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BBB Tip: Shopping for sports team merchandise? Research the business first.

By: Better Business Bureau Serving Northern Indiana Last Updated: February 8, 2023

When shopping for a team jersey or other sports memorabilia, watch out for fakes. Scammers know that authentic game-used and/or autographed items can fetch big bucks – especially for items commemorating big games. When shopping online, it can be hard to trust that a seller or product is genuine. Follow these tips when buying sports memorabilia:  

“Game-used” items are highly sought after. Buyers prize items that saw action on the court or field as valuable parts of sports history. Consumers 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 kind of 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.

Outright forgeries can be the hardest to spot, and this issue has plagued collectors for decades. If you don’t have time to become an autograph authentication expert, but still want to make purchases, here are some steps you can take.

How the scam works - an example

Victims of this scam typically find fake sports merchandise through a social media ad or a quick web search. These scam online stores have great photos and cheap prices, making them look believable. Victims report that at first the purchase seems normal. The site charges their credit card and sends a confirmation email. However, weeks pass, and the jersey never arrives. The anticipation of having a keepsake of a favorite team is suddenly dashed when the victim tries to contact customer service. They quickly find that neither the company nor the product exists. One disappointed fan reported the following to BBB Scam Tracker: “This company advertised selling collector's items of sports merchandise in special boxes. Each box was supposed to have a certain number of team-related items like a jersey, signed football or mini helmet, etc. I paid $69.99 for the top box of Chicago Bears items. What I actually got was a cheap no-brand jersey, NFL keychain, and face mask. I went to the website to make sure I didn't misread anything, and the site was not working. We did not expect to be scammed out of items and not get what we paid for.”

How to avoid sports merchandise scams:

For more information and to learn how to protect yourself, Google “BBB 10 Steps to Avoid Scams.” If you spot a scam, whether you have lost money or not, report it to BBB’s Scam Tracker at BBB.org/ScamTracker and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Your story can help other consumers avoid similar scams.