The Super Bowl is right around the corner! Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be on the look-out for knock-off team jerseys, counterfeit memorabilia, and phony game day tickets.
The best way to ensure you are getting official sports gear is to buy directly from the team or league websites, or from official vendors at the stadium. Several BBBs around the country have reported websites that don’t even have any merchandise to sell you…they just want your credit card number and personal information in order to steal your identity or drain your bank account.
Tickets for the big game can be an even bigger rip-off. Thousands of Super Bowl tickets are currently listed on Craig’s List, but the site offers no guarantees of any kind and does not require identification of its sellers. Buying in person isn’t always an improvement, as it’s gotten easier and easier for scammers to make fake tickets that look real.
So where can you turn? Sites such as Stub Hub (www.stubhub.com) guarantee your tickets’ authenticity. Ticketmaster (www.ticketexchangebyticketmaster.com) also handles ticket exchanges for the NFL. Thousands of tickets are still available, starting over $2,000 per ticket up to nearly $20,000 per ticket for the best seats.
In general, avoid scams by being skeptical of:
- Offers that sound "too good to be true"
- Pushy sales tactics
- Poor quality merchandise
- Offers that require wire transfer of funds
- And always check out a business first at www.bbb.org/search.
For more consumer tips you can trust, visit www.bbb.org/news or call 1-800-388-2222. To sign up to receive our Scam Alerts, visit BBB Scam Source at www.bbb.org/scam.