Are you looking to buy or sell Virginia Tech tickets? Here are some resources:
- StubHub: VT Football – VT Men’s Basketball – VT Women’s Basketball – VT Baseball
- SeatGeek: VT Football – VT Men’s Basketball – VT Women’s Basketball – VT Baseball
- HokieTickets.com: All VT Tickets (Buy and Sell)
- Facebook: UFanticks – VT Ticket Buy/Sell Group
Tech Sideline is Shutting Down Our Ticket Exchange Boards
After two decades, we have decided to shut down our ticket exchange boards. Here’s the bullet-point summary, with more detail below.
- The ticket exchange boards were originally created over 20 years ago, due to excessive attempts to sell tickets on our regular message boards.
- Since then, several good alternatives have been created to transfer/sell tickets, making our boards unnecessary.
- Scammers are ripping people off using our ticket boards, including the subscriber ticket board.
- The scamming and customer service issues, plus the existence of legitimate secondary ticket markets, have led us to the decision to shut down our ticket boards.
- We anticipate this will lead to people trying to sell tickets on our regular message boards. Note that any posts attempting to sell tickets will be deleted without comment, and repeated attempts will result in suspension of posting privileges.
The History Of Tech Sideline’s Ticket Exchange Boards
When we added message boards to our site in the late 1990s, it created a huge forum for Hokies to communicate with each other about Virginia Tech athletics.
Message board posters understandably found the message boards to be a good venue to post tickets for sale. Repeated posts looking to buy and sell tickets quickly irritated people who wanted to discuss sports, so we created a Ticket Exchange board where sellers could connect with buyers.
This was back when tickets were physical and the method of selling them was to exchange the physical tickets for cash, in person.
Scammers Show Up And Start Ripping People Off
Over time, electronic cash apps and banking apps were created, and buyers could transfer money electronically to sellers. This enabled scammers to falsely represent themselves as owners of tickets, receive money transfers, and disappear.
We responded by creating a subscriber ticket board to wall off the board from non-subscribers.
That worked for a while, but scammers became more sophisticated. The model for scammers now is to purchase stolen credit cards off the dark web and register as a TSL subscriber using false information and a stolen credit card number. The scammer then reads the subscriber ticket board, finds targets who are looking to buy tickets, contacts them offline (not on the actual message boards), and rips them off via email, Venmo, etc.
Multiple Ways of Selling And Transferring Tickets Securely Are Created
While all this was going on, ticket buying and selling services such as StubHub and SeatGeek were created. While not scam-proof, these apps and websites are much more secure than attempting to buy and sell on our ticket boards.
Hokiesports.com also has a way to transfer tickets. If you’re a seller, simply log in to your account on hokiesports.com, click “Transfer” under “My Tickets,” and transfer your tickets to someone else.
Our Ticket Exchange Boards Are No Longer Necessary
Not only are our ticket exchange boards no longer needed, but they are a breeding ground for Hokies getting scammed and ripped off. So our decision to get rid of them is an easy one, which we probably should have made earlier.
At some point, something becomes a “net negative,” and that’s when it’s time for it to go.
Please Do Not Attempt to Sell Tickets On Our Regular Message Boards
We are now “Back to the Future,” with no ticket exchange boards, and we anticipate that posters who want to sell tickets or buy tickets but who aren’t comfortable with StubHub, SeatGeek, Facebook, etc. will post tickets for sale on our boards.
Note that if you do this, your post will be deleted without comment. Repeated attempts to buy or sell tickets will result in the suspension of your message board privileges, even if you’re a subscriber.
Ticket Buying/Selling Resources
Here are some venues to buy and sell Virginia Tech game tickets. There may be more options than what are listed here:
- StubHub: VT Football – VT Men’s Basketball – VT Women’s Basketball – VT Baseball
- SeatGeek: VT Football – VT Men’s Basketball – VT Women’s Basketball – VT Baseball
- HokieTickets.com: All VT Tickets (Buy and Sell)
- Facebook: UFanticks – VT Ticket Buy/Sell Group
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Totally agree with their business decision to shut down the ticket exchange due to the scams. I am sure they gave this considerable thought before finalizing. You should respect their decision and move on.
I have been selling my tickets on Stub Hub for 10+ years and have never had any problems. Selling many more tickets now that I have moved from Charlotte to Southport, NC. Two years ago I tried to use Seat Geek when VT switched vendors. Unfortunately, this company tried to dictate my listing price (usually face value) and allowed no flexibility. I went back to Stub Hub and set my own listing price (most times higher than face value). This allowed me to cover the commission and still recoup my ticket investment. You just need the bar codes to list electronically and my money is in my account within a week after the game. Works like a charm!
If some used this site primarily to unload their tickets, then I would not consider them true VT fans. The content from Will, Chris, Andy, and others makes it totally worthwhile at a reasonable cost.
