How do I know if my tickets are real?

With demand for hot West End shows such as Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Hamilton and Cabaret, through the roof, people will do anything, and go anywhere, to get a ticket. Some ticket sellers are not as reputable as others, and you may end up buying illegitimate tickets. So, one common question that always gets asked is – How do I know if my tickets are real? 

Well, firstly, you should always check when making your purchase that the source was legitimate and not a tout or an agent that was charging over the roof prices. If you can be sure that the company you bought from are reputable then the tickets are likely to be valid.

When you receive a ticket there should be key information about your booking displayed clearly. Legally, companies are required to show the Face Value of the ticket as well as the selling price, so you can see what you are buying and paying for clearly. The Face Value is the value of the ticket set by the producers of the show. Agents and companies will have booking fees on their tickets, and can charge up to 25%. Sometimes, the selling price of the ticket is less than the face value, this is nothing to worry about, it simply means, you may have bought a ticket on special offer, so you can see the price it should normally be, and what it is normally ‘worth’.

Tickets should have 2 parts, a perforated stubb so that that the theatre staff, have a copy of the ticket. The stubb will summarise the information and the main ticket is attached to it. It should provide the following details:
The Show Name
The address of the Venue
The date
The Time
Your Order Number
The Face Value of the Ticket
The selling price of the ticket
The company name
The seat numbers
And for those agents that are members of S.T.A.R, details should be written on the back of the ticket along with the guidelines.

Some agents and companies have their own version of tickets which have been approved by the theatre. The theatre can also issue their own tickets and forward them on to agents or direct to customers. So if the ticket has come from the theatre you know it is safe and legitimate.

Never accept a hand written ticket, details should always be printed and be of good quality. Tickets don’t always get mailed out, especially if you are making a last minute booking. In these circumstances tickets would be printed at the theatre and you collect them upon arrival, presenting ID and confirmation of the booking made.
These simple steps should definitely help you to answer ‘How do I know if my tickets are real?’