Author Topic: TOUCAN TIP OF THE DAY!#03: Don’t Be Scammed by Anyone Selling Fake Badges  (Read 858 times)

Offline Chris

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#03: Don’t Be Scammed by Companies or Individuals Selling Fake Badges for Comic-Con 2017!

Several years ago Comic-Con reached capacity limits at the San Diego Convention Center and because of this we have had to limit the number of badges we can sell. High demand events like Comic-Con have tremendous fan interest and sadly that also means tremendous scalper and ticket broker interest. It is devastating to spend your hard earned money on a badge, only to be turned away at the door because it’s counterfeit. While our new RFID badges will discourage counterfeiting, it’s important to point out that counterfeit badge reproductions can look very, very convincing and it can be difficult to distinguish between a real badge and a fake one.

To help you navigate the shark-filled waters of scalpers and scammers, we want to provide you with some information that could save you from falling for a fake.

1. Expo Logic Registration is the only authorized badge vendor for Comic-Con 2017. Comic-Con does not supply badges to third party vendors or for sale in a secondary market. We do not send “extra” badges to brokers, travel companies, or online auctions. Badges that appear on those sites, or any site that is not the official Comic-Con registration website, are being sold without Comic-Con’s consent and, in most cases, probably do not even exist.

2. Comic-Con monitors online sales platforms and actively pursues those attempting to scalp their badges on the secondary market. When we discover badges being sold on these sites, we void them and disable the RFID card. You are placing yourself at risk by buying a badge or RFID card that could be cancelled without your knowledge.

3. If you are picking up your badge onsite, you must present your photo ID. If someone is attempting to sell you a barcode confirmation with his or her name on it, you will not be able to exchange it for a badge when you arrive onsite. The name on the barcode confirmation must match your photo ID.

4. Comic-Con routinely performs spot checks for counterfeit badges and/or shared badges. Per our badge purchase Terms & Conditions: “SDCC may perform any of the following validation of badges on entry to any area of the convention. These measures are an effort to prevent illegal badge duplication and unauthorized reselling. SDCC may scan the bar code, require a photo ID that matches the name on the badge, scan RFID embedded in the badge, and examine the badge with other technological and/or physical methods to verify authenticity of the badge and holder. Before leaving any registration area, please make sure that the name on the badge matches your identification.”

5. We are seeing a huge increase in counterfeit badges being sold from international brokers. Please use extra caution when corresponding with anyone from an international ticket broker or online auction.

6. Comic-Con does not offer or sell any “VIP” badges. If someone is trying to sell you a VIP badge or a badge with special access and/or privileges, do not purchase it. They are fake, fake, fake!

7. Each year we find people trying to scam would-be badge buyers by asking them to send payment via MoneyGram or guarantee the sale by sending a deposit. Do not fall victim to this!

8. Comic-Con badges are non-transferable. If a seller is claiming they can transfer their badge to your name, they are being dishonest. This includes guest of professional badges. The deadline to change a professional guest registration has passed and no guest badges will be transferred.

9. Although badges were mailed in advance, our new RFID technology allows us to remotely “disable” those badges per the attendee’s request. This means that a scalper could sell you a badge, and then contact Comic-Con to have it disabled and replaced. When you arrive with what is a legitimate Comic-Con badge, it will not work and you will not be allowed entry.

If you are unable to attend Comic-Con 2017, please do not attempt to sell your badge online! Comic-Con honored refund requests until May 18, 2017 … and we are always willing to work with you should you miss the deadline date. Our goal is to not prohibit those who cannot attend from selling their badges to others, but to ensure that measures are in place to make it difficult for scalpers to purchase badges and sell them at extremely inflated rates, or even worse, sell fake badges at extremely inflated rates! We will continue to monitor the secondary market so that those with dubious intent are not scamming our fans.

Check back for another Toucan Tip tomorrow here on Toucan, the only OFFICIAL SDCC blog! Bookmark Toucan and the Comic-Con Front Page for the latest updates for Comic-Con International 2017