Go Hokies!
Sad to see it go, but I totally understand. I’ve used multiple forums to buy and sell tix and parking passes and the only time that I was (attempted to be) ripped off was on TSL, and that was my fault by allowing the buyer to send the cash via PayPal goods and services. She then claimed to PayPal that the “tickets didn’t work”. I won my case against the buyer, but I refuse to use PayPal going forward.
Will should be commended for providing this service, not ridiculed! He did not end the service, scammers forced the issue! If you were scammed you blame the platform, not the person that scammed you! From a business stand point he made the right decision! This challenge is an example of the society we live in today! Will has an excellent reputation and must maintain his high standard for business practices!
I understand completely, but I had a lot of positive experiences selling on this site to real Hokie fans and met a few great folks on here (shout out Hokie Papa!).
bummer
Geez, cut Will and company some slack. If you honestly subscribe to TSL just for the ticket boards, then you are not their target customer. It is the terrific journalism, insight and analysis that makes a TSL subscription worthwhile, not some commodity message board software.
Many of you have no idea what you are speaking of in terms of blocking scammers. Anyone who works in or around cybersecurity teams knows just how far ahead the crooks are of efforts to stop them. Just because you believe you could identify or outwit a scammer, doesn’t make it so, everyone thinks that until they are a victim. The cost of attempting to defeat scammers for a small business such as this, would bankrupt them.
☝️☝️☝️
Soft
So you’re supermad that a service that you’ve never paid a dime for, or supported in any way, is going away? Duly noted.
https://twitter.com/mwoody_7/status/1782494018082873699?t=EJHLVf-t6n0PmZVHAVv2kQ&s=19
Well, the Stub Hub Va Tech Womens Basketball site has not been updated since 2020, so there’s that.
I can’t afford Season Tickets, so this is a huge blow for me. I never had an issue and never will, I did my due diligence.
I am in agreement with your efforts to protect your customers. Hopefully, the removal of the ticket message boards does not induce a programming glitch from a piece of code used on other message boards. Take care.
I am surprised you held out this long – you would need a full-time ISO and even then it would be a job of wack-a-mole with no real benefit to TSL. Let Stub-Hub and SeatGeek do battle with the scammers (might justify some of their outlandish “fees”). Keep up the good work.
This is super unfortunate. I have been selling tickets here for years just so I could sell them to fellow Hokies
This is unfortunate. I agree with so many that really want to keep this. I have not been ripped off and have used it to both buy and sell tickets for so many years. People can do their due diligence to try their best to ensure it’s a legit buyer / seller. If someone has been a paid subscriber for 5+ years and they can talk VT shop when I call them, I’ll take my chances. Definitely one of the benefits of TSL.
Please consider bringing this back. I know it was a hard decision to remove but it sounds like so many want it back and are willing to take on the risk.
Thanks for the consideration.
I guess I understand the decision, altho I never had any problems. The one thing the TSL Subscribers Exchange offered was a way to connect with buyers/sellers IRL (“in real life”). I always insisted on having a phone conversation with the person I was doing business with, during which we talked about things that only a real fan, and not a scammer, would know. That not only prevented me from participating in a scam, but it also insured that I was doing business only with another Hokie. Unless I’ve missed something, the intermediary sites like SeatGeek and StubHub do not offer the ability to communicate with your counterpart.
I will add that even though I’m sad to lose this feature of TSL, I support any decision that Will and Chris feel they have to make here. It’s unfortunate that there always has to be a few criminal buttheads that ruin good things for the rest of us.
I agree that something needed to be done to protect subscribers, but I too, am sad to see this go.
It’s been a minute since I’ve been able to get free to make the trip to see a game, but the Sub Ticket board was where I ALWAYS purchased tickets. And, when I did, I would ALWAYS meet the seller and pay CASH after I was sure the transaction was good.
I would never use a cash app until I had tix in hand.
There are two Facebook groups, with 6k and 3k members respectively, where people connect directly and exchange tickets with no fees. They’re linked in the article.
Very sad about this. 🙁
Could you start a yard sale ??? Sale cookies? …LOL..VT ticket sales was very good here. Makes me wonder Why with your logging in method that you couldn’t had screened these scammers. Life is Good Will..I will survive…
We literally described in the article how scammers take advantage of the subscriber ticket board. There is no way to stop that. None.
I’ll add my own disappointment about shutting down this board also. We haven’t been able to attend many games over the past few years and having the Ticket Exchange resource was very helpful when we were looking for tickets. I’ve never had an issue, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen. I’ve always highly preferred making the exchange in person with the seller, rather than an e-transfer, but I realize that delivery method is not always an option anymore. I hope Will and team can reconsider and possibly find a way to still offer this “Service” to both Subscribers and Non-Subscribers who frequent the site for multiple reasons.
