SouthernWorldwide.com – World Cup fans who believed they had secured expensive tickets for the ongoing soccer tournament are now suing StubHub, alleging that the ticket vendor failed to deliver the promised seats.
The lawsuit, filed as a proposed class-action in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday, states that the plaintiffs “did not get what they paid for” when purchasing World Cup tickets through StubHub.
One plaintiff from California reported buying three tickets for $1,905 for a match on June 18 at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium. However, she later discovered that StubHub had canceled her order, a move that allegedly violated the company’s own terms of service.
Another plaintiff claimed to have spent nearly $3,000 for two tickets to a game between Mexico and South Korea. His tickets were also canceled, and while he received a refund for the seats, the lawsuit states he has not been reimbursed for additional travel expenses incurred.
The lawsuit highlights the consumer risk associated with high-demand events, stating, “Unfortunately, with high anticipation comes high likelihood for taking advantage of the consumers willing to pay.” It further noted that consumers were “almost guaranteed” to face high prices and a challenging market.
Attorneys representing the plaintiffs are seeking at least $5 million in damages.
Many fans turned to secondary ticket markets like StubHub in hopes of acquiring tickets resold by individuals who had initially purchased them directly from the World Cup organizer, FIFA. The lawsuit points out that FIFA only guarantees the validity of tickets sold directly by them and restricts sales through third-party platforms such as StubHub.
The complaint further alleges that StubHub was not authorized to sell World Cup tickets and that the platform failed to uphold its “FanProtect Guarantee.” This guarantee is intended to ensure the authenticity of World Cup tickets purchased through StubHub.
“StubHub misrepresents its authority to sell World Cup Tickets, then, when plaintiffs and class members travel thousands of miles to attend World Cup matches, there are no tickets to be found despite having paid for them,” the lawsuit contends.
StubHub has declined to comment on the pending litigation. However, a spokesperson for the company stated that FIFA was responsible for any ticketing issues.
“Our singular goal is to get fans into events, and if anything goes wrong, our FanProtect Guarantee provides replacement tickets or a full refund,” a StubHub spokesperson told CBS News. “The World Cup is no different, and the issues fans have experienced are largely driven by problems with the event organizer’s own ticketing infrastructure.”
