Warning: Stay away from eBay World Cup tix
If you are scrambling to score tickets to the upcoming World Cup, a German soccer official suggests it might be wise to avoid purchasing them over the Internet on eBay, according to a recent Reuters report.
For security reasons, tickets for the month-long event, which kicks off June 9, are personalized with the buyer's name and are transferable only under special circumstances.
But according to the report, that has not stopped an active market from developing online.
When asked for advice to pass along to any potential eBay buyers, German soccer chief Theo Zwanziger reportedly said: "I would just warn him he's running a risk. He's going to the stadium under a false name ... and he runs the risk he will be turned away."
He also dismissed a suggestion that stadium officials would only check the identities of only a few fans.
"Why are you so sure? We have a lot of stewards on the spot," Zwanziger said.
"If we have indications, firstly that the security situation is critical, and secondly that people are coming to the stadium without officially issued tickets, there will be intensive checks.
"And then those who don't have (official tickets) will be spotted, and they'll have paid a lot of money and they'll be sent home. So I'd advise them to spare themselves the frustration."
According to Reuters, the top Thursday afternoon bid on eBay's German Web site www.ebay.de for a ticket for the Brazil-Austria match on June 18 was 431 euros — or a whopping $551.
Obviously that is well above the official ticket price.
http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/5621772