Slam Dunk Your Next Online Ticket Purchase
BBB Offers Tips for Buying Sports Tickets on the Internet
Austin, TX – With the NFL and college football seasons underway and the NBA season just beginning, BBB warns sports fans to be on the lookout for fraudulent sellers when shopping for hard-to-get tickets online.
According to StubHub.com, the secondary-ticket market is a $10 billion a year industry which includes sporting and entertainment events where tickets are bought and sold by professional brokers, speculators and season-ticket holders. Online sales of these tickets account for one-third of the total transactions and is growing 15 to 20 percent a year.
“The Internet has made it convenient for sports fans to buy tickets to see their favorite teams,” said Carrie A. Hurt, President and CEO of BBB serving Central, Coastal and Southwest Texas. “Unfortunately that also means scam artists are using the Internet to take advantage of consumers, so it’s important to identify any warning signs.”
A number of secondary-market ticket companies use highly regulated Web sites that provide buyer protections including money-back guarantees. For example, TicketsNow.com takes possession of tickets and verifies them in-house before posting them for resale. StubHub and RazorGator hold sellers’ credit-card numbers and if they sell fake tickets, they are charged for the replacements.
BBB offers the following advice for making ticket purchases online:
- When buying from a merchant, look for the BBBOnLine seal. The seal will tell you that you’re dealing with a company that is committed to safeguarding privacy on the Internet and meets BBB Standards of Trust.
- When buying from an individual through an online exchange, don’t be lured away from the Web site by the seller. Even if you met the seller on the exchange Web site, the company may not guarantee any lost money if a transaction occurs outside their domain.
- If you buy tickets through an online auction, choose a seller with a long, continuous history of satisfied customers. Scammers can hijack old accounts, so make sure they have recently bought or sold other items.
- Never pay with a cashier’s check or wire money to the seller. You’ll have no way to get your money back if the tickets never arrive. Pay with a credit card or through PayPal, which offers some amount of protection and potential for reimbursement.
- Many sellers will include pictures of the tickets with their posts on auction sites or bulletin boards. Examine the tickets closely for any inaccuracies or alterations and cross-check the seat assignment with the map on the venue’s Web site before you buy.
- Once your tickets arrive, inspect them to make sure they are for the correct event, time and seat location. If you are unsure if the tickets are valid, visit the event’s ticket office and have an employee verify their authenticity.
For more tips and advice on safe online shopping, visit www.bbb.org.
About BBB:
BBB's mission is to be the leader in advancing marketplace trust. BBB accomplishes this mission by creating a community of trustworthy businesses, setting standards for marketplace trust, encouraging and supporting best practices, celebrating marketplace role models and denouncing substandard marketplace behavior.
Businesses that earn BBB Accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization's high standards of ethical business behavior. BBB is the preeminent resource to turn to for objective, unbiased information on businesses and charities.
Contact BBB serving Central, Coastal and Southwest Texas at (512) 445-4748.
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