Tickets for this Saturday’s SEC Championship football game between the Georgia Bulldogs and Auburn Tigers are already sold out. So, if you want a seat, you’ll need to go to the secondary market.
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But dealing with ticket resellers doesn’t just mean higher prices. It also means a greater risk for scams.
“Sometimes when there are limited tickets, the prices will go up, and that sometimes frustrates me as a consumer, but more important is making sure that the deal is done properly,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, whose office operates the state’s Consumer Protection Unit.
It’s on the lookout for counterfeit and stolen tickets leading up to this weekend’s game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and is ready to provide assistance to consumers who fall prey to scams.
The SEC has also issued guidance for fans purchasing tickets through online ticket resellers. The conference says real tickets should have a holographic foil logo on the back and laminated white lettering and blue panels on the front.
Carr says there are a few other things consumers should watch out for.
“You can check to see if a site is accredited through the Better Business Bureau. And in Georgia, ticket brokers must be registered with the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission,” he said.
That registration means the reseller has gone through a criminal background check and has registered with the state.
Carr also encourages consumers to stick to using encrypted websites; to use credit cards, which often offer some level of protection; and to avoid deals that seem too good to be true.
Online ticket resale sites have seats listed from few hundred dollars each to a few thousand dollars each.
And falling for a ticket scam won’t just mean losing money, it means not getting access to what could be an exciting game.
Fourth-ranked Auburn handed sixth-ranked Georgia its only loss this year and is coming off an upset defeat of first-ranked Alabama.
