How to Buy South by Southwest Tickets on eBay

South by Southwest, sometimes referred to as "SXSW," is an annual music and film festival held in Austin, Texas. The conference usually takes place in March of each year and includes music and film performances by thousands of artists in different venues throughout the city. As the event has grown in popularity over the last 20 years, it has become increasingly difficult to buy South by Southwest tickets. Many people turn to the Internet and use eBay as an alternative method for purchasing tickets.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Find out when South by Southwest tickets officially go on sale. Legitimate tickets will not be available through eBay until tickets have already begun selling through the South by Southwest website and other official ticket outlets.

2. Register for an account on eBay (see Resources below). If you already have an account, you'll be asked to sign in with your password. To enroll, you will be required to enter your personal contact information, including your home address, telephone number and preferred email address for validation purposes.

3. Choose a username and password. Use combinations of words and numbers that will be easy for you to remember. Read the user agreement and privacy policy provided to you during registration before submitting your request for an account.

4. Complete the registration process by clicking on the validation link that is provided to you by email. Sign in to eBay with your account information and prepare to start searching for South by Southwest tickets. Click on the "Search Bar" and select "Tickets" from the list of categories in the drop-down menu.

5. Type "South by Southwest" into the search bar and press the "Search" button. Review the results of your search. You will most likely be presented with several options, so it's important to review each auction listing carefully for information such as shipping costs, the ending date for the auction and the reputation of the eBay seller.

6. Select an auction listing that is offering tickets to an event during South by Southwest that you are interested in attending. Submit a bid to buy the tickets. It's best to enter a maximum bid if you are certain about the maximum price you are willing to pay for the tickets, because eBay will automatically enter bids for you higher than the current bidding price up to the maximum amount you enter.

7. Pay the seller for the tickets if you win the auction. Sellers on eBay generally use PayPal as a payment method, but it's important to check with the seller for his preferred method. Provide the seller with your contact information and determine the appropriate shipment method to get the tickets to you in time for South by Southwest.

Tips & Warnings

• You must be at least 18 years old to register for an account to buy or sell items on eBay.

Resources

• eBay to create an account and find tickets