As European football teams gear up for their summer soccer tours in the USA, local fans have a unique opportunity to witness some of the top teams and players in the world on their home turfs. While this is a regular occurrence for many English Premier League teams, it is a rarer occasion for some European teams, making it a once-in-a-lifetime experience for American fans.
One such European team embarking on a summer tour is Borussia Dortmund, who will be touring the USA for the fourth time in their history. The tour holds great significance for IT security vendor ESET, as they are proud sponsors of the team both during the regular season and for this US tour.
However, as the excitement builds for these highly-anticipated matches, opportunistic scammers emerge to spoil the fun for genuine fans. These scammers defraud fans of their hard-earned money by selling fake tickets or reselling tickets at exorbitant prices. The lack of regulation in the US ticket purchase and sales market somewhat encourages scalping, creating a significant secondary marketplace where tickets can be sold for several times their original value, creating an opening for scammers and fraud.
To avoid falling victim to these scams, fans are advised to follow some precautionary measures when purchasing tickets for the European matches this summer. Firstly, it is crucial to purchase tickets from the official website promoted by the teams, stadium, or the official ticket website commonly used in their country. It is recommended to avoid purchasing tickets advertised on platforms like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, as these free online listing sites are often used by scammers. Additionally, unknown secondary marketplaces appearing in search results should be ignored.
Furthermore, fans should opt for a payment method that provides protection against fraud, such as using a credit card or an online payment method. It is advised to avoid using a debit card for ticket purchases. Additionally, fans should only purchase tickets that can be transferred digitally and have been verified by the platform selling them.
Ticketing companies, like Ticketmaster, play an active role in combating fraud by utilizing technology. Ticketmaster’s SafeTix™, for instance, employs a unique barcode that changes every few seconds, preventing scammers from copying and reselling the same tickets to multiple parties. Major ticket companies also provide the option to resell tickets through their own platforms, ensuring that the tickets remain with the original issuer. Moreover, they offer purchasers the ability to transfer tickets to friends and family, guaranteeing that every attendee has their own ticket on their device. It is important to note that when attending events in the US this summer, the ticket may require a data connection on the device for entry purposes, as the ticket is checked and updated in real-time.
For European fans traveling to the US for these matches, there are a few differences in ticket purchasing compared to their home countries. In the US, tickets can become available on secondary market websites, such as SeatGeek and StubHub, without any price restrictions. On the other hand, most European countries have restrictions on ticket resale, often locking resale prices to face value or close to it. Moreover, in some countries, like the UK, the resale of football match tickets is prohibited. Another notable difference is that there is no home and away principle applied in the US, meaning that home and visiting fans may end up sitting side by side during the matches.
In the unfortunate event that a fan suspects they have been scammed, it is recommended to contact the platform through which the tickets were purchased and their credit card company to cancel the payment.
Lastly, for those fortunate enough to obtain tickets to one of these matches, it is essential to enjoy the game. As these are pre-season games with a more relaxed atmosphere, fans can witness some of the best players in the world competing on American soil and savor the beauty of the sport.
BVB fans are encouraged to stay tuned to ESET’s Twitter account for exclusive content, contests, and more related to the team.