CLEVELAND — As the Cleveland Guardians prepare to start their "October to remember," fans are heading online to buy tickets in droves. The Better Business Bureau is reminding baseball fans to make sure those tickets come from a trustworthy source.
The Guardians announced Thursday night that Games 1 and 2 of the American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field are sold out, aside from standing room tickets available on the team's website. The club said "limited" tickets remain available for Game 5, if necessary.
That means more and more fans will flock to other resale sites and unofficial ticket providers — which heightens the danger of scams. The BBB said it received more than 140 reports of ticket scams on its Scam Tracker last year related to events sports, concerts and theatre.
Here are tips from the BBB to avoid scams and protect your wallets while enjoying some October baseball:
- Purchase from the venue whenever possible. Many official ticket sales agents now offer secondary sales options, as well.
- Consider your source. Know the difference between a professional ticket broker (a legitimate and accredited reseller), a ticket scalper (an unregulated and unlicensed ticket seller), and a scammer selling scam tickets.
- Check out the seller/broker. Look them up on BBB.org to learn what other customers have experienced. Check to see if they are a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers. NATB members offer a 200% purchase guarantee on tickets. Look up the seller on VerifiedTicketSource.com to confirm you are buying from a NATB-member resale company.
- Know the refund policy. You should only purchase tickets from a ticket reseller that provides clear details about the terms of the transaction. Sellers should disclose to the purchaser, before purchase, the location of the seats represented by the tickets, either orally or by reference to a seating chart; and, if the tickets are not available for immediate access to the purchaser, disclose when the tickets will ship or be available for pick up.
- Use payment methods that come with protection. Always use a credit card so you have some recourse if the tickets are not as promised. Debit cards, wire transfers, or cash transactions are risky; if the tickets are fraudulent, you won’t be able to get your money back.
- Be wary of advertisements. When you search the web for online tickets, advertisements for cheap tickets will often appear. Use good judgment; some ads will be ticket scams, especially if the prices are low.
The BBB encourages those who spot a scam to report it on its Scam Tracker. Whether you've lost money or not, reporting a scam will help others avoid falling victim, the BBB said.
