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Be wise when buying tickets to follow the 2019 NCAA Basketball Tournament

by | Mar 21, 2019 | Sports

From the Better Business Bureau of Central Virginia:

Local basketball fans are ready to follow in person or watch the games on TV; UVA, Virginia Tech, VCU,  Old Dominion, Liberty and Maryland are in the tournament.    The Better Business Bureau serving Central Virginia is reminding fans to beware of questionable sources for tickets.

“Good seats at the various venues will be in very high demand,” said Barry N. Moore, BBB-CV President & CEO. “Many fans may choose to buy on secondary buy/sell exchanges, or from individuals on social media and other sites. The BBB urges fans to do a bit of research before buying tickets to follow your team,” Moore added.

Universities generally receive a limited amount of seats’ tickets for postseason play; often, seats are reserved for booster club members and students. If tickets aren’t available from the school’s website, they can be purchased from NCAA’s Ticket Exchange—the official secondary marketplace for tournament tickets. If you’re looking to buy tickets, BBB and the National Association of Ticket Brokers (a National BBB Partner) offer this advice:

  • Purchase from the venue whenever possible: Many official ticket sales agents now offer secondary sales options, as well.
  • 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 an NATB-member resale company.
  • Buy online only from vendors you know and trust: Look for the lock symbol and https: in the web address to indicate a secure purchasing system. Don’t click through from emails or online ads; a common ticket scam trick is to create a web address that is similar to a well-known 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, prior to purchase, the location of the seats, either orally or by reference to a seating chart; and, if the tickets are not available immediately, 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 transfer or cash transactions are NOT advised; 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 of these ads may be ticket scams.
  • If you’re unsure, verify your tickets: Pay a visit to the arena where the event will be held or at least call that arena on their ticket purchase line. It’s best to present your ticket to “Will Call” (customer service) and they can verify if it’s legitimate.

More information: www.bbb.org/tickets. Consumers may report scams at bbb.org/scamtracker.

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