Football season is here, and that means many people will be on the hunt for new gear or memorabilia to show support of their favorite teams. BBB is warning avid fans to be careful — as scammers are “in the game” too.
High-demand items like authentic jerseys, game-used gear and autographed collectibles can come with a hefty price tag, and that’s exactly what fraudsters are banking on.
When shopping for a team jersey or other sports memorabilia, you need to be on the watch for fakes. Here are tips from your BBB to help you identify trusted sellers versus fake offers as you shop online:
“Game-used” items are highly sought after. Buyers prize items that saw action on the court or field as valuable parts of sports history. Shoppers should be aware that there is a significant difference between “game-used” and “game-issued.” For example, a game-issued jersey was designed for the player to wear, but it may not actually have been worn. There’s nothing wrong with selling that game-issued item — unless the seller scuffs it up and tries to pass it off as game-used for a higher price.
Autographs are even trickier. With the use of autopen, manufacturers can reproduce ink signatures hundreds of times. Again, there’s nothing wrong with selling autopen-signed items as long as they’re not misrepresented as personally signed by the player and priced accordingly. Buyers also need to watch out for online listings that describe items as “hand-signed” without specifying whose hand-signed it. That could be technically correct but still highly misleading.