The Grinch sneaks across a stage

Don’t Let Grinches Steal Your Christmas

Fri, Jul 28, 2017

Written by: Marc Fleming

Avoid Ticket Brokers. Buy from the Official Source – TrustArts.org

Tickets go on sale today for the holiday favorite Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical at Heinz Hall as part of the PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh series. All of us at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust are excited, but also a little worried. Like the Grinch dressing up like Santa to trick the denizens of Whoville that he is something he is not, there are plenty of online Grinches in Pittsburgh trying to trick you into thinking they are the site for Grinch tickets.

Searching some of these broker sites, such as Pittsburgh-Theater.com, you will find tickets that the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is selling on TrustArts.org for $86 for as much as $501 per ticket. That is more than 500% higher than the face value of the ticket!

Highest Priced Grinch Ticket on TrustArts.org: $86
Highest Priced Grinch Ticket on Ticket Scalper Pittsburgh-Theater.com Site: $501

These Grinchy ticket broker sites spend lots of money in an attempt to look legitimate because they can; they have little overhead. And they are counting on you not knowing the official ticket source. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is putting a concerted effort into combating instances of fraud and educating the public, but we can’t succeed without audiences being aware of what’s happening.

Here are some things to do when buying Pittsburgh Cultural Trust tickets:

  • Look at the url of the site from which you are buying tickets. If the site url is not TrustArts.org (or CulturalDistrict.org), you are purchasing from a secondary ticket source that is likely marking up tickets.
  • Be careful when using search engines. Often the top search result is an ad which may be a broker site trying to lure you. Look for the official website designation of TrustArts.org in search engine advertising and always look for TrustArts.org in the browser url (e.g. the url for Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical is: https://trustarts.org/production/52309).
  • Subscribe to the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's email list for pre-sale offers, announcements, and other show-related information.
  • Follow the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust on Facebook for the official source of event information. Ticket brokers are becoming savvier using their own social media. When you are on OUR social media sites, you are in the know.

What happens when you buy tickets from ticket brokers?

  • You pay much more than you should.
  • You put money in the pocket of an individual or commercial organization that is not invested in the community. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit organization with thousands of free, low-cost events and education programs. When you purchase a $86 ticket for $501, the difference is money that could go toward a contribution to support the Trust’s mission, or allow you to have more to spend on going to a restaurant before your event, which stimulates the local economy and puts Pittsburghers to work.
  • We can’t contact you with schedule changes, added event information, or keep you in the know about upcoming events and pre-sale opportunities.
  • You contribute to a practice that makes it harder for true fans to see their favorite shows without paying a premium charge.

So we encourage you to be smart and be safe! Only order from official ticket sources and please help us spread the word about buying tickets directly from our website as we prepare for another spectacular season of performing arts. We know our hearts will grow three sizes this way and our audiences will have the knowledge of ten Grinches … plus two.

Tags:
  • Broadway
  • theater