Don’t Let Super Bowl Fever Get You Super Scammed
Austin, TX – January 29, 2010 – The New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts compete in Miami in less than two weeks for Super Bowl XLIV. BBB serving Central, Coastal and Southwest Texas encourages all potential Super Bowl attendees to use caution when searching for or purchasing tickets or travel packages for the big game.
“The Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting events of the year and tickets are very hard to come by,” said Carrie A. Hurt, President and CEO of BBB serving Central, Coastal and Southwest Texas. “Consumers need to be very careful with any online ticket or travel purchase because scammers may try to capitalize on the high demand.”
BBB offers the following tips for purchasing Super Bowl tickets:
· Deal with a reputable company that has a track record with sports game packages and ticket sales.
· Do your research at bbb.org before giving any personal information.
· Avoid buying tickets from new online auction sellers, sellers who say they’ll have eBay or Craigslist send “verification” or sellers located outside the U.S.
· Use a credit card or third party escrow company such as PayPal for purchases. They offer additional protection and provide a means to track the purchase.
· Make sure the Web site is secure and reputable. Look for the BBBOnline® seal and the “https” or “lock” symbol in the navigation bar on the Internet browser.
· Read all the fine print and be sure to verify the ticket delivery dates.
In addition, BBB encourages consumers to watch out for travel package deals that may “include” Super Bowl tickets. Package prices may be severely inflated to accommodate the purchase of tickets, while other aspects of the package may be below expectations.
Other tips for purchasing Super Bowl tour packages include:
· Get all the details in writing, including price, cancellation penalties and all other specifics of the package, including the name of the hotel, airline, etc.
· Verify the travel package includes guaranteed tickets to the Super Bowl game.
· Independently verify the flight and hotel arrangements. Then, follow up with the travel promoter a few days before departure to confirm reservations.
· The U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Truth in Ticketing” rule requires travel promoters who advertise Super Bowl packages that include tickets have either the tickets in hand or a written contract to receive them. The rule states travel operators must pay full refunds to consumers when they sell a travel package that includes game tickets, but fail to provide them. These refunds must cover the full price paid for the package, including airfare and hotel rooms.
For more information on avoiding ticket scams and to check the reliability of a company, visit www.bbb.org.