Have you ended up with extra Coachella tickets and aren’t sure the best way to sell them? With the iconic music festival headed back to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California from April 12-14 and April 19-21, 2024, demand for tickets is higher than ever.
Selling your extra tickets through secure sites and platforms can help you easily recover some costs while providing other fans the chance to attend this popular festival. This comprehensive guide covers tips, recommendations, and steps for safely and successfully selling your 2024 Coachella tickets.
Choose Reputable Resale Platforms
The first key step is selecting trustworthy resale platforms on which to list your extra Coachella tickets. Rather than selling through unauthorized channels, use leading secondary ticket marketplaces that provide protections for both buyers and sellers:
- StubHub – As one of the largest ticket resale sites, StubHub offers a FanProtect Guarantee covering both the buyer and seller. This makes transactions secure on both ends.
- Vivid Seats – Another highly reputable platform is Vivid Seats, which offers 100% Buyer Guarantee protection along with safe seller payments. Be sure to use promo code SC2022 at checkout for $20 off orders over $200.
- Ticketmaster Resale – For Coachella tickets, one option is the official partner Ticketmaster Resale site which provides a secure marketplace directly from Ticketmaster.
Additionally, you can list tickets through sites like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and Instagram. However, these may carry higher fraud risks so proceed with caution. Avoid direct bank payments and only use platforms with buyer & seller protections.
Provide Complete Ticket Listing Details
Once you’ve selected a platform, the next step is crafting your Coachella ticket listing. Be as accurate and transparent as possible to build trust and interest from serious buyers:
- Ticket type – Clearly specify if you are selling general admission, VIP, camping pass, shuttle pass, etc.
- Access – Note which festival weekend your tickets are valid for – Weekend 1 (April 12-14) or Weekend 2 (April 19-21).
- Quantity – Call out exactly how many tickets you have available for sale.
- Price – Research current market rates and set a competitive price while keeping fees in mind.
- Seat info – If applicable, identify relevant seat details like section, row and seat numbers.
- Restrictions – Disclose any ticket limits, terms or restrictions that apply.
Providing as much helpful ticket information as possible makes the listings more attractive to buyers.
Price Tickets Competitively
Pricing your Coachella tickets reasonably and competitively compared to current market rates is key to actually selling them:
- Research prices – Review average ticket selling prices across major resale sites to gauge appropriate pricing. Recent sold listings can indicate fair market value.
- Factor in fees – Account for any seller fees your resale platform may charge so you still net your minimum price after commissions.
- Consider demand trends – Weigh supply and demand around the event dates, which could impact price flexibility. Less competition early and more closer to the festival.
- Be flexible – Within reason, be willing to negotiate pricing with interested buyers, especially those purchasing multiple tickets. Discounts for bulk purchases.
Setting prices too high reduces chances of sales, while too low leaves money on the table. Aim for the fair market rate based on research for the best prospects. And build in some flexibility through best offers rather than firm fixed pricing.
Verify Buyer Identities to Avoid Scams
Unfortunately, ticket scams on unauthorized resale sites do occur. As a seller, take measures to verify buyer identities for your protection:
- Vet social channels – If selling tickets through social sites, carefully inspect buyer profiles for signs of authenticity versus fraud risk.
- Avoid direct bank payments – Never agree to direct wire transfers, Zelle payments, Venmo or other uncontrolled payment channels.
- Only use secure marketplace payments – Strictly transact via the protected payment systems integrated with reputable resale platforms like StubHub and VividSeats. This holds funds securely until ticket delivery is confirmed by the buyer.
- Video call new buyers – For buyers you haven’t previously interacted with, request a quick video call to verify identity prior to finalizing the transaction.
- Trust your instincts – If something seems questionable about a buyer or payment method, don’t ignore red flags. Protect yourself by avoiding transactions with unattributed buyers.
While most ticket buyers have good intentions, staying vigilant regarding verification and only using secure payments through resale platforms helps avoid potential scams as the seller.
List Early for Maximum Buyer Exposure
Timing your Coachella ticket listings for maximum visibility is another sales tactic. Typically, the earlier you list extra tickets, the wider your exposure to prospective buyers across the US:
- Capitalize on early demand – Avid fans research ticket options months in advance to prepare trip plans. Listing tickets shortly after the lineup announcement captures this eager buyer segment.
- Avoid seller competition – As the festival gets closer, more fans unable to attend look to sell too. Early listings face less selling competition.
- Allow sufficient sales time – Give buyers adequate purchase consideration time rather than last minute rushed decisions.
That said, a segment of buyers do wait until the last minute hoping for price drops. Maintaining listings up until just before the festival caters to these spontaneous shoppers too.
Balancing early and late listing exposure connects with both planner and last minute Coachella ticket buyers.
Promote Listings on Social Media
Amplifying visibility of your Coachella ticket sales listings via social media is another potential sales driver. Target Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and direct friends with your ticket availability:
- Post to relevant Facebook Groups – Identify Coachella-specific groups like “Coachella Tickets 2024” to directly reach interested buyers.
- Hashflag Insta Stories – Leverage the custom #Coachella2024 hashtag-flag for Insta Stories visibility during high research periods.
- Tweet ticket links – Directly link to your ticket listings via Twitter posts so buyers can quickly click to purchase.
- Text event-going friends – Personally text ticket listing details to friends you know already planned on attending the festival.
Promoting ticket links through your personal social channels taps into an interested buyer subset impossible to reach solely via platform listings.
Return Tickets via AXS Official Exchange
If you purchased tickets directly during presales on AXS, the promoter provides an Official Ticket Exchange to return tickets for resale:
- Resell to waitlist – Returned tickets get offered to waitlist buyers at dynamic demand-based prices rather than getting wasted.
- No fees – The exchange allows returning tickets with no add-on fees deducted like third-party resellers.
- Refund options – Those returning tickets receive refund payouts within 7-10 business days once tickets successfully resell to waitlisters.
For direct AXS buyers with unneeded tickets, leveraging the official exchange puts tickets back in high-demand fan hands while providing refunds.
Follow All Legal Terms and Conditions
When reselling event tickets, be sure to follow all legal regulations, terms and conditions:
- No unfair markup – Avoid dramatically inflating prices above reasonable ticket value simply due to demand, which violates many state laws.
- Check event rules – Carefully review the Coachella event and ticket website for specific resale prohibitions or restrictions before listing tickets.
- Disclose ticket details – Failing to provide complete ticket details like weekend, restrictions and seat info violates many marketplace platform rules.
While reselling extra tickets is perfectly fine, ensure you follow applicable laws, rules and regulations to avoid legal repercussions. Check festival policies and platform selling guidance.
Have Ticket Purchase Proof Available
Lastly, prepare to provide proof of your original ticket purchase in case requested by buyers:
- Retain order confirmations – Keep the initial ticket confirmation email from Coachella or your ticket reseller for documentation.
- Save payment receipts – Maintain any payment receipts associated with the original ticket purchase for verification.
- Note ticket locations – If hard stock tickets, carefully note locations to retrieve tickets if needed to complete sales.
Though infrequent, some buyers request ticket source verification for fraud prevention and cancellation protection. Having documentation demonstrates legitimate ownership and mitigates questions.
Conclusion
Selling extra Coachella tickets requires following security best practices around pricing, buyer verification and payment methods. But utilizing leading resale marketplaces along with social reach enables recovering costs fairly easily.
Choose sites like StubHub and VividSeats for protections. Check event policies for restrictions. And leverage both early and late listing timing for maximum visibility.
