Back when Taylor Swift first announced her Eras tour, fans ran to get tickets. Websites crashed. Resell prices were insane, particularly on Stubhub. I thought to myself, "This is it, this is when the ticketing industry will change."
Unfortunately, aside from listing all-in prices (including taxes and fees upfront), not much changed. If Swifties couldn't move the needle on this industry, who could?
Turns out, it might not be a musician at all, but a whole different entertainment industry. Soccer (or football, however you'd prefer to call it).
The FIFA World Cup is currently taking place. In some reported cases, fans who purchased Stubhub tickets six months ago, booked planes, booked hotels, and arrived at the venue are finding out they don't actually have confirmed tickets yet.
This isn't a new problem on resale platforms. Stubhub acts as a third-party company for resale tickets, largely operating on information provided by sellers. Stubhub doesn't always require ticket transfers until close to the event (timing can vary depending on the ticket type and event rules). When travel is involved, this can leave fans extremely anxious and upset if tickets don't arrive in time, or at all.
In some reported cases, sellers listed FIFA tickets before actually having them in hand. They're often betting on FOMO marketing, assuming they'll be able to secure tickets later at a lower cost and still make a profit.
In situations where prices instead rise significantly, sellers may be forced into a difficult choice: either buy a ticket at a higher price than they sold it for and take a loss, or back out of the sale and pay a fee to Stubhub for not fulfilling the order. In both cases, the buyer loses out, the platform still collects fees, and someone else is left exposed to the risk.
Stubhub does offer a FanProtect Guarantee. They state that you will receive your tickets, or Stubhub will help find comparable or better options, or you will receive a refund.
For people travelling to these events, a refund cannot return lost time off work, flights, or hotel costs. This guarantee also leaves out a key detail: when Stubhub says "comparable", they generally mean comparable in market value or price tier, not necessarily in seating experience.
On Reddit and other forums, there are recurring horror stories from buyers who paid thousands for premium seats and later received "comparable" tickets in less desirable sections when availability shifted. These are seats they never would have chosen at that price point.
Stubhub's resale issues affect all ticketing industries, including music. This has always been a known issue in secondary ticketing, but FIFA fans are currently shining a spotlight on it.
As of right now, one of the best ways to take a stand is to contact your Attorney General, or the Attorney General of New York where the company is based, and report these business practices.
We need the ticketing industry back in the hands of consumers, not corporations. When Stubhub wins, everyone else loses.