Some Steelers Merchandise Sold Online Not Being Delivered

PITTSBURGH, PA - During this latest Steelers playoff run, the Better Business Bureau of Western Pennsylvania is advising fans to steps to avoid being victimized by ticket and merchandising scams. The BBB is warning fans to be particularly wary about about a website falsely claiming to be the “official online store of the Pittsburgh Steelers.”

According to BBB Scam Tracker, consumers have placed orders with steelersteamofficialshop.com and paid in full but have not received products or a refund for their purchased products. The website falsely claims BBB accreditation and does not provide a valid address, but the website is shown as being registered out of China.

Fake websites or those selling counterfeit merchandise will often claim officially licensed items such as jerseys, at a significant discount to encourage fans to make an immediate purchase and provide sensitive information. Western Pennsylvania BBB president Warren King said suspicious websites often provide a “contact us” submission form as the only way of reaching the company. If a phone number is provided, it may only lead to an answering machine or disconnected number.

For those looking to buy tickets to Sunday’s Steelers-Jaguars game, the BBB advises purchasing them through confirmed ticket sources. The Steelers’ website identifies Ticketmaster as the official source to get game tickets and NFL Ticket Exchange as another site to buy tickets directly from season ticket holders and other fans. King said that tickets sold on Craigslist or from scalpers outside the stadium are difficult to verify.

“When it comes to such high profile events as NFL playoff games, online fraudsters capitalize on fans’ excitement and the limited, high demand for tickets to scam people out of their hard-earned money,”King said. “Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for counterfeit tickets to appear on the secondary resale market and for websites to pop-up selling poor quality, unlicensed merchandise, if delivered at all.”

Photo: Associated Press.