Buying Front Row Tickets - How to make sure you get what you want!

Browsing for tickets to that exclusive sold out gig?  Favourite band playing a once-in-a-lifetime show?  Yep, we've all done it, and how tempting it is to pay that bit extra for front fow tickets, and be within touching distance of your idols, with thousands of people behind you, and only the security fence separating you from the action?  (Not to mention the front-row legroom for us tall fellows).

Well, just hang on a second...  Before you part with your hard-earned cash, take the time to look a little closer, because you could end up being very disappointed.  If you're going to spend hundreds, or even thousands of pounds on those seats, you'd want them to be exactly what you want, right?

It ranges from the blatant to the sneaky.  The following are just a few of the ways that I have come across sellers trying to deceive people when it comes to premium tickets:

• Blatant lies - The item is listed as "front row".  The main description says "front row".  The small print, however, says "row 6" or similar.  More common than you think, especially for events at the O2, for some reason.
• Blocks versus rows - Many of the larger venues, Wembley Arena being a prime example, have such a large area of floor seating that it is divided up into blocks.  Named A1, A2 and so on.  I've come across sellers advertising tickets as "Row A" when in fact they are simply in block A, which can end up being up to 30 or so rows back.
• Stalls versus circle - Most theatres are divided into stalls (the lowest part, near the stage) and circle (the bit up top where you need binoculars).  I have come across hundreds of sellers selling tickets as "front row", which, when you look at the fine print are in fact the front row of the circle.  However, this is not always a bad thing, just as long as you know what you're getting.  I personally find this seating position quite nice in a lot of theatres!

At the end of the day, you're the one keeping the seller in business, and you have the right to know exactly what you're getting.  If you're ever in any doubt, ask the seller!  Even if they are not prepared to give away the seat numbers, then the section name and row number/letter should be more than enough to tell you exactly where the seats are, and is a perfectly reasonable thing to ask the seller for.  And always, always read the fine print!  A lot of these scams can be spotted straight away by reading the stupid size 6 text at the bottom of the listing.

A useful site for reference is www.ticketmaster.co.uk which will give you a seating plan of most well-known venues in the country, with obscure venues having seating plans on their own website in most cases.

And lastly, of course - if in doubt, don't buy!  If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!

(I welcome suggestions of more scamming scenarios to include in this guide.  Feel free to contact me)