Website Goldstar Offers Steep Discounts On Tickets

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Why pay full price when you could pay half-price instead?

There's a company that claims to be able to sell you tickets to all sorts of events at deep discounts – sometimes half-off.

The company is called Goldstar.

It started in Southern California, but now it's in 26 cities, including Pittsburgh.

There's a lot to do and see, but Goldstar claims that if you buy tickets through them, you can do it very often at half the price everyone else is paying.

"I love Goldstar, I think it's awesome," said Kat Vancko of Kennedy Township.

Vancko used Goldstar when she lived in California and she's thrilled that it's here now.

You don't pick your exact seat, but you know what location you're in and you pay less than anybody else sitting around you.

Here's an example:

Tickets to a recent Disney show here at Heinz Hall went for $35 to $75. But Gold star offered tickets to the same show for $17 to $45.

We tested it out and picked out four seats in one section, for a total of $216. Then we picked out four seats in the same section – even with $24 in service fees – it was only $123.

How about for tickets to comedian Loni Love's upcoming show in Homestead?

At the Improv's website, there's two tickets for $22 each, plus an $8 service fee for a total of $52.

But on Goldstar, the two tickets are considered comps – meaning they're free. You just pay $13 in service fees. That's 75 percent off!

One of the founders of Goldstar told us in an interview over Skype that they can do it because they work directly with theaters and sports teams.

"One of the things that makes it attractive for venues to be able to offer the price is that they don't have to assign your seat," said Jim McCarthy with Goldstar. "They have a little bit of leeway, in terms of where you sit."

With Goldstar you can pick a theater section, and your group will sit together, but you can't pick the exact seats.

Although, we found that Kennywood was one instance where Goldstar wasn't the cheapest price.
At the gate, admission is about $43 when you factor in a $1 West Mifflin amusement tax.

Goldstar was offering a price of $29, but the service charge makes it closer to $34. But at some Giant Eagles, you can buy tickets for about $31. The only catch is you'll get charged a surcharges if you try to use those Giant Eagle tickets on Saturdays and Sundays in July and August.

Overall though, Goldstar's discounts are winning over customers. Once you sign up, you can even tailor the types of suggestions you get.

The company has grown to more than 20 cities.

Actor Neil Patrick Harris has also been named to its advisory board.

Goldstar has also offered discount tickets to movies at Loew's Theaters, as well as the Pittsburgh Pirates.

We picked two seats on the Pirates' website for $78. With Goldstar, it was $30 less. The difference was we could only pick the section, not the exact seats.

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