By: Anthony Brousseau
Yes, technically it's April, but March Madness comes to Minneapolis this week. If you’re trying to score some last-minute Final Four tickets, the Better Business Bureau has some advice.
“With tickets to the games selling for anywhere from $165 to $31,000 through the NCAA’s ticket vendor, scammers could be looking for the opportunity to capitalize on the highly-anticipated event,” the BBB says in a press release.
Nearly 400 scams were reported during last year’s Final Four. If you don’t want to be among this year’s number, study up on the following tips straight from the BBB:
- Purchase from the venue whenever possible to ensure legitimacy.
- Do a quick search on the seller/broker. Look them up on bbb.org to learn what other customers have experienced, or use VerifiedTicketSource.com to confirm they are a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers.
- Look at the web address: A common ticket scam trick is to create a web address that is similar to a well-known company. Also, look for the lock symbol in the address to indicate a secure purchasing system.
- 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 to the purchaser the location of the seats on the tickets and 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 risky; 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. Some of these ads are going to be ticket scams, especially if the prices are low.
- Verify your tickets by visiting the venue. Present your ticket to “Will Call” (customer service), and they can verify if your ticket is legitimate and show you how to tell if a ticket is fake.
Final Four festivities kick off Friday, April 5, and the first game—Auburn vs. Virginia—tips off around 5 p.m. Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Texas Tech vs. Michigan State will follow.
The National Championship game is set for 8 p.m. Monday, April 8.
