyway.


Hope to see you all out there, and be safe!!!
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"Dream As If You'll Live Forever, Live As If You'll Die Today"
~James Dean