There are two Facebook groups, with 6k and 3k members respectively, where people connect directly and exchange tickets with no fees. They’re linked in the article.
Thanks Will
I completely understand your position and decision. Like so many good things they can be ultimately ruined by the selfish and fraudulent activities of a few.
When and where there are good alternative options, it make sense to spend your time and money in other directions.
Hate to see this, have used the ticket exchange board for years without issue
Kids are heavy into sports on Saturdays, and this has been my resource for the 1-2 weekends per fall we can make it to games
Can understand if it’s a business decision deal with seat geek to remove this
But hope this isn’t being done to please the few getting scammed vs the many who benefited from it
Like others have said, I get it. Responses I got from TSL tickets boards for most sports this past year dwindled to almost nothing anyway, hence I didn’t always post tickets there any longer as it became pointless.
I was never a victim, but have seen all the warnings/stories that Will and crew put out. I will miss it, as I too have been a user of the ticket boards (buying and selling) since TSL added them. A great way to get tickets in the right hands. If I can’t get to a game, I want Hokies in my seats!
StubHub, SeatGeek (awful), and whatever future site(s) VT gets in bed with (I assume there has got to be a huge kickback) will be expensive (high fees) for both the buyer and seller. Since the VT move to SeatGeek, I have noticed that tickets will go unsold, even at bargain prices, that I used to never have an issue selling. This was true regardless of where I tried to post them, including TSL. The puzzling part is that some people talk like they can never find tickets but there are still empty seats at all the games.
Every ticket board must die, but not every ticket board truly lives.
Anyone ever use the Facebook group for tickets?
What FB group? Do explain
I too understand the why, and it’s not my company. I will say, that getting tickets into the hands of Hokies, and from Hokies over the years was always refreshingly easy through the TSL board. I did both as recently as this past seasons. I don’t agree that the other automated systems are a reason, they are certainly a business, but one could argue that tacking on 30% is scamming Hokies and others just the same. It seems those systems have increased pricing, while the ease of transfer has increased. Oh, well…
Totally agree. If we have to pay the 30% fees, then the Ticket Exchange should be run by the NIL board and not some outsider group. And Just maybe if we donate our tickets, the value could count towards donations.
That sounds like a business plan to me
There are two Facebook groups, with 6k and 3k members respectively, where people connect directly and exchange tickets with no fees. They’re linked in the article.
Very disappointed to see them go. I’ve utilized them many times and abhor the fees of stubhub and seatgeek. Granted, my scam-dar is very well tuned and I can sniff a scam from a mile away. Sorry that so many were taken advantage of. Sucks.
Very smart decision. While it may be an inconvenience for some – it protects everyone from the nasty things that happen regularly on the secondary ticket market.
Very sad to see this. It has been the most effective way to get my extra tickets in the hands of other Hokies without paying all the fees and taxes on exchanges. The paid ticket board has been one of the main benefits of my membership for over 20 years. I hope you reconsider. Maybe only have a paid pass ticket exchange for registered and paying members of Techsideline?
We have had a TSL Pass ticket board for years. As the article explained…
“The model for scammers now is to purchase stolen credit cards off the dark web and register as a TSL subscriber using false information and a stolen credit card number. The scammer then reads the subscriber ticket board, finds targets who are looking to buy tickets, contacts them offline (not on the actual message boards), and rips them off via email, Venmo, etc.”
That’s the main reason we’re shutting it down, because some of our paid subscribers are getting ripped off. It makes us feel terrible to have something we run be a conduit for ripping off Tech fans.
You were doing more good than harm. This is not a good idea and it makes me more likely to cancel my subscription.
So be it.
I’ll still keep my subscription and not a little thing like this deter me. As a person who has been scammed, not here on TSL but other places, it is a hassle to re-register all of your contacts and places who have your card number for payments. Great call Will !!!
so maybe do a little screening/confirmation of new subscribers?
Could we rename it Parking Pass Exchange (: ? How are we supposed to sell or buy parking passes now? Sort of serious question. Completely understand why you got rid of the ticket exchange boards with how easy it is to buy and sell on Seat Geek and Stubhub.
There are two Facebook groups, with 6k and 3k members respectively, where people connect directly and exchange tickets and parking passes with no fees. They’re linked in the article.
I’ve used the ticket exchange board and found helpful, honest Hokies out there. It’s a shame the bad apples – who represent the minority – rule things.
You should probably consider shutting down all of the boards
if that wasn’t “tic” then
contact the scammers,
make them stop,
report back to google,
and claim their “scammer bounty hunter” reward.
that is all: remain calm and contribute to VT NIL.
