If you buy instant download tickets from Stubhub, PRINT THEM OUT AHEAD OF TIME.
You CAN'T have them scanned from your phone at the Barclays center.
And for my long ticket debacle, comedy of errors:
I bought a ticket off stubhub yesterday last minute as prices continued to drop.
They were real cheap on stubhub and most were hard tickets, but i paid just a few more bucks to get an electronic ticket to avoid having to deal with walking to the Stubhub office.
Ticket comes right through and I have the PDF on my phone.
We get to the arena about 20-25 minutes before tip (~12:15). I get through all the security and get to the ticket scanner and she says they won't scan tickets. Every arena in the world scans them from your phone now, even the Pavilion does! Not because the scanner physically can't do it but because their policy is that they don't scan them.
They tell me I need to go to the box and they will print a hard ticket (that makes sense). I wait in a long line at least 15 minutes to get to a window and they tell me they won't print it. They said they won't print stubhub tickets, even though it's a ticketmaster ticket. They said they won't do it because they can't verify the account (but printing yourself is still ok).
I asked multiple people about all of this and ultimately got the same answers (even though multiple people said they would print it at the box). They tell me you can print it at Shake Shack or Target across the street. Shake Shack was right there so I run across the street and find a girl who goes in the back to see if they can do this. (no idea why Shake Shack would do this in the first place, but thought maybe it was something they do for Barclay's). She says they normally do it, but won't do it today.
Then I run across the street toward Target. It's inside of a mall. Now I am running through this mall, pass these others guys going the other way that got their tickets printed at Target that were near me in line at the arena. I run up the escalator, through the mall (all the time knowing the game has started).
I get to Target and they have a photo print center to the left right when you walk in. I'm asking these girls if I can print a ticket. They say no, but keep asking and then they are trying to help. One says you can't print to their printers from an Iphone, then starts telling me I need to download this Kodak app to print. This whole thing has been absolutely insane and I'm like how am I possibly in this situation right now. The other girl is like what are you talking about to the other one, forget the App he just needs to print his ticket. She says send her a text of the pic. I email the PDF knowing a text would suck. She finally gets that on her phone and says these photo printers cant print PDFs (again making no sense). Then i text her a screen shot of the ticket. Now she isnt getting the text and restarts her phone (more time! ---how is this happening).
Now 2 other kids are here trying to print tickets too. Finally gets the text and proceeds to print. She comes back with a 4x6 photo sleeve and I'm like what the hell is this?? She rings it up for 3 bucks and is like that's not right (id pay anything at that point anyway) but she goes to the back, comes back again and charges me 22 cents. I look at the pic and its just a 4x6 of my screenshot of my ticket. Looks pretty crappy. Im like you cant print on paper??? No. (how is this possible???). She says I do this all the time, it works fine. Then I say how its not clear and she says well if they dont take it just come back and i'll print it bigger. More insanity!!! That is very nice of you to be so helpful, do you think I have time here to come back?!?! do you not realize I am flipping out here?!?!
I run back to the arena. Try to have this woman scan my picture. She says I cant use that. Im thinking there is nothing that specifies paper size! I make her try it anyway. She tries, it doesnt work. I make her try a bunch of times. The barcode is not clear and it doesnt work. Now Im really about to flip out.
Im on my way out of the building and an older guy asks if I need tickets. I say Im looking for a dirt cheap ticket. He starts showing me his upper, telling me face is 76, he paid 100. Im thinking are you crazy? tickets are 10 bucks on stubhub, I said dirt cheap! Im telling these guys I have a ticket but I cant use it, just looking to get in.
I go outside tell some scalper holding a bunch of tickets the same thing. Wasnt amused at my offer. Then Im telling this scalper I just need to print. Guy is standing 2 barracades over from me past the will call line. Then he starts telling me - Oh that guy can print for you. Pointing towards a red jacket Barclays security guy. Im like No, they wont print here. He says that guy will. This goes back and for like 2-3 times because I know the arena wont do it. Finally I'm thinking, this makes no sense but I'll go ask him anyway. The security guy seemed to know the scalper (im sure he's there all the time), so Im like maybe he will help me for him. I run in the building and out the other door to the security guy. Ask him if he can help then he points to this other guy standing 10 feet away.
Theres this guy with a little table against the building with an HP printer on it and a sign about his concierge services. He moves the barracade so I can get over to the guy. This dude has a printer setup just for this purpose (gotta love it, where theres a need, theres a business). I email him the PDF and he prints it- 5 bucks later and a couple hand shakes with my savior I'm running back inside.
Finally sit down with 7 min left in the first half about a whole hour later at 1:10 PM.
the whole thing was just a series of one illogical thing after the other, and everything going wrong. moral of the story - print your stubhub tickets!
The Target woman was saying how the NY arenas dont like the electronic tickets and are trying to counter fraud. That is understandable, but that has nothing to do with using a ticket on a phone vs printed. Its the same exact electronic ticket, it's just being printed. Someone can sell/email it to 100 people and 99 will get screwed. Not scanning the phone doesnt stop this. You can still print the same ticket multiple times with Winston's Usher Services in front of the arena!
