WHY PEOPLE BUY TICKETS FROM INDIVDUALS
Obviously you do not have anything to worry about if you buy your tickets from the race track itself.
However, you cannot get great seats to the Indy 500 from the speedway because they are all sold
out each year by people who get to renew them each year.
It is unlikely you will have any trouble if you buy from a ticket broker or an intermediary such as eBay
or Stubhub. However, tickets from these sources often have high markups.
Finding a great seat at a fair price means having to buy from individuals who are trying to sell their
own tickets.
Obviously you do not have anything to worry about if you buy your tickets from the race track itself.
However, you cannot get great seats to the Indy 500 from the speedway because they are all sold
out each year by people who get to renew them each year.
It is unlikely you will have any trouble if you buy from a ticket broker or an intermediary such as eBay
or Stubhub. However, tickets from these sources often have high markups.
Finding a great seat at a fair price means having to buy from individuals who are trying to sell their
own tickets.
INDIANAPOLIS POLICE DISTRICT
HEADQUARTERS LOCATIONS:
HEADQUARTERS: 50 N Alabama St.
DOWNTOWN: 39 W Jackson Pl.
NORTHWEST: 3821 Industrial Blvd.
NORTH: 3120 E 30th St.
EAST: 201 Shadeland Ave.
SOUTHEAST: 1150 Shelby St.
SOUTHWEST: 551 King Ave.
These areas are under 24-hour video surveillance.
HEADQUARTERS LOCATIONS:
HEADQUARTERS: 50 N Alabama St.
DOWNTOWN: 39 W Jackson Pl.
NORTHWEST: 3821 Industrial Blvd.
NORTH: 3120 E 30th St.
EAST: 201 Shadeland Ave.
SOUTHEAST: 1150 Shelby St.
SOUTHWEST: 551 King Ave.
These areas are under 24-hour video surveillance.
| Related Links: |
| Speedway Ticket Office Located on the SW corner of the track on 16th Street. |
OTHER TIPS
Check a SEATING CHART and make sure the seats even exist.
Make sure you have all of the details for the tickets, such as the Section and Row.
I often see that important information missing or jumbled up from ticket re-sellers.
Realize that Sections and Boxes are always numbered and that Rows are always
alphabetical and Seats are always numbered between 1-20.
Use Common Sense.
Say "No" to any strange, convoluted requests.
Don't hesitate to ask questions.
Do not wire money.
Do not pay for physical tickets before the speedway has even mailed them out yet (March).
If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Don't get all excited and jump
on a deal before taking the time to completely check the deal and the seller out.
Shop around. Some times people will sell things on-line at greatly exaggerated prices
hoping to find a mark. This advice applies to any object sold on-line.
Check a SEATING CHART and make sure the seats even exist.
Make sure you have all of the details for the tickets, such as the Section and Row.
I often see that important information missing or jumbled up from ticket re-sellers.
Realize that Sections and Boxes are always numbered and that Rows are always
alphabetical and Seats are always numbered between 1-20.
Use Common Sense.
Say "No" to any strange, convoluted requests.
Don't hesitate to ask questions.
Do not wire money.
Do not pay for physical tickets before the speedway has even mailed them out yet (March).
If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Don't get all excited and jump
on a deal before taking the time to completely check the deal and the seller out.
Shop around. Some times people will sell things on-line at greatly exaggerated prices
hoping to find a mark. This advice applies to any object sold on-line.
1) The seller goes to the post office with his
tickets in an waterproof envelope, sandwiched
in some cardboard so that they don't get bent.
The seller pays the post office approx. $10 for
mailing this envelope "Certified Mail" to the buyer.
The seller specifies whether he will accept
personal checks. If not, the post office will r
equire a money order from the buyer.
The seller tells the post office how long to try and
deliver the tickets before giving up and returning
the tickets to him. If the race date is near, the
seller will want his tickets back ASAP so that he
has time to try and sell them again.
2) The post man delivers the tickets to the door of
the buyer.
If the postal worker cannot deliver the tickets,
the tickets will have to be picked up at the post
office. If the tickets have not been picked up in
30 days - OR the time specified by the seller -
the tickets are mailed back to the seller.
tickets in an waterproof envelope, sandwiched
in some cardboard so that they don't get bent.
The seller pays the post office approx. $10 for
mailing this envelope "Certified Mail" to the buyer.
The seller specifies whether he will accept
personal checks. If not, the post office will r
equire a money order from the buyer.
The seller tells the post office how long to try and
deliver the tickets before giving up and returning
the tickets to him. If the race date is near, the
seller will want his tickets back ASAP so that he
has time to try and sell them again.
2) The post man delivers the tickets to the door of
the buyer.
