Buyer Beware, Gregoire Warns WSU Fans Attorney General Cautions Against Unscrupulous Rose Bowl Ticket Sellers
Washington State University football fans excited by the team’s first trip to the Rose Bowl in 67 years should take steps to avoid being sacked by unscrupulous ticket sellers, Attorney General Christine Gregoire warned Wednesday.
While no problems have surfaced, any failure to deliver promised tickets likely would not occur until just before the Jan. 1 game, the attorney general’s office said.
The warning came as Rose Bowl ticket sales by WSU officials drew to a close after nearly a month of frantic activity.
“Cougar fans have waited for 67 years for this opportunity, and to keep this dream-come-true from turning into a nightmare, consumers and travel agents need to thoroughly understand what they are buying and selling,” Gregoire said.
For the 1994 Rose Bowl, more than 2,500 University of Wisconsin fans complained that they did not get promised tickets. Others had to pay additional money to get their tickets. Some travel agents found that some brokers could not deliver promised tickets.
Wisconsin hadn’t been to a Rose Bowl in 30 years, and demand for tickets exceeded supply. Demand for tickets to this year’s game also has been greater than the supply. Advertisements already are appearing from people willing to sell and buy Rose Bowl tickets for more than the $75 face value.
“The supply of tickets through WSU and other official sources like the Rose Bowl has been exhausted,” Gregoire said. “Those still available are being offered through re-sellers or people willing to sell their tickets to the highest bidder.”
The California Legislature has passed a law requiring a ticket seller to have the ticket in his possession, have a contractual right to obtain the ticket or disclose to the buyer that a ticket may not be available. But that doesn’t mean unscrupulous ticket sellers will obey the law.
WSU was alloted 35,000 tickets for the 100,000-seat stadium, and school officials have said they’ve received 350,000 requests for tickets.
Officials for WSU began mailing tickets to fans on Monday and planned to finish the job by the end of business Wednesday, assistant athletic director Ron Davis said.
“We’ve been filling envelopes 24 hours a day for three days,” Davis said.
While a handful of tickets may turn up in coming days, no large blocks remain to be sold, Davis said.
On Saturday, WSU released 4,000 tickets for sale to 15,000 alumni who had requested them, said Mary Gresch of the alumni association. Ticket requests came from Singapore, Ireland and many states, she said.
xxxx Warning The attorney general’s office warns Cougar fans to make sure a ticket actually is included when they buy a travel package to the game against Michigan. They should get either the ticket when they hand over their money or a written contract for a ticket. They also should: Keep all receipts. Learn if the words “tickets available” mean that tickets are included in the package or if that means tickets must be purchased separately. Get the name and location of the hotel in the trip package, then call and verify that reservations have been made. Use credit cards for purchases and try to buy from a reputable local travel agent.