They must either be printed on ticket stock or on a digital ticket with a moving graphic.
SPEEDWAY, Ind — A ticket to the Indy 500 is your key to a day of excitement. But if that key doesn’t work, you’ll be anything but excited.
If you’re buying a physical ticket, Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Alex Damron said to look for last year’s winner.
“(He) shouldn’t have anyone other than four-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves. That’s the first thing to look for.”
Damron said the second thing to look for is the brown and beige color theme.
Finally, a ticket is almost the size of two table coasters and is printed on thick paper.
“There are no print-at-home tickets. If someone sold you something on a piece of paper that isn’t ticket stock, it’s not a real Indianapolis 500 ticket,” a said Damron.
If you opt for the digital route, tickets cannot be a screenshot sent by SMS.
“It’s a real chart that’s actually a moving chart. So there’s movement,” Damron said.
To ensure legitimacy, Damron said to purchase tickets directly from IMS.
The Better Business Bureau of Central Indiana also offered advice:
-
Consider your source.Know the difference between a professional ticket broker (a legitimate and accredited reseller), a ticket reseller (an unregulated and unlicensed ticket seller) and a scammer selling fraudulent tickets.
-
Consult the seller/broker.Watch them onBBB.orgto find out what other customers have experienced. Check if they are members of theNational Association of Note Brokers. NATB members offer a 200% purchase guarantee on tickets. Find the seller onVerifiedTicketSource.comto confirm that you are purchasing from a NATB member resale business.
-
Buy only from trusted vendors.Buy online only from suppliers you know and trust. Look for the lock symbol in the web address to indicate a secure shopping system. Do not click on emails or online advertisements; a common trick is to create a web address similar to that of a well-known company.
-
Know the refund policy.You should only buy tickets from a ticket reseller who provides clear details of the terms of the transaction. Sellers must disclose to the buyer, prior to purchase, the location of the seats represented by the tickets, either orally or by reference to a seating plan; and, if the tickets are not available for the purchaser’s immediate access, disclose when the tickets will ship or be available for pickup.
-
Use payment methods that come with protection.Always use a credit card in order to have recourse if the tickets are not as promised. Debit cards, bank transfers or cash transactions are risky; if the tickets are fraudulent, you will not be able to get your money back.
-
Beware of advertisements.When you search for tickets online on the web, advertisements for cheap tickets often appear. Use common sense; some of these advertisements will be ticket scams, especially if the prices are low.
-
If you are unsure, check your tickets.Visit the arena where the event will take place. Present your ticket to “Will Call” (customer service) and they can check if your ticket is legitimate and show you how to tell if a ticket is fake.
