How to Skip the Scam and Buy Sports Tickets Safely Online
Purchasing your tickets in the online sports ticket market (sometimes known as the secondary market, as opposed to the Box Office) is for many, the only way for non members or non season ticket holders to get to the Big Game. This is particularly true of those travelling abroad and wanting to see an international football, cricket or tennis match.
Things to Look out for and Consider
Know the difference. Between a ticket broker (legitimate and accredited reseller) and a ticket scalper (unregulated and unlicensed ticket seller).
Check the ticket broker’s refund policy. Only buy from a ticket reseller that provides clear details about the terms of the transaction.
Always use a credit card. Why? so you have some recourse; do not use cash. Also, When booking tickets online check that the payment pages are secure by looking for a padlock symbol or making sure the website address begins with an https prefix.
Ask for details. What type of seat or ticket are you buying? What is the face value of the ticket? How much is the ticket being sold for and are there any additional charges? When will the ticket be dispatched and how will you be notified?
Check the seats out ahead of time. Always ask for section, row and seat number to avoid obstructed view seats or seats that do not exist. Also, feel free to ask questions to make certain you get all the answers you need to feel comfortable with your ticket purchase.
Ask for even more details. What happens if things go wrong? What is the company’s policy on refunds?
Print out a copy of your order This is just good practice. It’s also a good idea to get a copy of the acknowledgement you should receive from the company.
Do some back ground work on the Ticket Agent.
- If your in the USA, you can look them up on bbb.org and check to see if they are a member of the NATB. NATB members offer a 200% guarantee on tickets that don’t arrive in time for a game, concert or show.
- If you think you may have been scammed you can contact the NATB’s on 630-510-4594 and also lodge your complaint with at bbb.org.
- If you are in the United Kingdom, you can Contact Consumer Direct. They have some excellent resources to help you as does Action Fraud in the UK.
Detecting a Scam Before it Happens
The Ticket Agents we Recommend all go through the Scam Advisor Ringer. We also consider seriously the reviews of other reputable sites and encourage you to do the same.
To save you some heartache, here is a current list of the sites which have been deemed by national and international sporting bodies like Barclays Premier League to be a concern.
On the plus side, you can read more about the Online Ticket Agents we believe are reliable here.
