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3/15/2010

Lexington, KY - Fans who want to follow the University of Kentucky Wildcats, the University of Louisville Cardinals or the Murray State University Racers along the road to the NCAA Final Four should use caution in order to avoid con artists when buying tickets and travel packages, warns the Better Business Bureau of Central & Eastern Kentucky.

"Fans wanting to follow the teams in NCAA tournament play may find they have to look hard to find tickets to the games," said Neil Kingery, President and CEO of the BBB of Central & Eastern Kentucky. "They may be tempted by the secondary market, where tickets inevitably pop up. The BBB warns fans to be careful if buying tickets from individuals online or from unfamiliar sources."

If buying tickets from a brokerage, first check the company's BBB reliability report. "If people buy from scalpers, or from individuals through classified ads or the Internet or elsewhere, they are taking a big chance," said Kingery. "If tickets turn out to be fake, or if you get no tickets at all after paying, there won't be much you can do to get recourse."

The same goes for buying travel packages throughout the tournament. "Check out the travel planner with the BBB. Or ask us for a list of BBB Accredited Businesses in that industry," Kingery said. "Verify reservations made in your name so that there are no surprises when you arrive. Find out what the cancellation or refund policies are in case you cannot go."

The BBB suggests these tips for fans following the teams:

• Check out companies with the BBB. Contact the BBB of Central & Eastern Kentucky at (859) 259-1008 or toll-free (800) 866-6668 or on the web at www.bluegrass.bbb.org. If the company is outside Kentucky, BBB staff will look up their report online for callers. Those with Internet access may log on to www.bbb.org to check out-of-state companies.
• Use secure websites for online transactions. When buying tickets or making hotel and travel reservations on line, look for a padlock on the page, and the letter "s" in the URL (web address box) after the "http." Example: https://www.xyz.com. Unsecure sites will only show http://... If neither is present, the site is not secure and your credit card or bank account information may not be safe.
• If buying online, beware sellers leading you away from secure, reliable transaction methods such as PayPal or those who discourage using credit cards. If you use a credit card and something goes wrong, you can try to dispute the charge with the credit card provider. Beware sellers that want you to wire transfer money (Money Gram) via Western Union - there is no way to trace the cash if something goes wrong.
• Buy at your own risk. You are better off buying from reliable sources. If you buy tickets from unfamiliar sources or scalpers, there is no guarantee that they will be the genuine article. (Scalping laws vary from state to state.) If a deal sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

Contact the Better Business Bureau of Central & Eastern Kentucky to check out companies, charities, or to report problems and scams by calling (859) 259-1008 or toll-free 1-800-866-6668 or by logging on to www.bluegrass.bbb.org.