Those cheap tickets you just bought may be a foul

NASHVILLE – – Professional and college sports have reached an all-time high of popularity. Fans that do not hold season tickets for their favorite teams might be looking to buy from alternative sources. 

If you plan on buying tickets from these sources, be careful. Tickets sold in the secondary market – from sellers who do not have the authority to issue tickets and either acquired them from a team, venue or are reselling them – is a big business. Once you pay for tickets online, you have no way of knowing if they will ever show up. You run the risk of receiving fake tickets or nothing at all. 

If you plan to buy tickets, either online or from ticket reseller at the event, remember: 

• The reason tickets are expensive is that they are hard to get. The chances of you finding a deal are slim.
• Never wire money. Use a credit card.
• Do your research. If you plan to purchase tickets online, ask to see a picture of the tickets and confirm that the seats match up with the venue. If you have friends or family who have tickets, make sure that the tickets look like theirs.
• Research the company policy for customer satisfaction and what happens if tickets are counterfeit or not as advertised.
• Buying from resellers at an event can be a gamble. You may get legitimate tickets or fakes. Inspect the tickets closely for any inaccuracies or alterations. 

To file a complaint with the Division of Consumer Affairs, visit http://tn.gov/commerce/topic/consumer-file-a-consumer-complaint.

Consumer Affairs (www.tn.gov/consumer/) is a division of the Department of Commerce and Insurance (www.tn.gov/commerce/), which works to protect consumers while ensuring fair competition for industries and professionals who do business in Tennessee.

[pdf]