Ticket alert: Falcons offer guidance for purchasing

How do you know that this fine gentlemen has "good seats" to the game?

FLOWERY BRANCH – When you buy a ticket from one of those guys off the street, how do you know you have a good ticket?

(ASIDE: I once paid some cash for ticket to a Hawks game.  When I got to the front door, the ticket wasn’t any good. I was out of my cash and couldn’t find “Steve” or “Mike” or whatever dude’s name was. I was ticked off!!!) 

The Falcons, as a public service, are trying to help you all out on the so-called “secondary ticket market.” I liked it when they just called them scalpers. But, now, the official middle men, are called “secondary ticket” sellers. Can’t knock the hustle.

But all of the below is directly from the Falcons and is meant to help you all out with your ticket purchases:

Because of the heightened demand for tickets to Atlanta Falcons home games at the Georgia Dome, the club offers the following suggested guidelines to avoid purchasing counterfeit tickets.

For all games being played at the Georgia Dome, the Atlanta Falcons recommend only purchasing tickets from our official ticket seller and reseller, Ticketmaster and NFL Ticket Exchange, to ensure tickets are valid. The NFL Ticket Exchange is the only resale marketplace endorsed by the NFL, providing fans with the opportunity to purchase seats listed by Falcons season ticket holders or other fans. Fans can purchase tickets safely and securely online at www.ticketexchangebyticketmaster.com or at www.ticketmaster.com

• When buying from an individual or through other online exchanges, do not be lured away from the website by the seller.

• Fans choosing to buy tickets through an online auction are advised to choose a seller with a long and continuous history of satisfied customers.

• Fans should never pay with a cashier’s check or wire money to the seller, as there may be no way to get money back if the tickets are not received. Fans are advised to pay with a credit card or through PayPal, which offer some amount of protection and potential reimbursement.

• Many sellers will include pictures of the tickets with their posts on auction sites or message boards. Fans should scrutinize these tickets closely for any inaccuracies or alterations, and cross-check the seat assignment with the map on the Georgia Dome’s website.

Fans purchasing tickets from other sources should be advised that tickets may appear to look authentic but in many cases will not be valid or be counterfeit. If fans purchase invalid or counterfeit tickets, the Atlanta Falcons may not have alternative ticket options available for purchase.

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