SPEEDWAY, Ind — A ticket to the Indy 500 is your key to a day of excitement. But if that key doesn't work, you will be anything but excited.
If you are buying a physical ticket, Alex Damron with Indianapolis Motor Speedway said to look for last year's winner.
"(It) should have none other than four-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves on it. That's the number one thing to look for."
Damron said the second thing to look for is the maroon and tan color theme.
Last but not least, a ticket is almost the size of two table coasters, and printed on thick ticket stock.
"There are no print-at-home tickets. If somebody sold you something on a piece of paper that is not ticket stock, that is not a real Indianapolis 500 ticket," Damron said.
If you are going the digital route, tickets cannot be a screenshot texted to you.
"It's a real graphic that's actually a moveable graphic. So, it has some motion in it," Damron said.
To ensure legitimacy, Damron said to buy tickets directly from IMS.
The Better Business Bureau of Central Indiana also offered tips:
Consider your source. Know the difference between a professional ticket broker (a legitimate and accredited reseller), a ticket scalper (an unregulated and unlicensed ticket seller), and a scammer selling scam tickets.
Check out the seller/broker. Look them up on BBB.org to learn what other customers have experienced. Check to see if they are a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers. NATB members offer a 200% purchase guarantee on tickets. Look up the seller on VerifiedTicketSource.com to confirm you are buying from an NATB-member resale company.
Buy only from trusted vendors. Buy online only from vendors you know and trust. Look for the lock symbol in the web address to indicate a secure purchasing system. Don’t click through from emails or online ads; a common ticket scam trick is to create a web address that is similar to a well-known company.
Know the refund policy. You should only purchase tickets from a ticket reseller that provides clear details about the terms of the transaction. Sellers should disclose to the purchaser, prior to purchase, the location of the seats represented by the tickets, either orally or by reference to a seating chart; and, if the tickets are not available for immediate access to the purchaser, disclose when the tickets will ship or be available for pick up.
Use payment methods that come with protection. Always use a credit card so you have some recourse if the tickets are not as promised. Debit cards, wire transfer or cash transactions are risky; if the tickets are fraudulent, you won’t be able to get your money back.
Be wary of advertisements. When you search the web for online tickets, advertisements for cheap tickets will often appear. Use good judgment; some of these ads are going to be ticket scams, especially if the prices are low.
If you're unsure, verify your tickets. Pay a visit to the arena where the event will be held. Present your ticket to "Will Call" (customer service) and they can verify if your ticket is legitimate and show you how to tell if a ticket is fake.