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BBB says beware of Paul McCartney ticket scams

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Mon, Aug 31st 2015 03:50 pm

Don't get cheated by counterfeit ticket sellers

It only took a few hours for people to snap up all of the Paul McCartney tickets for the show at Buffalo's First Niagara Center on Oct. 22.

Many disappointed fans who missed out will turn to online ticket brokers and other places to find tickets. BBB of Upstate New York wants everyone to be on alert for phony event tickets and identity theft schemes. Scammers know these tickets are especially hot items and often hard to obtain, and they will try to take advantage of an anxious buyer.

"If you plan on buying tickets online for Paul McCartney or any other concert, always be thorough and check the fine print," said Warren Clark, president of BBB of Upstate New York. "Everyone is looking for the best deal on concert tickets. No one wants to end up outside of the concert because their tickets turned out to be a fake."

Last year, Better Business Bureau received more than 2,000 complaints nationally concerning event ticket sales and ticket brokers. The most common complaint alleged people paid for counterfeit tickets or paid in advance and never received their tickets.

If you are looking to buy tickets to an event, BBB offers the following advice:

Do your research. Look up the seller or broker on bbb.org for details about the company, history of complaints and customer reviews. BBB's website includes business reviews on secondary market ticket firms that provide buyer protections, including money-back guarantees if tickets turn out to be fraudulent.

Know the difference between a ticket broker and a ticket scalper. A ticket broker is a legitimate and accredited reseller while a ticket scalper is an unregulated and unlicensed ticket seller.

Check the ticket broker's refund policy. Only buy from a ticket reseller who provides clear details about the terms of the transaction.

Don't give too much personal information. It's important to never provide sensitive information such as your Social Security number or financial data. Confirm the name and address of the business before your purchase, especially if you have clicked to a ticket broker or third-party website.

Pay with a credit card. This way, you have some recourse if the tickets are not as promised. Do not use cash; there is little to no way of getting your money back if the tickets are fake.

Verify the seats are real. Always ask for a section, row and seat number to verify the location and avoid obstructed view seats or seats that do not exist. Also, feel free to ask questions to make certain you get all the answers you need to feel comfortable with your ticket purchase. Then, go ahead and enjoy the show! 

For real-time scam information, check out BBB's scam tracker. For tips and other information, visit BBB.org and follow it on Twitter and Facebook.

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