MIAMI – Law enforcement wants Argentina and Colombia fans to remember that responding to ads related to resale ticket selling, trading, or “giving away” tickets could present an opportunity for criminals.
Verified resale tickets in the primary market, meaning tickets sold by fans and authenticated by Ticketmaster, were still available Saturday for the match at 8 p.m., Sunday, at the Hard Rock Stadium, in Miami Gardens.
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The FBI has warned about cybercriminals who use ticket scalping bots to exploit the online secondary ticket marketplace that “is rife with counterfeit or invalid tickets.”
The online secondary ticket marketplace comes with risks since these depend on the honesty of the resellers. Sites like StubHub, and VividSeats may provide a refund but will not compensate users for other expenses.
The Better Business Bureau aims to help customers gauge trustworthiness. Here are the company policies and accreditations of some of the most popular event ticket sales companies:
- SeatGeek has a “Security and Risk team” and warns customers it is “merely designed to act as a marketplace.” The New York-based company is not BBB accredited.
- StubHub has a “FanProtect Guarantee.” The New York-based company is not BBB accredited.
- VividSeats has a “Buyer Guarantee.” The Chicago-based company is BBB accredited.
- TickPick has a “BuyerTrust Guarantee.” The New York-based company is BBB accredited.
- Gametime has a “Guarantee” policy. The San Francisco-based company is BBB accredited.
The battle between bots and the ticket industry has been ongoing for years. Congress passed the Better Online Ticket Sales Act to outlaw bots that game the ticket system about eight years ago. The Federal Trade Commission goes after the violators.
To avoid scams, the Hard Rock Stadium will not accept printed tickets or screenshots of digital tickets — only mobile ticketing.
Those who give up on their hunt for tickets may consider attending the many watch parties in Miami-Dade County. Argentinians and Colombians already have their regular choice of restaurants and bars to help cure the nostalgia of living away from their countries.
A fan who doesn’t want to pay admission may visit the mall in Aventura to explore the fan zone, later go to the Wynwood Marketplace official Copa fan zone, and then head to Miami Beach where an outdoor theater will display the game on a 24-foot screen.
Here is a list of watch parties for fans:
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