So I’m some two years behind the curve when it comes to buying Beijing Olympic tickets. There’s been several phases of ticket sales, and suffice to say, finding one now is about as easy as finding a good surf spot in the Sahara.
I’ve already come across eBay auctions of closing ceremony tickets for $20,000, granted the poster was nice enough to offer a “buy one get one free” sale.
If you’re still keen on catching an event or two before the end of the Games this Sunday, here’s a cheat sheet on, well, not getting cheated.
First, a disclaimer. If you’re thinking about buying tickets at this stage, be prepared to see your money disappear. There’s just so many scams out there that getting a ticket now has turned more into a lottery. For instance, just this past weekend, some 100 scalpers were rounded up for selling tickets at inflated prices in Beijing. And a month or so ago, one notorious website was shut down for selling fake tickets.
But there are still some ways to find ticket. Your options are:
- Official ticket vendor. For Americans and some other Westerners, the official ticket vendor is CoSport. Although they don’t advertise it too much, you can still land tickets to some of the less popular events the day before the event.
- Craigslist. For those who want to see some of the more popular events–closing ceremony, 10 m diving, basketball gold final–Craigslist‘s Beijing page is your best bet. Go to tickets, where you’ll find plenty of people buying and selling tickets. Be careful though, lots of scammers here who will be happy to take your MoneyGram and Western Union transfers and run.
- Bird’s nest. If you want the cheapest tickets, the best deals can often be found outside the venues. Just look for scalpers, many of whom are bold enough to drape huge signs over themselves advertising their prices. Probably the safest bet since you’ll be able to see the tickets. Just make sure to bring plenty of cash.
- Third-party vendors. There’s a handful of companies that will gladly sell you Olympics tickets for a profit. One of the more popular ones, with plenty of popular events still available, is here.
- BOCOG. Word on the street is the Beijing organizing committee keep 2% of seats for last-minute emergencies. So if you beg and cry loud enough, who knows?
See you in Beijing!