Vivid Seats: Is It Legit? 8 Things to Know

Vivid Seats is basically an online marketplace for event tickets. They've been around since 2001, which makes them ancient in internet years. The company's based in Chicago and they're not some sketchy operation. They went public on the NASDAQ in 2021, where you can look them up under the ticker SEAT.

Here's the important thing: Vivid Seats doesn't actually own the tickets they're selling. Think of them more like eBay, except instead of buying someone's old iPhone, you're buying their concert tickets. They're the middleman connecting you with ticket sellers – some are professional resellers, others are just regular people who can't make it to the game anymore.

What kind of stuff can you find? Pretty much everything. Concerts, sporting events – we're talking NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, all of it – plus Broadway shows, comedy nights, music festivals. They've partnered up with some big names too, like ESPN and the San Francisco 49ers, so you know they’re legit.

Okay, so is Vivid Seats legit? Short answer: Yes, they're the real deal. They've got an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, they're members of the National Association of Ticket Brokers, and they've sold something like 100 million tickets over the years. This is a real, licensed company. They're not going to just take your money and disappear. But just because a company is "legitimate", doesn't mean everyone has a perfect experience with them.

Vivid Seats has over a million 5-star reviews on ShopperApproved.com and they pull a solid 4.1 stars on Trustpilot. That sounds pretty good, but when you check out their BBB page, it's only 2.02 out of 5 stars based on customer reviews. And if you check Reddit, you'll find all sorts of mixed opinions – some love them, others are less enthusiastic.

Most people buy tickets, go to the event, have a great time, and never think about it again. But like any marketplace with thousands of different sellers, sometimes things go sideways. Think of it like Amazon – it’s obviously legit, but not every seller on Amazon provides a flawless service. The same principle applies here. The company is trustworthy, but your individual experience will vary depending on the seller and the event you're trying to attend.

You want to feel confident using Vivid Seats, so let us tell you everything you need to understand about how the whole thing works.

For buyers:

1. Head to their website or download their app.
2. Start browsing events.
3. Choose your tickets – you'll see listings from different sellers at different prices, sometimes for the same seats.
4. Vivid Seats handles the connection between you and whoever's selling.
5. The seller confirms everything's good to go.
6. Your tickets arrive via email, mobile transfer, or by mail.

For sellers:

Got tickets you can't use anymore? You can list them on Vivid Seats. Just make an account, post your tickets for whatever price makes sense to you, and if someone buys them, Vivid Seats takes a 10% cut. They pay you through PayPal once the event has taken place.

This is the buyer’s safety net. Vivid Seats has a 100% Buyer Guarantee that sounds pretty solid on paper. Here's what they promise:

•  ✅ Your tickets will actually work – they're valid and will get you into the event.
• ✅ They'll show up before the event (not days later when you're crying into your pillow).
• ✅ If something goes wrong, they'll track down similar seats, maybe even better ones.
• ✅ If the event gets completely canceled, you get your money back – all of it.

Not bad, right? But let's talk about what they don’t cover, because this trips people up:

• ❌ If the event gets rescheduled, your tickets still work for the new date. If you can't make it, that's your problem and you'll have to sell them yourself.
• ❌ If you change your mind. Decided you don't actually want to see that band after all? Too bad, no refunds for buyer's remorse.
• ❌ Venue switches. This one's messy. Sometimes when an event moves to a different venue, getting a refund is complicated. Some people have success, others don't.

If you run into problems, don’t wait, get on the phone with customer service ASAP. And definitely contact them before the event happens if possible. Have everything ready– your confirmation email, screenshots, whatever documentation you've got. The guarantee does offer real protection, but you might need to push a little for them to honor it.

Alright, let's address the thing everyone complains about: the fees. When you buy tickets on Vivid Seats, you're paying more than just the sticker price. There are also:

• Service fees: Usually somewhere between 20-40% of what the ticket costs -- most people end up paying around 31%.
• Delivery fees: Could be $7-$25 if they're physically mailing the tickets to you – you’re not charged this for electronic tickets.

So let's say you find a ticket for $100. Your actual final price is probably going to be more like $120 to $165 depending on the event, how in-demand it is, and how you want the tickets delivered.

Before you get too worked up about this – it's kind of the norm among these resale sites. Check out how everyone else stacks up:

• Ticketmaster: Around 20-25%
• StubHub: Around 28%
• Vivid Seats: Around 31%
• SeatGeek: Can be as much as 38%

Vivid Seats is right there in the middle. Not the worst, but not the best either.

These fees supposedly cover all their operating costs – keeping the website running, paying customer service agents, processing payments, security stuff. Are the fees high? Plenty of people think so, but at least Vivid Seats shows you the full amount when you're browsing tickets, so you won’t be hit with a surprise at checkout.

There was a class action lawsuit in 2024 where people claimed the fees still weren't being disclosed clearly enough. Some customers said they felt blindsided by charges even though the "all-in pricing" was supposedly right there.

The bottom line: Do the math before you commit. If a $100 ticket turns into $160 and you just can’t face paying the extra, walk away. There'll be other shows.

Okay, credit where it's due. Here's what Vivid Seats actually gets right:

They've got tickets when nobody else does. Seriously, if an event sold out months ago and you're scrambling, Vivid Seats often comes through. Their network of sellers means you can find tickets that disappeared from official sources forever ago.

