Don’t get fouled when buying tickets, Ravens fans

Baltimore’s Ravens crushed the New England Patriots in their first-round playoff game. To win the NFL championship the Ravens must continue to be road warriors. This puts their fans in extra danger of being cheated while buying tickets.

[The Ravens play Saturday night in Indianapolis against Baltimore's former team, the Colts. The Ravens’ next game would be for the AFC championship in either San Diego or northern New Jersey (home of the Jets) on Sunday, Jan. 24. That leads to the Super Bowl, in suburban Miami, on Feb. 7.]

BBB | Greater Maryland warns fans that fraud exists on the secondary ticket market. It offers these tips:

* Buy tickets directly from the team or the venue if possible.

* Or, buy through a legitimate travel agency in the community who has package deals — including a guarantee/refund policy.

* Or, buy from a legitimate ticket exchange. Two Maryland companies, downtowntickets.com and greatseats.com have great rating with the BBB.

* If you buy tickets through an online auction, choose a seller with a long, continuous history of satisfied customers. Try to contact any ticket seller and ask for a response as a test.

* When buying from an individual through an online exchange don’t be lured away from the Web site by the seller. Verify the history of the tickets if possible by requesting a receipt or order description for how and when the tickets were originally purchased.

* Never pay with a cashier’s check or wire money to the seller; you’ll have no way to get your money back if the tickets never arrive. Pay with a credit card or through PayPal.

* Many sellers will include pictures of the tickets with their posts on auction sites or bulletin boards. Study the tickets closely for inaccuracies or alterations, and cross-check the seat assignment with the map on the venue’s Web site before you buy.