Buy Concert Tickets Online

Let's face it. Ticketmaster didn't get to be the name in concert tickets by not knowing how to sell 'em. The concert area of the Web site features news about bands and where they're playing, hyperlinks to music industry sites, a lounge where you can chat with celebrities, promotional ticket giveaways, venue information that includes seating charts, and a store with entertainment paraphernalia sporting names from Barry Manilow to KISS and 311.

Oh, and there's a box office. You can search for a specific event or performer, peruse a category (such as concerts), or see what's coming up at your favorite arena. If you want to purchase tickets online, look for a lightning bolt and a "purchase tickets online" button. Tickets for select shows will go on sale online two hours after they're up for grabs at ticket and phone centers; the company says it's working on making tickets immediately available online.

When you click the "purchase tickets online" button to establish a connection with the ticketing computer, you'll be asked how many tickets you want, where you prefer to sit, and how you want the tickets delivered. You'll need either a credit card or a TMO Plus account. When you're done filling out the form, the program sends your request to the appropriate ticketing system.

Ticketmaster, of course, has its limitations, primarily that tickets sell out. That's where services such as WebTix (http://www. tixs.com) step in. Ac-cording to its Web site, Web-Tix is the most established and largest ticket classified advertisements s ite on the Internet. In the past two years, it has handled tens of thousands of classified ads for tickets to sporting events, concerts, and travel destinations.

If you go into the concert section, you'll find classified ads—many of which include E-mail addresses for contacting the sellers—that you can either scroll through or search by region. You also can post your own ad.

A similar site is TicketCenter.com (http:// www.ticketcenter.com), where you can again post an ad to sell or buy tickets concert and sports tickets and read existing ads. Because the listings are in database format, it's easy to search by event name, date, or location, and the grid format is easy to scan quickly.

Be warned, however, that classified ad services do not make any guarantees about the tickets for sale or the people who are selling them. You'll be on your own for contacting the buyer or seller and making the trade.

A privately owned company called Who Needs Two? (http://www.ticketbroker.com) has a slightly different take on Internet ticket exchange, but it may end up costing you more.

This independent company buys and sells tickets for local and national concerts, sporting events, theater, opera, and symphony.

The company uses many sources to acquire tickets, including season ticket holders, box offices, ticket offices, Ticketmaster, other brokers, and individuals, and representatives specialize in finding tickets that are hard to come by. Prices are based upon the event, supply, demand, and seat location.

To order or sell tickets, fill out an online request with your name, address, telephone number, and information about the event. Prices quoted by Who Needs Two? will include all service charges. You'll need a credit card to actually purchase the tickets, and standard delivery is next day.

Another place to buy and sell tickets for major events around the world is the new Web site of a 10-year-old company called 24/7 Ticket Service (http://www.webtickets.com). Again, you fill out an online form about the tickets you want to buy or sell, and the company contacts you with more information. You also can access event schedules, seating charts, and an online bookstore.

Premium Seats, Inc. (http://www.premium seats.com), which calls itself the world's No. 1 ticket Web site, operates much the same and specializes in first-rate, hard-to-get, and sold-out tickets. You can send an E-mail message to the address listed, and a toll-free phone number is available.

Beyond these national services, you can do plenty of Internet research of your own. You might try looking for an online version of the newspaper in the city where the show is and checking the classified ads. If you subscribe to an online service, you might be able to find classified ads through it. You also could look for a Web site of the city or venue, which might have concert and ticket information. If you're more interested in the performer than a specific show, try searching for fan clubs and recor d labels.

As you can see, the possibilities are endless. Now, it's up to you to get your hands on the tickets of your dreams.

by Sarah D. Scalet