FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What's all this about promotion points?

At Owngig, spreading the word about gigs is often crucial to their success. We only put on the shows when we know that there's enough demand. Therefore, by helping spread the word you're helping this happen and hence we'd like to reward you for this.

The promotion points measure your contributions and when the gig happens, the two people who have the highest number of points will get free tickets as a reward.

Specifically, here are the current ways you can get rewarded...

• Twitter - get one point for promoting the gig with a tweet.
• Facebook - promote the concert on your news feed, you'll get a point.
• Email your friends - get one point for every friend that signs up when you invite them. You can email multiple friends using our easy email tools.
• Forum and blog posts - Get a point for every individual blog post or forum you write promoting the gig (subject to being checked by us).

On Twitter and Facebook, points are given only for the first time you promote the concert. With forum and blog posts, we want to make sure you're not just mindless spamming people so try to keep to places that you know people will be interested in the concert and, similarly, each blog post has to be different to those you've previously placed.

We reserve the right in all cases not to award the points if we think you've been exploiting the system - but be reasonable and we're sure that won't happen.

Can I bid for more than one artist?

Yes, you can bid for as many artists as you like. There is a limit of ten tickets per bid.

What if the artist I require is not in the database?

You will be prompted to add any artist that is not in the database. We will be monitoring and updating the database regularly.

How much should I bid?

This is very much dependent on the type of artist and size of gig you wish to attend. The more established the act the more expensive the ticket will be.

There is no obligation to continue with any bid once made, though we would recommend you only bid what you are actually willing to pay to see the artist.

We will contact you nearer the time of the event to confirm the final price of any show and invite you to purchase should you still wish to attend.

How many tickets can I bid for?

Currently we allow you to bid for up to ten tickets. If you want to attend a show with more people though you can invite them using the promotional tools that allow you to share the gig through Twitter, Facebook or even simply email many of your friends at the same time.

How do I know the show will happen?

Once we have agreed a show with an artist we will request that reference is made to the event on their own official website to demonstrate authenticity.

When do I have to pay?

We will contact you when a show has been commissioned, usually no more than three months ahead of the actual event.

At that point you will be asked to confirm you wish to purchase a ticket(s) at the price set. You will then have one week to make the payment, either by credit or debit card.

Please note that if the gig is cancelled through any fault of the artist then you will receive a full refund for the ticket(s) purchased.

Are there any other costs?

There are no other costs to attend the gig. We may offer you the opportunity to purchase recordings of the show, merchandise etc. but this will always be optional.

How many bids does it need for a gig to happen?

This varies dependent on the value of the bids, who the artist is and where in the world the show is to take place.

Do I have to be in the UK or US to bid?

No. We accept bids from anywhere in the world.

Do artists need to be signed to a label?

No, it's not important for an artist to be signed to a label, as we can deal directly with the artist management and band.

How do you support unsigned/small artists?

There's no difference to the service we offer these artists and we offer them a way of promoting themselves directly to their fan base - without having to rely on record labels. Anyone can add an artist to Owngig.com. It's then in the hands of fans to make it happen. We also can provide research from the site which will be useful in providing the best possible service for fans.

How do booking agents and promoters fit in with the model?

We work alongside them - Owngig.com are keen to develop a new kind of experience in the 'live' market where fans are able to participate in a more bespoke show. We see this as complementary to the traditional artist tour and would expect the hardcore fan to attend both types of event.

Owngig have already met with the leading UK Artist booking agencies and have received a very favourable response, to the extent that we are already working on shows together.

How do I know the show will happen?

Once we have agreed a show with an artist we will request that reference is made to the event on their own official website to demonstrate authenticity.

How do you know bids are genuine?

We're able to track activity on site by constantly monitoring suspicious usage patterns and can also track IP addresses to spot multiple bids.

How do I know my details are secure? Will you sell them on?

We use industry standard encryption. It's not in our interest to sell your details on - the value in the data is to help offer you personalise experiences with bands. We would never sell your email address or personal details on to marketing companies or spammers.

What do I do about abusive/offensive content?

We do our best to ensure that the site is empty of any offensive or abusive content and apologise if you've come across anything like this across our site. If you do spot anything that meets these criteria, please let us know by emailing us at abuse@owngig.com with a link to the content in question, and the nature of the offense.

Do you need to sign up to buy tickets?

Yes. We expect all attendees to have registered so that only true fans attend gigs - which is why we ask for a photo ID.

What happens if your site crashes? Do I lose my bids?

The site is always backed up and so any bids made will be kept in the unlikely event of Owngig.com crashing. If your browser crashes while you are making a bid, simply resubmit it - otherwise your original bid will be lost.

Can I put you on my social network?

Yes. We have a variety of widgets and badges for several popular social networks in development. Again, watch this space.

Can I close my account?

Yes. Please contact us at http://owngig.com/misc/contactus and tell us the name of your account and we'll close it for you.

How quickly do you respond to email?

We aim to get back to all users in 48 hours. If you need us to respond quickly, please write URGENT in the subject heading and indicate the reasons why in your email why a quick respond is needed.