The scrambling for Padres tickets has begun.
The club is looking to pick up where they left off last year and fans are scrambling to be a part of what hopefully will be a historic run to the World Series.
One of the top online searches in San Diego is for Padres tickets. It is this excitement that could open fans up to a scam looking to steal their money faster than Ozzie Smith stole bases back in the day with the Padres.
Already, tickets for the home-opener are up for sale on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and other platforms. Before you buy from these places, you should keep the following tips in mind to avoid being “beaned” by a scammer.
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The Better Business Bureau wants you to know the difference
A professional ticket broker is a legitimate and accredited reseller. Look them up and find what other customers have said about them. Check if they’re members of the National Association of Ticket Brokers.
A ticket scalper is an unregulated and unlicensed reseller. There are typically no protections here should the transaction go south.
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A scammer, well, only pretends to have tickets to sell but in reality just wants to grab your money.
Which is why you should be wary of advertisements that offer really steep discounts on prime tickets. Don’t let your Padres fever blind you to potential scams.
Buy only from trusted vendors to make sure you’re getting the real thing.
Know the refund policy and gravitate towards resellers who are clear with all details of the transaction to prevent misunderstandings from happening.
Use protected payment methods like credit cards to back you up as they offer extra protections to their clients.
These steps can help keep all the drama away from your bank account and leave it on the baseball diamond where it belongs with you watching with a hotdog and drink in your hand.
