BBB Warns Against World Series Ticket And Hotel Scams
SACRAMENTO (CBS) - Giants fans looking for World Series ticket and hotel offers should be leery of offers that sound too good to be true.
Championship games can often lead to counterfeit tickets or wire transfer fraud. Better Business Bureau (BBB) encourages fans to be cautious when buying tickets through third-party sites or classified advertisements.
Also, hotel scams involving selling hotel rooms to hotels that don't exist or offering selling fake hotel reservations can leave fans stranded on a night when they should be celebrating.
"Big games are known for bringing the scammers out," said Gary Almond, president of BBB serving northeast California. "If you are going to buy tickets or book a hotel online, take a few extra seconds to research who you are dealing with."
Better Business Bureau advises fans to use the following guidelines when looking for deals during this World Series:
- Be wary of purchasing tickets from someone on the street. You may end up with tickets that have already been used or fakes.
- Ask the seller for additional contact information to ensure you can reach them if something goes wrong with the tickets or reservations. If they avoid your questions, be wary.
- Ask for the original receipt the seller received for the tickets or hotel rooms.
- If you are purchasing tickets or reservations through a classified site, do not wire money. There is no way to retrieve money once it is wired.
- If purchasing through an auction site, read the seller's reviews.
- Check out the selling website's policies. Are there any processes in place to verify a seller's identity? Does the site offer any guarantees for the tickets purchased?
- Review the seating chart and verify the seats actually exist before purchasing.
Before doing business with a company, BBB recommends checking the BBB Business Review at www.necal.bbb.org or by calling 916-443-6843.
