New England Patriots fans have been warned to be on the lookout for fake Super Bowl tickets after hundreds of them were left out of pocket when the team last made the championship game.
The Patriots will play the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL’s showpiece game at Houston’s NRG Stadium next month.
During the 2015 match-up between the Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, hundreds of fans were denied Super Bowl tickets they paid for. Several brokers were accused of short-selling by waiting to buy cheaper tickets closer to game day. However, many of those tickets actually went up in price and brokers were unable to deliver the tickets they sold.
The Better Business Bureau, a consumer advice organisation, released some tips to NFL fans in anticipation of the big game.
It said fans should “buy tickets from a secure website with a padlock on the page, pay with a credit card and check if the broker is a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB)”.
“Year after year, the Super Bowl has always been an event where scams are recurrent,” said Paula Fleming, Chief Marketing & Sales Officer for the local BBB. “With so many fans looking to support their team, it’s the perfect moneymaking opportunity for scammers.”
The BBB added: “If you need to go through a seller or a broker to buy your tickets to the Super Bowl, make sure to look them up on bbb.org to see what other customers have experienced. It is also a good idea to check if they are a member of the NATB. NATB members offer a 200 per cent guarantee on tickets that don’t arrive in time for a game, concert or show.”
According to StubHub, the average price of Super Bowl tickets right now is $5,029.
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