You CAN'T have them scanned from your phone at the Barclays center.
And for my long ticket debacle, comedy of errors:
I bought a ticket off stubhub yesterday last minute as prices continued to drop.
They were real cheap on stubhub and most were hard tickets, but i paid just a few more bucks to get an electronic ticket to avoid having to deal with walking to the Stubhub office.
Ticket comes right through and I have the PDF on my phone.
We get to the arena about 20-25 minutes before tip (~12:15). I get through all the security and get to the ticket scanner and she says they won't scan tickets. Every arena in the world scans them from your phone now, even the Pavilion does! Not because the scanner physically can't do it but because their policy is that they don't scan them.
They tell me I need to go to the box and they will print a hard ticket (that makes sense). I wait in a long line at least 15 minutes to get to a window and they tell me they won't print it. They said they won't print stubhub tickets, even though it's a ticketmaster ticket. They said they won't do it because they can't verify the account (but printing yourself is still ok).
I asked multiple people about all of this and ultimately got the same answers (even though multiple people said they would print it at the box). They tell me you can print it at Shake Shack or Target across the street. Shake Shack was right there so I run across the street and find a girl who goes in the back to see if they can do this. (no idea why Shake Shack would do this in the first place, but thought maybe it was something they do for Barclay's). She says they normally do it, but won't do it today.
Then I run across the street toward Target. It's inside of a mall. Now I am running through this mall, pass these others guys going the other way that got their tickets printed at Target that were near me in line at the arena. I run up the escalator, through the mall (all the time knowing the game has started).
I get to Target and they have a photo print center to the left right when you walk in. I'm asking these girls if I can print a ticket. They say no, but keep asking and then they are trying to help. One says you can't print to their printers from an Iphone, then starts telling me I need to download this Kodak app to print. This whole thing has been absolutely insane and I'm like how am I possibly in this situation right now. The other girl is like what are you talking about to the other one, forget the App he just needs to print his ticket. She says send her a text of the pic. I email the PDF knowing a text would suck. She finally gets that on her phone and says these photo printers cant print PDFs (again making no sense). Then i text her a screen shot of the ticket. Now she isnt getting the text and restarts her phone (more time! ---how is this happening).
Now 2 other kids are here trying to print tickets too. Finally gets the text and proceeds to print. She comes back with a 4x6 photo sleeve and I'm like what the hell is this?? She rings it up for 3 bucks and is like that's not right (id pay anything at that point anyway) but she goes to the back, comes back again and charges me 22 cents. I look at the pic and its just a 4x6 of my screenshot of my ticket. Looks pretty crappy. Im like you cant print on paper??? No. (how is this possible???). She says I do this all the time, it works fine. Then I say how its not clear and she says well if they dont take it just come back and i'll print it bigger. More insanity!!! That is very nice of you to be so helpful, do you think I have time here to come back?!?! do you not realize I am flipping out here?!?!
I run back to the arena. Try to have this woman scan my picture. She says I cant use that. Im thinking there is nothing that specifies paper size! I make her try it anyway. She tries, it doesnt work. I make her try a bunch of times. The barcode is not clear and it doesnt work. Now Im really about to flip out.
Im on my way out of the building and an older guy asks if I need tickets. I say Im looking for a dirt cheap ticket. He starts showing me his upper, telling me face is 76, he paid 100. Im thinking are you crazy? tickets are 10 bucks on stubhub, I said dirt cheap! Im telling these guys I have a ticket but I cant use it, just looking to get in.
I go outside tell some scalper holding a bunch of tickets the same thing. Wasnt amused at my offer. Then Im telling this scalper I just need to print. Guy is standing 2 barracades over from me past the will call line. Then he starts telling me - Oh that guy can print for you. Pointing towards a red jacket Barclays security guy. Im like No, they wont print here. He says that guy will. This goes back and for like 2-3 times because I know the arena wont do it. Finally I'm thinking, this makes no sense but I'll go ask him anyway. The security guy seemed to know the scalper (im sure he's there all the time), so Im like maybe he will help me for him. I run in the building and out the other door to the security guy. Ask him if he can help then he points to this other guy standing 10 feet away.
Theres this guy with a little table against the building with an HP printer on it and a sign about his concierge services. He moves the barracade so I can get over to the guy. This dude has a printer setup just for this purpose (gotta love it, where theres a need, theres a business). I email him the PDF and he prints it- 5 bucks later and a couple hand shakes with my savior I'm running back inside.
Finally sit down with 7 min left in the first half about a whole hour later at 1:10 PM.
the whole thing was just a series of one illogical thing after the other, and everything going wrong. moral of the story - print your stubhub tickets!
The Target woman was saying how the NY arenas dont like the electronic tickets and are trying to counter fraud. That is understandable, but that has nothing to do with using a ticket on a phone vs printed. Its the same exact electronic ticket, it's just being printed. Someone can sell/email it to 100 people and 99 will get screwed. Not scanning the phone doesnt stop this. You can still print the same ticket multiple times with Winston's Usher Services in front of the arena!
