“People turn to this company – and others like it – when
they’re desperate to see a game, a theater production or a performer in
concert,” said Dana Badgerow, president and CEO of the BBB of Minnesota and North
Dakota
On their website, PerfectTix.com states they “specialize in
hard to get concert tickets for “Sold Out” shows and sporting events.”
Complaints against the company allege that the cost of tickets purchased were
higher than expected due to service fees and undisclosed taxes – which some
customers state weren’t assessed until after the original credit card
transaction had closed. In some cases, customers state they were quoted a ‘per
ticket’ price and then discovered later that the quoted costs did not include
service fees. Some complainants allege their calls and emails to the company
were not returned. Others allege they were treated rudely by company personnel.
PerfectTix.com has responded to and resolved three of the
ten complaints filed against them. In their responses, the company stated that
in some cases they’re acting as a broker and any service fees assessed were
assessed by the third party entity the tickets were actually purchased from.
They also cited a policy they say all customers agree to wherein all sales are
final.
When searching for tickets at a given venue online,
consumers should make sure they’re visiting the official website for that
venue. Sometimes general Internet searches will bring you to secondary ticket
websites which may sell tickets to games or performances at that particular
venue, but are not directly associated with them. These tickets will generally
always cost more.
Consumers should also be aware that prices for tickets
purchased on the secondary market can be significantly higher than the ticket's
actual face value. The BBB recommends that potential customers thoroughly
review and understand the policies on pricing, cancellation, refunds and
service fees before making a commitment to purchase.
Other tips for consumers searching online for event tickets
include:
Research the company at bbb.org
Before buying from an online ticket broker, look for the BBB
logo on the website and click on it to make sure it is real. The BBB’s dynamic
seal should take you directly to the BBB Business Review. Shoppers should
always look in the address box for the “s” in https:// and in the lower-right
corner for the “lock” symbol before paying.
If you buy tickets through an online auction site, choose a
seller with a long history of satisfied customers. Scammers can hijack old
accounts, so make sure the seller has recently sold other tickets.
Ticket buyers also should be wary of sellers who try to lure
buyers from a legitimate site to another site for a “private”
transaction. Scammers often want to conduct their business on sites with
names that mimic well-known companies but are actually fakes.
If you are buying tickets through an online classified ad
site, never pay the seller by wire transfer. You will have no way to get your
money back if the tickets do not arrive or are counterfeit.