The rewards program is actually pretty cool. It's called Vivid Seats Rewards and it's the only loyalty thing like this in the ticketing world. Every time you buy tickets, you rack up points toward credits. The whole "buy 10 tickets, get your 11th free" thing isn't just marketing BS—if you go to a lot of concerts or games, it genuinely adds up.

The website doesn't make you want to throw your laptop out a window. Both the site and the app are easy to use. They have these interactive seating charts that show you exactly where you'll be sitting, which is super helpful. You can even hook up your Spotify account and it'll suggest concerts based on what you actually listen to.

Their customer service has won awards. Newsweek named them #1 in America's Best Customer Service for Ticketing Services four years in a row. Now, your individual experience might vary (more on that later), but when things work out, people really do rave about the support team.

You can actually save money with coupons and discounts. For a resale ticket marketplace, Vivid Seats is solid when it comes to deals. They regularly drop promo codes for first-time buyers, app-exclusive offers, and limited-time savings around big events. We've rounded up the best Vivid Seats promo codes so you don’t have to dig. It won’t make sold-out shows cheap, but if you’re buying for a group or heading to a big event, those percentage-off codes can take a surprising chunk out of your total.

Most people have zero problems. Despite all the complaints you'll find if you go looking for them online, the truth is millions of people use Vivid Seats every year and their experience is totally fine. Most transactions go through without a hitch and people get to their events and have a great time.

Now let's get real about the problems people run into.

The fees: Even when you can see them upfront, watching a $50 ticket turn into $85 just hurts. A lot of customers feel like the fees are way too high, and honestly? It's hard to argue with them.

Customer service: Some people call in with a problem and get amazing help. Others end up stuck with chatbots that can't actually fix anything, wait forever for a response, or deal with reps who promise to help and then don’t. It seems to depend on when you call and who you get.

Ticket delivery: There are complaints from people who didn't get their tickets until like the day before the event. Or in some nightmare scenarios, tickets that show up after the concert already happened. This seems to happen more when you're ordering really close to the event date, but still—not great.

Sometimes tickets don't work: It's rare because they do screen sellers, but it happens occasionally. It’s devastating, but it’s rare and isolated cases occur with most resellers.

Getting refunds: This is especially true in situations like when an event gets rescheduled or moves to a new venue. Some spend months fighting to get money back that they feel they were definitely owed under the guarantee.

Reddit has entered the chat: If you search for Vivid Seats on Reddit, you'll find threads full of warnings and horror stories. People telling you to avoid them at all costs, that kind of thing. Keep in mind that angry people are way more likely to post online than happy people, but the complaints are definitely out there if you go looking.

Want to avoid problems? Here's what you should do:

Before You Buy:

Don't just jump on the first tickets you see. Check the official venue box office, look at Ticketmaster, StubHub, SeatGeek – shop around a bit. Sometimes Vivid Seats has the best price, sometimes they really don't.

Actually do the math on those fees before you convince yourself you can afford something. If the total makes your stomach hurt, that's your gut telling you to wait for a better deal or just skip it.

Look for listings that have a ribbon icon next to them – those are sellers who've been around a while and are generally more reliable. And pay attention to when you'll actually get the tickets. Don't cut it too close to the event date.

During Purchase:

Go for electronic delivery if you can. Digital tickets show up faster and you don't have to worry about the mail. Plus no extra delivery charge.

Use a credit card, not your debit card. Credit cards have way better fraud protection and if something goes sideways, you can do a chargeback. Screenshot everything during the buying process – your confirmation, your receipt, all of it. You'll be glad you did if anything goes wrong.

After Purchase:

As soon as those tickets are available, download them. Don't wait until you're in the parking lot freaking out trying to pull them up.

If something seems off, contact support right away. The sooner you deal with it, the more time they have to fix the problem. Don't wait until the day of the event and then panic.

Keep copies of every email, every screenshot, every chat transcript. If you end up needing to dispute something, this stuff will be super helpful.

When to Look Elsewhere:

If you're trying to buy tickets the day of the event – it's too risky, don't do it. If the fees are pushing you way beyond what you can actually afford to spend, walk away. If you're seeing a ton of negative reviews specifically about that event or venue, listen to the warnings. And obviously, if you find way better prices somewhere else, go with that instead.

Yes, Vivid Seats is legitimate and safe for most people, but it's not going to be perfect 100% of the time.

The company itself is trustworthy, it’s not some scam operation that's going to steal your credit card and disappear. Their buyer guarantee actually does protect you in most situations, and millions of people buy tickets through them every year without any drama. The platform is easy to use, they've got tickets for basically everything, and their rewards program is legitimately useful if you go to events regularly.

That said, you're dealing with a marketplace full of different sellers, so everyone's experience is going to be a bit different. The fees are high – that's just a reality – but you can trust you’re buying a genuine ticket and there are guarantees in place if something goes wrong.

When does it make sense to use Vivid Seats?

• You're trying to get tickets to something that's sold out everywhere else
• You want to earn those reward points because you're always going to concerts or games
• You're comfortable with the marketplace setup and understand how it works
• The fees fit in your budget without making you stressed about money

When should you maybe look somewhere else?

• You really need the absolute lowest fees possible
• You want guaranteed perfect customer service with zero hassle
• You're buying tickets at the last minute (like day of the event)

At the end of the day, Vivid Seats is just a tool. Be smart and compare what you're paying to other sites, read the fine print, know what you're getting into, and keep records of everything. Do this and you'll probably be totally fine.