Every once in a while I’m going to put up a “tutorial” on this site that doesn’t exactly fit in with the others. This is the first one..
Using the following steps, I have never been shut out of a concert or event that I wanted to attend. This includes getting tickets for the hugely popular Pearl Jam in Atlantic City shows. Please read the disclaimer if you plan on using this method to buy tickets with the intent of reselling for profit.
No, not your alarm clock - the clock on your computer. I couldn’t possibly count the number of times I’ve heard someone say “I got to Ticketmaster.com right at 10:00AM when the tickets went on sale, but they were already sold out!”. What really happened was you got to Ticketmaster when you thought it was 10AM. Just because your watch or PC time says it’s 10:00AM, doesn’t necessarily make it so.
To fix this, sync your computer’s time with the Atomic Time. Windows XP has a built-in feature that allows you to sync your PC with an atomic clock, although the default server that it uses has been problematic in the past. Because of this, I suggest using Atomic TimeSync, a free Windows utility (for 95, 98, NT, 2K, ME and XP).
Using Atomic TimeSync
- Run Atomic TimeSync 10 or 15 minutes before the tickets go on sale (make sure that you’re online)
- Double-click its icon in your system tray
- Click the Get Atomic Time button, and then the Synchronize button
- If everything was successful, you can skip the next few steps and move on to the using Ticketmaster section.
- If you had a problem getting the Atomic Time, first make sure your Internet connection is working. If you’re certain that you’re online, you might need to switch the server that Atomic TimeSync uses. To do this, right-click the Atomic TimeSync icon in your system tray and select Config
- If you live in North America, enter north-america.pool.ntp.org in the Network Time Server field. If you live elsewhere, visit this site to find an Atomic Time server for your area.
- Repeat step #3 and you should be set.
Ticketmaster has implemented a number of tricks to stop you from getting the tickets you want. Actually, what they’ve done is try to keep things “fair” and avoid system crashes on their end. Here are some ways to maximize your chances of getting those tickets.
- Most important - create your Ticketmaster account, and sign in to it, before the tickets go on sale. This ensures that you 1) won’t find out at the last minute that you’ve forgotten your Ticketmaster password and 2) decreases the number of steps you’ll have to go through when buying tickets.
- Do not use your browsers Refresh button, at all, on Ticketmaster.com. Ticketmaster uses cookies, your IP address and who-knows-what-else to track exactly what you’re doing. Going to the event page a minute before tickets go on sale and hitting refresh will almost certainly guarantee that you do not get tickets.
- Instead, enter the artist/team/event name in the search field, and as soon as your computers clock changes to the onsale time, click Search.
- You’ll be presented with either a page to narrow down your search (image 1) or a list of events (image 2). To find out which of the screens that you’ll get, try this search ahead of time (the day before the tickets go on sale)
Click to enlarge image 1
Click to enlarge image 2Your goal should be to get to a screen that says Find Tickets directly next to the event you want to attend, 1 (one) click after the time the tickets go on sale.
3. Multiple Browsers, with proxies
If you’re very quick with your keyboard and mouse, something you may want to try is using multiple web browsers at the time of sale. I use 3 each time I know that the event will be hard to get tickets for. For Windows I would suggest Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera. For Mac, I’d suggest Safari, Firefox and Camino.
If you’re going to try using multiple browsers, you’ll want to make sure they don’t share cookies and they’re each coming from a different IP address. For example, if you use Avant Browser and Internet Explorer, they share cookies, and Ticketmaster will recognize both browsers as being the same.
Proxies have a variety of uses, one of which is that they can “hide” your actual IP address from the site you’re visiting. Some proxies require that you specify the address in your browsers settings, others you can use via the web. If you work for a company that requires you to use a proxy when checking your email or to access internal resources, I’d strongly suggest using it. Finding “free” proxies via Google can be a chore.
Make sure to visit http://www.whatsmyip.net from each browser, and make sure that your IP shows up differently in each.
Literally. If you work somewhere that has a broadband connection, and it’s better than your home dial-up, DSL or cable, use it. The added bonus of doing this at work is that you can recruit some of your co-workers to help (sign them in to Ticketmaster with your account, make sure their PC is synced using Atomic TimeSync etc). If your employer frowns on this kind of thing, (quit), maybe it’s not worth losing your job over (depends on the concert).
My parting piece of advice is to try this with an event you don’t really want to go to (just don’t actually purchase the tickets at the end). Use a Rolling Stones concert or playoff sporting event as a test (they’re usually ‘difficult’ to get tickets for).
Disclaimer: If you use the above guidelines to buy tickets with the intent of reselling them for profit (scalping) you will burn in eternal hellfire. I have published this info to help good people not have to deal with scalpers like you. Note: most professional scalpers use tactics much more advanced than this anyway. Like paying street-people to stand in line.
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Hi. I thought I’d react about your “multiple browsers” solution. I’ve just done a test, having 2 Internet Explorers opened at the same time on the same machine. I have a entered a ticket qty, then entered the word you have to type and submitted the word on both internet explorer in the same second.
