With the UofA basketball team once again making it to the NCAA Tournament, Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning Southern Arizonans who are keen to buy NCAA Tournament merchandise, or will be traveling to the games, about scams related to March Madness.

Major sporting events like the NCAA tournament almost always inspire scammers to capitalize on the scarcity of tickets and fans’ desire to snap up souvenirs or team jerseys. BBB advises fans to check out offers before spending their hard-earned cash.
Craigslist has thousands of sports tickets listed, but the site doesn’t offer guarantees and sellers don’t have to provide identification to list tickets. If you decide to try buying a ticket outside the event, remember that there are no refunds or guarantees there, either. Official NCAA ticket information is available at http://www.ncaa.com/tickets.

BBB’s website, www.bbb.org, lists reputable, secondary market ticket firms that provide buyer protections, including money-back guarantees if tickets are fake. On some sites, sellers also must provide credit card numbers so the site can charge a seller’s card for the cost of replacement tickets if they sell fake tickets.

While counterfeit items may seem like a good deal, they are actually stolen goods. If you love your team, don’t buy a hat or jersey from someone who has stolen the team’s name and logo for their own profit.

Many counterfeit items are more cheaply made than genuine merchandise, which means they may not last as long as the real thing. Buying counterfeit memorabilia online poses even more potential problems. Some websites don’t even have merchandise to sell. They just want your credit card number and personal information so they can steal your identity or drain your bank account.

The best way to ensure you are getting official sports gear is to buy directly from the team or league websites, from official vendors at the stadium or from other trusted stores.

BBB advises fans to ask lots of questions and be wary of any offer that requires wiring money or using Green Dot cards. When you send money by wire, it is almost impossible to get it back or to trace the recipient, who may be overseas.

In addition to ticket scams and counterfeit merchandise, beware of cyber scams that take advantage of the large interest in March Madness by poisoning search results related to the tournament with malware that can infect computers and put consumers’ personal information at risk.

BBB tips for avoiding scams connected to special events:

• Read ads carefully to understand what is being offered and what the price will be.
• Be wary of ticket offers at extreme discount prices. If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is!
• Ask the seller where he or she is located and how he or she may be contacted after the sale. If the seller is evasive, don’t pursue the offer.
• When booking hotels, ask for the name, address and phone number of the hotel where the room is located, and call the hotel to verify that the room actually exists. Check the hotel’s website or a reputable travel site to be sure that the location is convenient for getting to and from the arena.
• Be wary of ads that pile on incentives to make the package look better. Often the items – such as lanyards, T-shirts or other trinkets – have limited value.
• Use a credit card. A credit card company can assist you with obtaining a refund if the offer turns out to be fraudulent.

For more consumer news or to find a business you can trust, visit www.tucson.bbb.org.

With the cost of college outpacing inflation and crimping family budgets, students and their families are eager to find scholarships and other awards to help pay for higher education.

Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona advises students and their parents to be wary of websites, seminars or other schemes that promise to find scholarships, grants or financial aid packages for an upfront fee.

Some companies promise a money-back guarantee, but set so many conditions that it can be almost impossible to get a refund. Others tell students they’ve been selected as finalists for a grant or scholarship but must pay a fee to be eligible for the award.

In some cases, for a fee, a company will agree to handle the paperwork that makes a student eligible for financial aid. However, the standard application process for financial aid is most often the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA), which students and their parents can complete themselves at no cost by visiting www.fafsa.ed.gov.

College financial aid offices require the FAFSA to assess a student’s eligibility for need-based aid. Most universities are willing to advise prospective students on how to apply for aid. They will also answer questions about financial aid packages offered when a student is accepted for admission.

BBB offers these tips for students looking for financial aid:

• Don’t be pressured. Don’t be rushed into paying for help at a seminar. Be cautious if a representative urges you to “pay now” to avoid losing the opportunity.
• Ask questions. Ask about fees associated with the service or process and if the company provides refunds. If a company is reluctant to answer any questions you have about the service or the process, walk away.
• Turn to a school counselor. Guidance counselors and college financial aid offices are a great resource and can help students search for information on scholarships.
• Get details in writing. Everything that was discussed, promised or included in the package should be clearly written out and explained.
• Research the company. Check the company’s BBB Business Review at www.tucson.bbb.org.

Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning Tucson area businesses to be on the alert for phone calls from a Texas-based sports marketing company selling advertising space on school T-shirts.

A University City restaurant operator said a saleswoman with Victory Sports of Irving, Tex., phoned him late last month, asking him to buy an ad for between $200 and $400 to be imprinted on “spirit” T-shirts.  He said the saleswoman told him Victory Sports had an agreement with Normandy High School’s current athletic director to print the shirts for the school. But the athletic director said last week that there is no agreement between the school and Victory Sports. At least three other businesses in the University City Loop area also have been contacted by Victory Sports.

Victory Sports has an “F” grade with the BBB, the lowest grade possible. Last year, the Dallas BBB issued a news warning, alerting small businesses to watch out for telemarketing calls from Victory Sports and another Irving company called IMG Integrated, also with an “F” grade.  The warning said the BBB had received numerous complaints from small businesses nationwide, alleging the companies used (more…)