BBB’s Louisville office offers tips to avoid being ripped off by Derby ticket scammers
NC GAZETTE / WBRT RADIO
STAFF REPORT
Monday, April 22, 2019 — The Louisville office of the Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to take steps to avoid falling victim to scam artists who say they have Kentucky Derby tickets for sale.
Consumers may wish to see if the seller — particularly one that promotes themself as an official ticket broker — is listed as a member of National Association of Ticket Brokers. Look up ticket sellers on the NATB website, VerifiedTicketsSource.com.
Derby tickets scams often pop up on Craigslist and other online auction sites. Be leery of sellers requesting money be sent through Western Union. You may send the cash, but you may not get the tickets.
Other red flags for Derby ticket scams to look for on Craigslist or social media yard sale/shopping pages:
- The buyer/seller is not local
- Misspellings and grammatical errors in the response
- Seller alleges that Craigslist guarantees a transaction
- Seller suggests the use of Western Union for the transaction
- Seller offers use of an online escrow service.
Finally, when possible, use a credit card for any transaction because if something goes wrong, you can always contest the charge.
And consumers can always call the BBB first if something doesn’t feel right at (502) 583-6546.
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