Asian Tribune Your Multilingual Newspaper covering World and local news News
Listen to this article
Estimated 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Soccer fans in the U.S. are suing StubHub, accusing the resale platform of failing to deliver expensive tickets for the FIFA World Cup that they bought on the secondary market.
In a proposed class action filed late Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, fans claimed they “did not get what they paid for” because StubHub never delivered their promised tickets for the world’s premier soccer tournament.
StubHub did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fans have flooded social media during the tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, blaming the resale platform for last-minute ticket cancellations and for backing away from assurances they could get replacement tickets.
Many ticket holders say they travelled long distances to watch matches, and refunds offered little comfort because they remained stuck with airfare and lodging costs.
“[Fans] were lied to and purchased World Cup tickets for large sums of money — only to incur tremendous financial losses,” the complaint said. “This is a new low for a sports ticketing industry that has been rampant with consumer protection issues time and time again to the detriment of the fans who make sports special.”
A CBC News investigation found StubHub cancelled thousands of World Cup tickets across North America. StubHub says it’s a problem with FIFA’s electronic ticket system, though FIFA refers questions back to StubHub. Ticket buyers are calling for business regulators and lawmakers to investigate.
StubHub has blamed FIFA’s ticketing infrastructure for problems with ticket resales.
FIFA had urged fans to only use its own official resale platform, saying it was reliable.
Lawsuit calls case ‘new low’ for industry
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages of at least $5 million US for thousands of people in the United States who didn’t receive World Cup tickets they bought through StubHub, for alleged violations of various consumer protection and false advertising laws.
“This is a new low for a sports ticketing industry that has been rampant with consumer protection issues time and time again to the detriment of the fans who make sports special,” the lawsuit states.
“StubHub continues to not only sell World Cup Tickets for which it is not authorized but also includes warranties called the Fan Protect Guarantee … which affirmatively promise the authenticity of these World Cup Tickets.”
Scott Friedman, a 20-year ticketing industry executive in Cleveland and host of the Ticket Talk Network podcast, has described the situation as “one of the biggest collapses in the history of ticketing.”
“StubHub is famous for this — not just for the FIFA World Cup but for other events all over the globe. It’s that they allow speculative ticketing,” Friedman said. “So speculative ticketers are basically sellers selling tickets they don’t have.”
The practice, banned in a handful of U.S. states, has been blamed for similar mass cancellation ticket fiascos involving high-profile tours by Oasis and Olivia Rodrigo.
Mark Gallagher tells CBC News about the frustration of being assured his World Cup tickets would land — only to arrive at B.C. Place in Vancouver empty-handed.
B.C. investigating StubHub
Last Friday, B.C.’s attorney general announced an investigation into StubHub over its handling of tickets for the FIFA World Cup.
Both Canada’s Competition Bureau and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission declined to comment on whether they are investigating.
FIFA, soccer’s governing body, has referred all of CBC’s questions about the ticket cancellations to StubHub.