Super Bowl Tickets: Don't Get Scammed!
By: Lynda Baquero, WNBC
Updated: January 25, 2012
Ticket brokers are busy taking orders to see one of the biggest sporting events of the year.
At NFL.com, a Super Bowl seat in the upper decks of Lucas Oil Stadium on February 5th will set you back $2,800.
Top tickets are commanding more than $15,000!
That has scam artists salivating.
Dozens of San Francisco 49er fans were recently left in the cold and rain outside Candlestick Park when they got counterfeit tickets from a scalper.
Police arrested the man, who was forced to issue refunds.
To make sure yours is the real deal, look for the security marks, a hologram on the back with the Super Bowl logo visible at one angle and the Indianapolis Building window on the other.
There's also therma-chromic ink.
When heat is applied on the graphic it'll fade away, then come back when the heat source is removed.
Karen Dahlberg is an attorney with the Federal Trade Commission.
"We all want people to have fun at the Super Bowl. What we don't want is for New Yorkers to be showing up in Indianapolis and finding out that their tickets are counterfeit," she says.
You may want to start your ticket search at NFL.com.
They host an NFL ticket exchange, through Ticketmaster, which ensures that every Super Bowl ticket sold on its site is legitimate.
There are also ticket re-sellers, like Stub Hub, but be careful about buying online at other sites.
"You never want to be wiring money to a stranger. What you want to do is make sure you use a credit card and print any copy that confirms your order," Dahlberg says.
Also, check the seating chart to make sure views aren't obstructed or that seats don't exist.
If you're buying tickets on the secondary market, the Better Business Bureau says to deal only with ticket brokers that provide clear details about the terms of the transaction.
They also advise to not buy from a site without a phone number and fixed place of business.
At NFL.com, a Super Bowl seat in the upper decks of Lucas Oil Stadium on February 5th will set you back $2,800.
Top tickets are commanding more than $15,000!
That has scam artists salivating.
Dozens of San Francisco 49er fans were recently left in the cold and rain outside Candlestick Park when they got counterfeit tickets from a scalper.
Police arrested the man, who was forced to issue refunds.
To make sure yours is the real deal, look for the security marks, a hologram on the back with the Super Bowl logo visible at one angle and the Indianapolis Building window on the other.
There's also therma-chromic ink.
When heat is applied on the graphic it'll fade away, then come back when the heat source is removed.
Karen Dahlberg is an attorney with the Federal Trade Commission.
"We all want people to have fun at the Super Bowl. What we don't want is for New Yorkers to be showing up in Indianapolis and finding out that their tickets are counterfeit," she says.
You may want to start your ticket search at NFL.com.
They host an NFL ticket exchange, through Ticketmaster, which ensures that every Super Bowl ticket sold on its site is legitimate.
There are also ticket re-sellers, like Stub Hub, but be careful about buying online at other sites.
"You never want to be wiring money to a stranger. What you want to do is make sure you use a credit card and print any copy that confirms your order," Dahlberg says.
Also, check the seating chart to make sure views aren't obstructed or that seats don't exist.
If you're buying tickets on the secondary market, the Better Business Bureau says to deal only with ticket brokers that provide clear details about the terms of the transaction.
They also advise to not buy from a site without a phone number and fixed place of business.
