TicketsNow is preparing to add to its ticket delivery methods with the launch next month of the TicketFast barcode option that parent company Ticketmaster uses.
The move will help TicketsNow further fall in line with the operations of Ticketmaster and will also give customers another way to obtain the tickets they purchase. TicketFast tickets are emailed to the buyer who can then print them out at home on their computer.
In an email to brokers Tuesday, TicketsNow President and CEO Cheryl Rosner explained the company was adding the delivery method to help improve customer confidence:
I am pleased to announce the upcoming release of our new TicketFast® delivery option. In partnership with Ticketmaster, we will be providing consumers with the most options for ticket delivery, an important milestone in meeting one of my stated goals; improving consumer confidence in resale.
Our initial release will enable us to validate and reissue tickets for select Ticketmaster events and will only require that you enter the barcode for each ticket sold at the time of delivery if the consumer selects TicketFast® delivery. We will be promoting this new delivery option and fully expect it to have a positive impact for our broker partners with increased sales, improved fraudulent ticket identification and easier ticket fulfillment and delivery.
We will be sending an email the week of Sept. 22 with more detailed instructions and will also provide you with a list of potential events that may have the TicketFast® option enabled. This feature will be enabled on Oct. 1, 2008.
We are excited about this important first step towards fully electronic ticketing in resale.
Though the TicketFast system has been embraced by consumers for its convenience, it is not without its critics. The system is not yet offered for all events and all venues, and because people can print out multiple copies of a ticket, they could fraudulently resell that ticket dozens of times. But, only the first barcode scanned at a venue is valid.
“Make sure you keep the printed ticket in a safe place like you would cash, and protect it just like you would any other ticket! If more than one copy were to arrive, the barcode scanner will alert the attendant that the ticket has already been scanned. If there is a dispute, the purchaser’s name and the last four-digits of the credit card used to make the purchase is on each ticket,” Ticketmaster states on its Web site.
