Re: Potential SB scams! <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Pennsylvania attorney general warns of potential Super Bowl scamsHARRISBURG, Pa. (Jan. 25, 2006) -- Attorney General Tom Corbett urged consumers headed to the Super Bowl to be on the lookout for potential scams involving "too good to be true" travel packages or game-day ticket offers."Right now and just days before the Super Bowl are typically when consumers make the biggest mistakes," Corbett said. "The excitement and hype about the Steelers headed to the Super Bowl may result in fans ignoring their good instincts."Make no mistake, scam artists count on the fact that consumers are caught up in the euphoria and may not be as attentive as they should be."Corbett offers the following tips to those shopping for Super Bowl travel packages or tickets: * Make sure that you are dealing with a reputable travel agent and do not assume that ads offering travel deals are being offered by travel agencies. * Contact the Better Business Bureau or Attorney General's Office to see if the travel agency is in good standing. * Pay particular attention to what the travel package does and does not offer. Do not assume that every package includes airfare, hotel accommodations and tickets to get into the game. * Get all the offers, terms and conditions of your package in writing including the cancellation policy in the event that you are unable to make the trip. * If the package includes airfare and a ticket to the game, federal rules apply. The travel agent must either have the game tickets in hand, or have a written contract to obtain the tickets before the agent can make the offer. If a ticket is offered, but never provided, you may be entitled to a full refund of the entire package price. * Do not be pressured into making an immediate decision about a particular package. * Research the hotel and its location. In some instances, consumers have been told that their hotel is within walking distance to the venue, when in reality it was too far to walk and required additional expenses to either rent a car or pay for other ground transportation. * Use a credit card to pay for travel packages and tickets. Do not use cash or wire money. You can dispute charges on a credit card and have little-to-no recourse when using cash. * Be wary of unknown and private sellers who refuse to provide you with verifiable contact information. * Be cautious of travel packages that appear to be extremely cheap or extremely expensive."In the past, our office has heard from consumers who were ripped off by phony travel agents and ticket sellers," Corbett said. "In several cases, consumers learned at the gate that their tickets were counterfeit and they were denied entry. In other cases, fans purchased hotel rooms that were inconveniently located. Still others told our office that they were quoted a certain amount on a Super Bowl package and were charged additional fees for services that they thought were included."Corbett said, "I urge consumers to do some research before committing to any Super Bowl packages so they are not disappointed or suffer significant financial losses. This promises to be an exciting game and hopefully 'Big Ben' and 'The Bus' can bring the Super Bowl title back to Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania!"Consumers who wish to file a complaint or obtain additional information are asked to contact the Attorney General's Office by calling 1-800-441-2555 or visit http://www.attorneygeneral.gov.</div>ARTICLE