I agree with closing it down (only used twice and I gave tickets away one time) but other forums have limitations in place so getting scammed is less likely to happen (delaying access until on site more than x months or making so many good posts). Will and Chris don’t really have time to monitor posts though.
Thanks Will for the explanation. I am sorry it came to that but, I fully understand and support the decision. People peeved at the decision should focus their misdirected anger at the real problem, the scammers. If your decision to shut the board down impacts their subscription decision they likely were not using the boards for the real benefits to start with.
Totally agree with this post. Disappointing that some are implying that they’ll cancel their subscription because of this.
Very difficult to argue against this decision, though I’m sure it was a hard one.
For those upset because “I’ve never had an issue with it,” Will and his team have access to what I’m sure are thousands of these transactions, and even if you’ve been able to avoid issues so far, the numbers are not on your side here.
Good on Will and TSL for refusing to offer a platform where people can be ripped off, and not trying to reinvent the wheel here. I for one would much rather see resources put into the podcast or additional reporting rather than under-the-hood security upgrades for ticket exchanges – particularly when other secure options already exist.
👆👆👆👆👆
I’ve been using SeatGeek for the past year to sell tickets that I was unable to use. It’s very user friendly and their seller fees are nominal. They also seem to have very reasonably priced tickets to VT events, especially as you get closer to an event. Money for sales is transferred to my checking account within two days. I’m been very satisfied with their platform, and really like the electronic transfer of tickets.
Nominal fees? SeatGeek takes 30%, farm from nominal in my mind. 20% from the buyer and 10% from the seller is what it used to be. I understand why TSL is getting rid of their service but maybe there is some money to be made here if you could compete with SeatGeek.
There are two Facebook groups, with 6k and 3k members respectively, where people connect directly and exchange tickets with no fees. They’re linked in the article.
Very disappointing decision, one of the best features of the TSL boards (subscriber exchange board), and something I’ve been using successfully to buy and sell tickets for over 20 years. Will definitely play into my decision on whether or not to renew.
I’m sure it’s a hassle to deal with, but the real issue here is how gullible people are.
I’ve used it a number of times, both selling or giving away, and buying, with no problems.
It’s pretty straightforward if you deal with people who are regulars on the boards.
But, as they say, it is what it is.
I am reminded of, “This is why we can’t have nice things”.
Sad…if people put all that scam energy into a job, they wouldn’t need to be criminals
my only comment an easy source to hear about people buying or selling. Those other sites cost an arm and a leg to utilize, (see ticketmaster as the orginal, which I always thought was over priced service. Anyway, I hear you on the issues on your end.
Keep up the good work. I have a childhood friend that relocated to Virginia when he retired and he is ‘over the moon’ about your podcasts; and the historical knowledge that your host(s) bring to each session. Thanks for your hard work, it is appreciated.
There are two Facebook groups, with 6k and 3k members respectively, where people connect directly and exchange tickets with no fees. They’re linked in the article.
Is this a bot repeating this? Scammer I say. 🙂
I think so. but who am I? I still have a paid AOL email account.
Haha. Didn’t even know they were still around.
This was the correct decision Will. I have been using SeatGeek for a couple years now and have found it to be easy to use and legitimate. Also, prices are really low close to the event (in some cases).
Yes, can definitely get low close to the events!
One of the greatest assets of TSL was the ability to purchase tickets from other Hokies. I’ve never been scammed (didn’t know it happened) so the implied value of shutting it down for my benefit is not appreciated
TSL leadership is right about almost everything it does operationally…over 25 years of experience. I’ll assume it’s just me, but this decision feels wrong.
You’d feel differently if something you created was being used as a platform to rip people off.
I agree. This was my go to for selling or buying tickets because we could help out fellow hokies looking to get or offload tickets, ensure that sold tickets end up in the hands of hokies instead of visitors, and most importantly keep money in the hands of hokies instead of paying the outrageous fees on stub hub, etc. typically hokies could find a better deal here because of the no added fees. It took very little effort and common sense to ensure that you were not getting ripped off and were communicating with a fellow hokies with good intentions.
Anyway, not a complaint. Just feedback from a long time user
You’d feel differently if something you created was being used as a platform to rip people off.
Something you created was helping far more than it hurt. Educate, don’t shut it down. Set up a way to verify members. Shutting down the board is the easy way out and hurts far more than it helps.
In this case I’d trust that Will and the rest of the TSL staff are basing this decision off of multiple confirmed instances of scams and clear proof of scammers making their way onto the boards when they review subscriber metrics (especially when you’re pairing instances of accounts that subscribe and only interact on the exchange boards with chargebacks from stolen credit card numbers).
It’s awesome that you’ve been able to make it 25+ years without experiencing anything like that, but it sounds like in this case your anecdotal experience doesn’t match up with the data that lead to this decision.
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