Buyer Beware: Online Grammy Tickets May Be Bogus

Looking for a ticket to the Grammy Awards?  A Web search may well take you to Western States Ticket Service, or www.wstickets.com, which offers tickets starting at $500 and going as high as $4,500.

Only trouble is, the tickets are bogus, according to a federal lawsuit filed by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Scienes.

The suit claims that, for the 4th year in a row, Anthony Beram, of Phoenix, is selling Grammy tickets through his Web site, despite the protests of the Academy's lawyers, who began demanding in 2008 that Beram stop selling the tickets.

The lawyers repeatedly told Beram that tickets purchased through his Web site would be considered unauthorized and that anyone who tried to use them would be subject to ejections from the awards ceremony.

Tickets to the annual ceremony are offered only to members of the Academy and others involved in the entertainment industry and are not offered for sale to the general public.  The lawsuit notes that each ticket bears a warning that unauthorized transfer will render the ticket void. 

The lawsuit charges Beram and his company with false advertising, unfair competition, unfair and deceptive practices and alleges that anyone who buys a ticket from Beram's company and tries to gain admission to ghe Grammy awards is guilty of trespass.

The suit seeks an injunction, damages and legal fees.