Panthers PSL owner says fan with fake ticket stole his seat, got away with it

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Randy Perkins has been a PSL owner since the Carolina Panthers’ inception.

"Before the first brick was laid," Perkins said.

He gets tickets which are detailed, colorful, textured and difficult to fake.

"I was stunned," Perkins said.

He told Action 9 a fan showed up at the preseason game against the Miami Dolphins a few weeks ago with a ticket that looked exactly like his.

[Panthers, NFL crack down on fake tickets]

Perkins doesn't think that fan knew the ticket was fake.

He thinks the fan was a victim, too.

Perkins and the other fan discussed the problem in the stands in front of those seated nearby.

"It was extremely embarrassing," he said. "No one's even watching the game anymore."

Perkins said he sent the other fan to work it out with the Panthers staff, but it backfired.

"I'm assuming that because he was the one that actually went down there and said, 'Hey, this guy won't let me out of my seat. He's being rude.' That they automatically figured he's the victim. I'm the crook," he said.

He said the other fan won the debate and Perkins had to leave his seat.

The Panthers said they "can't speak to the specific instance," but, if "there is a dispute or confusion about tickets or seating, fans can find one of our guest relations employees in the stadium bowl who will help resolve the problem, and if needed, contact someone in the ticket office for further assistance. At that point, the owner of the ticket will be identified through the bar code and account history."

The Panthers recommend fans only purchase tickets at Ticketmaster and Ticketmaster Ticket Exchange, which guarantees the validity of the tickets.

The Panthers also told Action 9, "We took additional steps, through our mobile ticketing platform, to reduce the risk of lost or counterfeit tickets. The new platform replaced the print-at-home PDF ticket option with mobile ticketing accessed through the Panthers Official App on your smartphone. PSL holders still receive printed tickets in the mail and can enter the stadium with printed tickets or mobile tickets using the app. Single-game ticket buyers through Ticketmaster can use the Panthers app to access mobile tickets or request tickets be left at will call or mailed to them for a minimal fee."

Perkins thinks he should have complained to the Panthers staff before the other fan did, which he says would have resulted in him keeping his seat at the game.

Cox Media Group