About Us
What is TicketPort?
TicketPort was established in 2020 to create a safe and transparent buying experience for music, sports and comedy fans. For years ticket buyers have had to put up with endless misleading practices from both the primary and secondary ticketing markets. TicketPort listings are completely transparent - the price you see is the price you pay - no hidden charges!
Only trusted businesses approved by TicketPort can sell tickets on our website, this is to ensure the services we offer are upheld to the highest of standards, and allows customers to buy with extreme confidence. In the case of a secondary market ticket business selling on TicketPort they will be approved by either TicketPort and/or the Fair Ticketing Alliance (FTA), who ensure the highest ethical standards are maintained. By only allowing the most reputable professional businesses on our site TicketPort can ensure your event ticket purchase is safe and secure. All TicketPort listings are transparent with no hidden fees and comply with UK law.
UK Registered Company
TicketPort is a trading name of Graestone Limited, more information on the company can be found here. Unlike many ticket selling websites we are registered in the UK and pay taxes to HMRC accordingly.
Certified by Google
TicketPort has been certified by Google as an event ticket seller, this means Google has checked the TicketPort website and has verified it meets their expectations as a ticket sellling website to advertise through Google paid ads.
Verified by FTA
Formed in 2018, the Fair Ticketing Alliance (FTA) was created by a group of responsible and concerned UK ticket traders and businesses representing a cross section of the industry in the wake of increasing market uncertainty which threatened the future of mainly small, often family run, businesses. Now they work with politicians, policymakers, regulators, academics, media and others to ensure best practices are followed in the secondary market. FTA members follow a strict code of practice to ensure all tickets are sourced and resold in an ethical, trustworthy and transparent fashion. This ensures you can buy with complete confidence on TicketPort when buying from a FTA member. All too often buyers are let down on other secondary resale sites and social media channels because the sellers are not verified in any way. For more details on the FTA and how their members operate click here.
Giving Back to Grassroots
TicketPort believes in supporting and donating to Grassroots Music Venues and artists. Many of the artists we love to see perform today would not have had a chance to develop and establish themselves without the opportunity to perform in these venues, many of which are struggling to keep running. Every artist needs a place to start and the chance to learn in front of a live audience and the success of these venues is crucial to aspiring musicians all over the country. Supporting these venues is supporting the future of the live music scene in the UK. Music Venue Trust is a UK registered charity which acts to protect, secure and improve Grassroots Music Venues and TicketPort will donate £1 from every music and festival purchase made on TicketPort to help them support the Grassroots industry. For more information on Music Venue Trust click here.
Primary and Trusted Secondary Ticket suppliers
TicketPort is open for business for both primary event sellers and trusted secondary ticket businesses (TicketPort/FTA approved).
Primary ticket sales are offered directly on behalf of an event organiser or promoter, and secondary ticket sales are when tickets are offered through a secondary business or broker. For more high-profile events it is in the consumer interest to have both a primary and secondary market. As initial tickets are limited and liable to "sell out" very quickly there are many reasons why the primary market doesn’t work for a large number of people. Generally speaking the secondary market never sells out and gives a vast range of choice to consumers when there is none or limited availability from the primary market.
Often it is not even possible to obtain tickets from a primary market because of the lack of supply to the general public. For a variety of reasons ranging from corporate hold backs to credit card presales, normally only a small percentage of tickets get offered to the public. For some events no tickets are ever made available to the public through the primary market. Even for events that don't sell out in the primary market we find that a secondary market still offers benefits for consumers as often tickets end up being cheaper and provide more options and flexibility.
Some reasons the primary market doesn't always work for consumers and why we allow trusted secondary sellers to sell tickets are:
- Expecting fans to pay up-front for tickets - often over a year in advance – with no refund policy should plans change is unreasonable. There should be more options.
- When it comes to primary on-sales the best tickets will go on a first come first served basis to those who are in a lucky position to be able to buy the minute they go on sale.
- It doesn’t suit a whole range of the population. For example many workers wouldn’t have access to the internet at the time, or parents would be on the school run.
- Most people would prefer not to commit to something a long way in the future knowing if their plans change they may not be able to get their money back.
- For high profile events tickets are only available for a very limited time.
- Often there is less choice and the better tickets for seated shows are not made available.
- Some promoters drip feed tickets and manipulate the market - there is a distinct lack of transparency in the primary market.
- Sometimes people just want to make a spontaneous or 'last minute' decision to see an event, only a secondary market provides a solution to consumer demands.
A secondary market can correct many of the above flaws and work in the interest of consumers, and this is why TicketPort allows responsible professional sellers to list tickets. Prices are set on a supply and demand basis, but this is now common practice even on primary ticket sales. Many promoters now use dynamic market-driven prices on the primary market - modelled on the secondary market - to charge the highest prices possible. These prices would actually be even higher without competition from a secondary market.
There have been historical issues with the secondary market - a lack of transparency and high booking fees have long been an issue. Rogue sellers not supplying the tickets they sold and social media scams where a buyer gets no protection. TicketPort addresses all these concerns by only allowing trusted businesses to sell tickets we know they can provide, no additional booking fees, and peace of mind knowing you are buying from a reputable seller. On top of this you get additional protection from PayPal during the checkout process.
Why buy from TicketPort?
Our goal at TicketPort is to offer a ticket solution that works for consumers in a fair and transparent way. With open and honest pricing and no extra fees, TicketPort aims to provide trusted tickets at the best prices possible, whilst also giving you peace of mind that your purchase is safe and secure from a reputable seller. Knowing we only allow event organisers or the most trusted secondary businesses or traders to offer tickets through the website means you can be confident in your purchase. We will often be able to offer cheaper tickets to high profile events, through secondary sellers, than you would find on other high profile market places because we can eliminate a lot of the unnecessary fees associated with them acting as a middle man. Here you buy directly from the business offering the tickets and the fees we charge for using TicketPort are below industry standards.