Ain't Ebay Grand!

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Posted By: TBob

While I simmer over getting bilked out of a $30 transaction, things could be worse:

Ohio State fan Alan Pressman paid $4,162 for eight tickets to the Fiesta Bowl after his Internet bid was accepted.

But when the Columbus (Ohio) businessman and seven relatives arrived in Tempe, Ariz., to see the Buckeyes play Miami for the national championship, the tickets never materialized.

An arrest warrant was issued last week for Salt Lake City resident Mark Beaver, who was charged with bilking dozens of fans on tickets offered through eBay.

Pressman, who owns a company that supplies prisons with footwear and clothing for inmates, is working on getting reimbursed. "I hope [Beaver] ends up being one of my customers," he said.

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Posted By: Hankron

Even before eBay, similar things happened with the Rose Bowl. Some travel angencies would sell package deals (travel/tickets/hotel) to Big Ten fans, but if they got a better deal later own, they would screw over the first. So thousands of fans would arrive in Pasadena to find out they couldn't get in the game. In a sense, it was like a airline overbooking an airplane, know that they will have to book some people.

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Posted By: runscott

I wouldn't show up to a game like that without my ticket in hand. The few times that I have even used "will call" were only when I bought the ticket directly from the ball club.

Even then I once got screwed over - I bought tickets for two games from the St. Louis Cardinals, for a couple of days when McGwire was due to break Maris' record. They were supposed to hold the tickets at will call in St. Louis at the stadium. It turned out to be fortunate for me that he broke the record the day before and I skipped the game, because...when I got home the tickets were in my mailbox!