Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning sports fans to be extremely cautious when doing business with Ex Sport Group, a Missouri ticket broker that apparently took $5,200 from a Rhode Island man but never delivered promised tickets to this year’s Super Bowl.

“I was destroyed,” said the retired businessman, a New England Patriots fan. He said he has tried to contact the company’s owner, Wendell Southerland, without success.  He said dozens of phone calls, emails and text messages were unanswered. “Words cannot describe the anger and frustration,” he said.

The case is among several across the country in which football fans say they were duped by Craigslist ads for Super Bowl tickets. Two friends from Boston said they paid a broker $2,800 for two tickets after seeing an ad on the website. The tickets turned out to be counterfeit.  An Indianapolis woman told police she was cheated out of $2,000 when four tickets advertised on Craigslist were never delivered.

Last fall, BBB warned consumers about World Series ticket scams involving Craigslist and other websites.  And earlier this month, an Ohio couple was sentenced to prison for using Craigslist to steal more than $200,000 from hundreds of victims for nonexistent tickets to the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals and numerous concerts.

In the Ex Sport Group case, the Rhode Island businessman said he sent payment for the tickets via FedEx and arranged to meet Southerland in an Indianapolis hotel lobby on the Friday before the Feb. 5 Super Bowl, but Southerland never appeared.  The fan, who had flown to Indianapolis with his son, said he spent thousands more for replacement tickets to the game.

The man said he had seen Southerland’s ad for Super Bowl ticket and hotel packages on Craigslist and was suspicious of the offer at first.  But Southerland convinced him through emails and phone calls that the ticket packages were legitimate.  Southerland pointed out that Ex Sport Group was registered with the Missouri secretary of state.

BBB tried several times to contact Southerland, with no success.  Recently, BBB representatives visited Southerland’s home on Jackson Street in Vinita Park, Mo.  A resident of the house acknowledged that Southerland worked as a sports ticket seller, but said he was not at home. Southerland did not respond to a BBB request for information left at the home.

Kim States, BBB President, said that consumers who pay unfamiliar, third-party brokers for tickets may end up with nothing.  “If you don’t know them and haven’t heard of them, you probably shouldn’t trust them,” she said.

The Patriots fan said the experience ruined what should have been a once-in-a-lifetime event. He said a text message he sent to Southerland summed up his frustration: “How can you do this to my son and me?”

The Missouri secretary of state shows that Ex Sport Group was registered in June 2008.  Southerland is (more…)

Whether you’re trying to snag tickets to the big game or the hottest concert, Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona warns that you run the risk of getting ripped off if you decide to gamble on a less than reputable source.

Fake tickets aren’t just a concern for people who want to go to the Super Bowl or see Lady Gaga, even smaller events can become a target. Not only were counterfeit tickets to major sporting events like the BCS Championship game or the NFL playoffs a problem this winter, consumers have also recently wasted money on fake tickets for UFC fights, and local concerts.

“Every season provides an opportunity for scammers to sell counterfeit tickets,” said Kim States, BBB President. “In the winter you have college football and NFL games leading up to the Superbowl, in the spring the hot tickets are for March Madness and hockey and NBA playoffs and then summer hits with big name concerts.”

If you’re looking to get ripped off buying event tickets, BBB recommends:

• Believing you’re that lucky – The reason tickets are expensive is because they’re hard to get and the chances of you getting lucky and finding a deal are slim. If a situation sounds too good to be true, such as someone selling tickets to a popular event for much less than offered elsewhere, it’s probably not on the level.
• Wiring money to someone you don’t know – Say for some reason you do believe that a seller you found online who lives in another country really has tickets to an event in the US. The fact that the seller then asks you to wire money to pay for the tickets should be the final red flag that makes you walk away. When buying tickets online, ideally pay with a credit card or through Paypal because of the consumer protections provided.
• Not doing your research – If buying online, ask to see a picture of the tickets so you can confirm the seats match up with the venue. If your friends already have tickets, you can also make sure they look the same as the ones you want to buy. Search for guidance online about how the tickets should look. For example, the NFL has offered advice on how to tell if Super Bowl tickets are legit here.
• Buying from scalpers at the event – Buying tickets outside the venue can be a game of roulette. You might get taken to the cleaners or the seats may be just as advertised. Keep in mind that, in some states, it’s illegal to charge more than the face value for tickets.
• Choosing a disreputable online ticket broker – When purchasing tickets through an online broker, look for the BBB seal on their website and check them out online at www.tucson.bbb.org/Find-Business-Reviews. Review the company’s policy for customer (more…)