Looking for things to do around Dallas?

If so, there are several fun events taking place around the Dallas area such as Tech N9ne (March 29), the Daniel Tosh show (April 7), or even Dayglow show (April 14). The only issue is that the tickets to these shows tend to be upward of $50, so most people usually don’t think it is worth spending the money. However, if you know where to look, you could have a fantastic night for an immensely reduced price.

Usually the easiest way to get cheap tickets is through scalping, but doing this is very unsafe and illegal in most cities; therefore, the next best way to get cheap tickets is online. It is very similar to scalping in that you have to wait until the event is about to start before the prices drop to their lowest, and you are never guaranteed tickets.

While your physical safety is not in harm when buying tickets online, your fiscal safety is at risk if you do not take the right preventative measures; there are many fake websites designed to steal your money and your identity.

For example, before the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, an online ticketing scam charged buyers for tickets, but the buyers never received tickets; these scammers received over £5 million with just these ticket sales.

To avoid scams, always go to reputable websites. There are many lists that will tell you the top ticket resalers, but the most well known are StubHub, TicketExchange, Ticket Liquidator and eBay. These websites have many great deals but also very different costs and service charges. In order to find the best prices, look at the total price of each ticket including the surcharges.

If you do look at different websites that aren’t as reputable, be sure to do some research to make sure that they are legitimate.

First, make sure that the ticket seller is a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers or the Better Business Bureau because these different agencies ensure the legitimacy of businesses.

Second, make sure that the website clearly explains surcharges, policies for refunds, rescheduling and cancellations. Next, look to see that the website has an address that starts with “https” or has a lock icon in the bar.

This means that the website is secure and that any information you give them will be safe.

Fourth, look at the tickets the website is offering you to make sure that the seat actually exists; you can look up the seating chart of each venue and reference that when looking at the ticket.

Finally, if you are unable to find a phone number or fixed address for the ticket seller, do not buy tickets from them.

This means that if there are any issues with your order, there is no way to contact the company to resolve the problem.

If you follow these steps, you will be well on your way to fun, affordable nights and can even get an early start to summer break.