Soccer fans file class action lawsuit against StubHub over canceled World Cup tickets
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Soccer fans in the US have sued StubHub, accusing the resale platform of failing to deliver expensive FIFA World Cup tickets they bought on the secondary market.
In a proposed class action filed late Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, fans say they “didn’t get what they paid for” because StubHub didn’t deliver their promised tickets to the world’s premier soccer tournament.
StubHub did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fans have flooded social media for the tournament, which is co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, blaming the resale platform for last-minute ticket cancellations and backing off assurances that they can get other tickets.
Many ticket holders say they traveled long distances to watch the match, and refunds are not much comfort because they are stuck with flight and accommodation costs.
“[Fans] they were lied to and bought World Cup tickets for huge sums of money – but it resulted in huge financial losses,” the complaint said. “This is the latest downturn in the sports ticket industry that has been plagued with consumer protection issues many times to the detriment of the fans who make sports so important.”
A CBC News investigation has found that StubHub has canceled thousands of World Cup tickets in North America. StubHub says it’s a problem with FIFA’s electronic ticketing system, although FIFA is returning questions to StubHub. Ticket buyers want business regulators and lawmakers to investigate.
StubHub blamed FIFA’s ticketing infrastructure for ticket sales problems.
FIFA has urged fans to only use its official resale platform, saying it is trustworthy.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages of at least $5 million for thousands of people in the United States who did not receive World Cup tickets they purchased through StubHub, alleging violations of various consumer protection and false advertising laws.
Scott Friedman, a 20-year ticket industry executive in Cleveland and owner of the Ticket Chat Network podcast, described the situation as “one of the biggest drops in ticket sales history.”
“StubHub is famous for this – not just for the FIFA World Cup but for other events around the world. It’s that they allow speculative tickets,” Friedman said. “So ticket speculators are actually sellers selling tickets they don’t have.”
Mark Gallagher tells CBC News about the frustration of being assured his World Cup tickets would arrive – only to arrive at BC Place in Vancouver empty.
The practice, which is banned in several US states, is blamed for a slew of ticket cancellations including high-profile tours by Oasis and Olivia Rodrigo.
Last Friday, the BC attorney general announced an investigation into StubHub over its handling of FIFA World Cup tickets.
Both Canada’s Competition Bureau and the US Federal Trade Commission declined to comment on whether they were investigating.
FIFA, soccer’s governing body, referred all CBC questions about ticket cancellations to StubHub.
