Consumer Affairs Cautions Football Fans On Buying Tickets From Alternative Sources
Friday, September 02, 2011 | 08:35am
NASHVILLE- With college and NFL football seasons getting under way, fans that do not have season tickets for their favorite will be looking to buy from alternative sources. Fans that try to buy tickets from these sources need to be on guard. Scammers are looking to cash in.
If you choose a less-than-reputable source when buying tickets, you run the risk of being ripped off. Tickets sold in the secondary market– from sellers who do not have the authority to issue tickets and either acquired them from a team, venue or are reselling them– are big business. Once you pay for tickets online, you have no way of knowing if they will ever show up. You run the risk of receiving fake tickets or nothing at all.
“If you plan to buy tickets online or from someone selling tickets at the event, please take the time to make sure you are dealing with a legitimate seller,” said Consumer Affairs Director Gary Cordell. “Taking the time to ask for pictures of the tickets you plan to purchase or inspecting a scalper’s ticket for any inaccuracies can help you to avoid handing your hard-earned money over to scammers looking to make a quick dollar.”
If you plan to buy tickets, either online or from ticket reseller at the event, remember:
- The reason tickets are expensive is that they are hard to get. The chances of you finding a deal are slim.
- If a seller asks that you wire money to receive the tickets, this is a red flag. Never wire money. When buying tickets online, use a credit card.
- Do your research. If you plan to purchase tickets online, ask to see a picture of the tickets and confirm that the seats match up with the venue. If you have friends or family that have tickets, make sure that the tickets look like theirs.
- Research the company policy for customer satisfaction and what happens if tickets are fake or not as advertised.
- Buying from resellers at an event can be a gamble. You may get legitimate tickets or you may get fake tickets. Look at the tickets closely for any inaccuracies or alterations.
Consumer Affairs (www.tn.gov/consumer/) is a division of the Department of Commerce and Insurance (www.tn.gov/commerce/), which works to protect consumers while ensuring fair competition for industries and professionals who do business in Tennessee.