PHOENIX – Attorney General Mark Brnovich today issued a consumer alert to help football fans avoid ticket scams before the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Monday, January 11, 2016 and the Arizona Cardinals NFL Playoff Game on Saturday, January 16, 2016. With such a high demand for tickets, these high profile football games are prime targets for scammers trying to sell counterfeit tickets.
"With all eyes on Arizona, the last thing I want is for loyal football fans to be turned away at the gate after purchasing bogus tickets," said Attorney General Mark Brnovich. "It's such an exciting time in the Valley for football fans but they need to protect themselves from low-life scammers."
In addition to counterfeit tickets, scammers can potentially sell home-printed tickets to multiple consumers or sell original tickets that have been voided because they have already been re-sold via online ticket re-selling websites.
AG Brnovich offers the following tips when purchasing tickets for events:
- Be wary of ticket prices that are too good to be true and of any high-pressure sales tactics. Ask questions of the seller to verify that the tickets are legitimate. Ask to see their proof of purchase.
- Research the seller/broker online. Look to see if they are a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers. Search the NATB website for secondary market vendors that offer authenticity guarantees on the tickets they sell.
- Stick with trusted secondary market vendors, such as StubHub and Ticketmaster. These sites offer buyer guarantees that protect you against unscrupulous sellers.
- Be wary of purchasing tickets from someone you don't know on Craigslist, eBay, or other similar person-to-person marketplace or auction sites. These types of transactions are not protected by the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act.
- Avoid paying for tickets by cash, wire transfer or pre-paid money transfer. If the tickets turn out to be fake, it is highly unlikely you will get your money back. If you pay by credit card or PayPal and the tickets turn out to be fake, you can dispute the charge.
- Always use a credit card so you have some recourse; do not use cash, debit card, prepaid money card or wire transfer.
Anyone who believes they are the victim of a scam should file a consumer complaint with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix at (602) 542-5763, in Tucson at (520) 628-6504, or outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at 1(800) 352-8431. Consumers can also file complaints online by visiting the Arizona Attorney General’s website.
For additional information, members of the media may contact Mia Garcia, Director of Media Relations at (602) 339-5895 or [email protected].