If the postal worker cannot deliver the tickets,
the tickets will have to be picked up at the post
office. If the tickets have not been picked up in
30 days - OR the time specified by the seller -
the tickets are mailed back to the seller.
WHAT IF TIME IS RUNNING OUT?
The buyer can send money instantly with Paypal, Venmo, etc. But if it's a scam, you may get
your money back eventually, but you won't have tickets.
The seller can have the tickets sent 'over-night' delivery, which is a bit expensive.
If time does run out, you can always buy tickets on race day from:
a. the Speedway Ticket Office.
b. the scalpers standing along the sidewalks outside the speedway.
The buyer can send money instantly with Paypal, Venmo, etc. But if it's a scam, you may get
your money back eventually, but you won't have tickets.
The seller can have the tickets sent 'over-night' delivery, which is a bit expensive.
If time does run out, you can always buy tickets on race day from:
a. the Speedway Ticket Office.
b. the scalpers standing along the sidewalks outside the speedway.
| CERTIFIED MAIL = Care Of Delivery = C.O.D. How it works: |
The seller would then be out $10 and some time.
The buyer examines the tickets and pays the
postman.
The postman accepts cash, money orders and
personal checks.
If the buyer presents cash, he'll be charged an
additional 80 cents. This charge is for converting
the cash to a money order.
3) After the mailman picks up the money, a check
or money order gets mailed to the seller along
with the receipt they signed when they mailed it.
Note: It may be a good idea to have the tickets
sent to the buyer's work address if no one is home
during the day.
This method should be safe for both buyer and
seller.
The buyer examines the tickets and pays the
postman.
The postman accepts cash, money orders and
personal checks.
If the buyer presents cash, he'll be charged an
additional 80 cents. This charge is for converting
the cash to a money order.
3) After the mailman picks up the money, a check
or money order gets mailed to the seller along
with the receipt they signed when they mailed it.
Note: It may be a good idea to have the tickets
sent to the buyer's work address if no one is home
during the day.
This method should be safe for both buyer and
seller.
| BUY TICKETS SAFELY |
It is the BUYER who need to be wary.
SELLERS don't mail out their tickets until after they've been paid.
KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BUYING -
* What is the FACE VALUE?
* Make sure the SEAT LOCATION actually exists
* See a PHOTO of the tickets
* Find out what the FEES and SHIPPING costs are
Some people sell tickets for ridiculous prices and the uninformed may fall for it.
For example, In 2023, someone purchased four $40 General Admission tickets through
the Web Site SeatGeek.com. They paid $280 for the tickets plus $120 in fees for a grand
total of $400! They could have paid $160 on race day at the gate for general admission!
SELLERS don't mail out their tickets until after they've been paid.
KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BUYING -
* What is the FACE VALUE?
* Make sure the SEAT LOCATION actually exists
* See a PHOTO of the tickets
* Find out what the FEES and SHIPPING costs are
Some people sell tickets for ridiculous prices and the uninformed may fall for it.
For example, In 2023, someone purchased four $40 General Admission tickets through
the Web Site SeatGeek.com. They paid $280 for the tickets plus $120 in fees for a grand
total of $400! They could have paid $160 on race day at the gate for general admission!
Selling fake tickets is nothing new, but I have never heard of it happening with
Indy 500 tickets.
This is probably because they would be difficult and expensive to create, because:
A. The Speedway's race tickets are cardboard, not paper.
B. They are printed on both sides.
C. The front is a photo-quality picture!
NOTE: Tickets ordered before March are made at a printers and are embossed and
may also have metallic paint of some type. They may also have small punch outs.
These tickets are called "Souvenir" tickets. However, ticket orders received after
March will be printed inhouse and will not have these fancy tidbits. They will have a
bar code though.
I try to post a photo of every ticket on my Ticket Pictures web page.
Look there to learn what the ticket is supposed to look like, then ask the seller to send
you a photograph of the tickets.
Indy 500 tickets.
This is probably because they would be difficult and expensive to create, because:
A. The Speedway's race tickets are cardboard, not paper.
B. They are printed on both sides.
C. The front is a photo-quality picture!
NOTE: Tickets ordered before March are made at a printers and are embossed and
may also have metallic paint of some type. They may also have small punch outs.
These tickets are called "Souvenir" tickets. However, ticket orders received after
March will be printed inhouse and will not have these fancy tidbits. They will have a
bar code though.
I try to post a photo of every ticket on my Ticket Pictures web page.
Look there to learn what the ticket is supposed to look like, then ask the seller to send
you a photograph of the tickets.
