In the wake of a recent Sabres ticket scam the Better Business Bureau is warning consumers that scammers are always lurking hoping to dupe eager fans into purchasing phony tickets. A shorter season places some hockey games in high demand and sadly BBB experience proves as fan interest increases scalper interest does as well. Some scalpers create fake tickets and sell them to unknowing fans. It can be devastating to be turned away at the door for any event because the tickets you purchased are counterfeit.
Most problems occur with private dealers on websites like Craigslist and eBay, as well as with game-day scalpers. Ticket buyers are known to be swindled by wire transfer scams, non-delivery of tickets and have even been turned away from games when their tickets turned out to be counterfeit. If you’re going to buy from a third party it’s important to proceed with caution. Consumers should know New York State requires ticket resellers to be licensed by locality and also requires them to post a bond to ensure they will not be guilty of fraud, extortion, or violation of the ticket broker law.
The BBB offers the following tips to help fans avoid being ripped off:
- It’s best to only buy directly from the box office or through authorized ticket markets like Stubhub.com or TicketsNow.com when available.
- Don’t ever use wire services for payment.
- Set clear transaction terms up front. A reputable business and ticket reseller will let you know the price up front.
- Avoid having tickets mailed when possible. Arrange to pick them up in a public place in person after you verify the reseller is licensed.
- BBB recommends you verify the legitimacy of the tickets before you pay. If a reseller claims they don’t actually have the tickets, or if they tickets are in an undesirable location for a price too low or too high – walk away!
- Know the going rate for the ticket you’re after and avoid offers that are deeply discounted.
