In Demand: Avoiding online ticket scams for Savannah Bananas games

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - One of the most sought after experiences in Savannah is attending a Bananas game.

The team has gained national attention for their antics on the field, which has made tickets hard to come by. Some people have gone to great lengths to get tickets but have instead ended up the victims of a scam.

The Bananas have a waiting list with thousands of people on it who are all hoping to score tickets someday. But the wait can be long and there’s no guarantee you’ll get tickets this season if your name is on the list.

Some fans have taken matters into their own hands and tried to buy them elsewhere online but found themselves paying money with no tickets to show for it.

“There was a post and it said, ‘I have one to six tickets available for the Savannah Bananas game tonight,’ and I jumped right on it because I wanted to make sure that I got them,” Savannah resident Nichole Baier said.

Baier sent the person that made the Facebook post $60 for two tickets, which she never received. She says the person then told her she could only sell her six tickets at once, and to send an additional $120 and that’s when Baier had her husband contact the supposed ticketholder.

“I had my husband call the number, and he pretended to be a fraud department, and he pretty much immediately refunded our money through Zelle,” Baier said.

Baier feels lucky she did get her money refunded but knows that’s not the case for everybody.

Jared Orton, the president of the Savannah Bananas, says Baier’s case is a prime example of why you must be careful who you send your money to.

“Do not buy things from people that you’ve never met before, or don’t know, or cannot confirm that they have legitimate tickets or not. People are creating fake-looking tickets that are being delivered to people. Do things you know and trust and do them with people you’ve either met before or know through certain situations,” Orton said.

“It’s insane. I understand it’s the internet, but people will scam you for anything. Even Savannah Bananas tickets, when it’s just such a positive environment,” Baier said.

Orton adds that you can buy tickets from third party vendors, like TicketMaster or StubHub that do have guaranteed refunds. However, you should expect to pay more for those tickets. He says the Bananas themselves sell tickets for $20 or $30, but he’s seen third party vendors charge hundreds.

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