SAFELY BUYING RACE TICKETS
There are 3 ways something could go wrong, that I can think of:
1. FAKE TICKETS
1. FAKE TICKETS
2. NEVER RECEIVED TICKETS IN MAIL, AFTER PAYING FOR THEM
Methods to help avoid that:
A. Be extra careful when buying off of Craigslist.
B. Ask for photographs of the tickets. If they posted a photo of the tickets, realize that
thieves will copy photos of tickets for sale off of eBay, and post them as their own.
Tell them to send a photo of the tickets next to today's newspaper showing the date.
If they stop responding, then you know they are thieves.
C. Ask them how they got the tickets. Have they sat there before, then have them mail
you photos taken from that location.
D. Know and check all of the seller's contact information. Talk to them on the phone!
E. Have the tickets mailed to you C.O.D. so that you pay when the mailman delivers them.
F. Have the tickets sent registered mail or insured, in case they get lost in the mail.
A. Be extra careful when buying off of Craigslist.
B. Ask for photographs of the tickets. If they posted a photo of the tickets, realize that
thieves will copy photos of tickets for sale off of eBay, and post them as their own.
Tell them to send a photo of the tickets next to today's newspaper showing the date.
If they stop responding, then you know they are thieves.
C. Ask them how they got the tickets. Have they sat there before, then have them mail
you photos taken from that location.
D. Know and check all of the seller's contact information. Talk to them on the phone!
E. Have the tickets mailed to you C.O.D. so that you pay when the mailman delivers them.
F. Have the tickets sent registered mail or insured, in case they get lost in the mail.
3. ROBBED WHEN BUYING THEM IN PERSON
Sometimes people arrange to buy the tickets in a face to face meeting.
It is not unheard of for criminals in Indianapolis to lure people through Craigslist to a location
where they then rob and sometimes kill them. The bait is usually a cell phone or game console.
I suggest:
A. Talk to the person over the phone, not just through messaging.
B. Arrange to meet them in a police station parking lot or at least a crowded busy place.
C. Take someone with you to the meet.
D. Be prepared to protect yourself.
E. Meet during daylight hours.
It is not unheard of for criminals in Indianapolis to lure people through Craigslist to a location
where they then rob and sometimes kill them. The bait is usually a cell phone or game console.
I suggest:
A. Talk to the person over the phone, not just through messaging.
B. Arrange to meet them in a police station parking lot or at least a crowded busy place.
C. Take someone with you to the meet.
D. Be prepared to protect yourself.
E. Meet during daylight hours.
Copyright © 2024 IndySpeedway.com All Rights Reserved
The Speedway offers their customers the choice of buying E-tickets instead of physical tickets.
Those people then display the E-ticket on their smart phone at the gate to gain entry.
You cannot print Digital Tickets - you must have a smart phone to use them!
You are allowed to transfer your tickets to someone else once.
Digital tickets are available 10 days prior to the event.
For more information, see the IMS DIgital Ticket Guide.
Those people then display the E-ticket on their smart phone at the gate to gain entry.
You cannot print Digital Tickets - you must have a smart phone to use them!
You are allowed to transfer your tickets to someone else once.
Digital tickets are available 10 days prior to the event.
For more information, see the IMS DIgital Ticket Guide.
DIGITAL E-TICKETS
PHYSICAL TICKETS
WARNING!
May 10,2023 - The Speedway has discovered that some crooks are selling fake parking passes to the 500.
I suggest being careful if buying a parking pass by itself and not with tickets.
Be extra careful using Craigslist. All three sellers I contacted on Craigslist this year were scams.
A method to help verify a real parking pass is to see it in person and look for small circular perforation that
is used to punch out a circle and a slash to the edge of the ticket, so you can hang it from your car's rear
view mirror.
Dec 19, 2024 Update: The local news reported a scam was busted that involved two men, one an IMS
security guard, who made counterfeit copies of parking passes, Carb Day passes and Snake Pit wristbands.
The passes were sold on Seat Geek, StubHub and Vivid Seats. IMS lost more than $150,000.
Click to View WRTV Article
Click to view Fox59 Article
May 10,2023 - The Speedway has discovered that some crooks are selling fake parking passes to the 500.
I suggest being careful if buying a parking pass by itself and not with tickets.
Be extra careful using Craigslist. All three sellers I contacted on Craigslist this year were scams.
A method to help verify a real parking pass is to see it in person and look for small circular perforation that
is used to punch out a circle and a slash to the edge of the ticket, so you can hang it from your car's rear
view mirror.
Dec 19, 2024 Update: The local news reported a scam was busted that involved two men, one an IMS
security guard, who made counterfeit copies of parking passes, Carb Day passes and Snake Pit wristbands.
The passes were sold on Seat Geek, StubHub and Vivid Seats. IMS lost more than $150,000.
Click to View WRTV Article
Click to view Fox59 Article