Both browsers resulted in different ticket offers. Just as if I was able to buy these 2 different pairs. And both browsers were on the same machine, so they had the same IP.
Cookies doesn’t seem to conflict here. Please comment this. Reply to my email please as I may not check this page often.
Thanks for your tips.
Christian -
I’ll answer here (in comments) as well as by email. I think that it depends on the event. When something has been on sale for a while and isn’t close to selling out, I think the ’security’ restrictions are lighter. In the past I’ve been “locked out” for 60 seconds by Ticketmaster.com for using 2 instances of the same browser. It’s also entirely possible that they’ve changed the “policy” and you can use as many browsers as you want. For me it’s never been an issue to open different browsers as the computers I use to buy tickets are always pretty fast..
Hope this helps -
Ross
First of all great info. But I am having trouble with the clock. I downloaded it and put in the proper time server (North America) and I click Get Atomic Time. But then it says retrieving for a little while and then says unable to contact server. Any help?
Thanks
Amir,
There’s a list of servers you can use here: http://tf.nist.gov/service/time-servers.html
I’m in Canada and use the U of Colorado server - so I’d expect that one would work for you. If you have trouble with all of the servers, then there’s a “problem” on your PC. The most likely problem would be a firewall blocking traffic on the port that Atomic TimeSync uses (I’m using my Mac right now otherwise I’d check, but I THINK Atomic uses port 13). Check your firewall log files to see if it includes anything about Atomic Sync trying to access the Internet, and then create a rule to allow it. If you need help by all means let me know.
Ross
Got it working, thanks.
Very, very informative post.
Great post. I have one question, though. If you use two or three different browsers using different proxies, doesn’t Ticketmaster still recognize you because you’ve logged into their website with your registered name and password?
does it matter if you dont set your computer for atomic time? would you still be ok by just going by the time on your cell phone and starting clicking at one minute before the event goes on sale?
Thanks for the tips! I had bookmarked a direct link to an upcoming show on TicketMaster thinking that would be the quickest route to a ticket.
I used your tip about using TMs search tool and found out that there is a pre-sale that is one full day earlier!
That tip alone is invaluable!
Thanks for this. With Boss tickets going on sale in two weeks I’m worried scalper are going to get to them before I do.
Ha, bruce tickets are exactly why I looked this up. Good luck!
Another helpful hint: make sure your browser security settings are set to allow both secure and no secure feeds. Internet Explorer will often have pop up boxes asking ‘if the site is trusted’ even if you have entered ticketmaster in the trusted site roster. every time you hit ‘yes’ or ‘continue’ to this question, 2 or 3 minutes appears to be added to the ticket search and response time…i have not found this with Mozilla, etc. But the lesson did cost me Springsteen tickets at face value…..
Great post, lots of great tips. One question though, is there an atomic time to get for a Mac user? or is the mac already set? Sorry if I missed this detail or should already know the answer.
thank you, for helping to beat the scalpers… I hate them too.
@Tim
It’s built into the OS
Go to Time and Date in the System Prefs (or just click the time in your menu bar). In Leopard it’s “Set date & time automatically” and you use time.apple.com as the server. In fact I *think* all of this is the default setting.
thanks Ross.
I’m still not sure about the whole finding of another server (I have safari and firefox as you suggested) but getting them on differnent proxies….hmmm, I’m not even sure what a proxie does, how to find another one ect… sorry, not as sharp on this stuff as I should be.
Tim
thanks Ross.
I’m still not sure about the other server thing (I have safari and firefox as you suggested) but getting them on differnent proxies….hmmm, I’m not even sure what a proxie does, well sort of.
Went to the sites you linked, and the free one only serves windows and I can’t tell if the others work for mac. as you know I’m mac. Is the idea to get an anonymous proxie and then use more than one server (eg. firefox and safari) on the same machine at one time? I have two laptops can they both be used with the same ticketmaster account, at the same time? they would both be on the same wireless network here in my house, would that tip off ticketmaster some how?
Could I use both laptops each with the two browsers and the same ticketmaster account at the same time?
sorry lots of questions, but I REALLY want to do this right to get these tix going on sale monday morning.
Again thanks so much. The internet would really suck if folks like you did not offer so much great help… for free!!! Down right sainthood is what it’s called!
Tim
Presale Passwords help when you want to get tickets to a popular event. I run a blog where I post over 200 presale passwords every month.
http://ticketmaster-presale.blogspot.com/
Ross- Thank you so much for this post! I got much sought after RADIOHEAD tix after following these steps : ]
@Diana:
That’s awesome! Which city are you seeing them in? I might go to their show in Vancouver, but I’ve yet to decide… (pretty expensive, and I don’t like large venue’s - but that’s pretty much the only way you’re going to see Radiohead)
Thanks to your excellent tips, I was able to snag a ticket to the upcoming Tom Waits show!
I’m a very happy monkey now, thanks to you!
Thank you so much!!!!!! It worked!!! I got excellent seats and am so looking forward to see Elton John. Folks try this it really works!!!!!!!
You’ve just made my whole entire life for helping me get Coheed and Cambria passes.
I’ll love you forever!
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