Lori McBride buys StubHub tickets for a 1 p.m. show but discovers they’re for 7:30 p.m. StubHub denies her a refund because she didn't immediately contact the company. But what about StubHub's FanProtect Guarantee?
Q: I bought two tickets on StubHub for the 1 p.m. showing of “Ain’t Too Proud” in San Francisco. My confirmation clearly stated the 1 p.m. showtime, but when I arrived, the tickets were for 7:30 p.m.
The theater couldn’t help and I could not reach StubHub before the show started. I had to buy last-minute seats at a higher price.
When I called, StubHub’s customer service repeatedly dismissed me, claiming I should’ve called *while at the theater," even though there was no contact number on the tickets.
StubHub insists I’m not entitled to a refund, despite their “FanProtect Guarantee.” I emailed executives (using your contacts!) but heard nothing. The BBB shows StubHub has an “F” rating and thousands of unresolved complaints. How can a company ignore its own policies and customers so blatantly? Can you help me get my $168 back? -- Lori McBride, Redwood City, Calif.
A: StubHub shouldn't be too proud to admit this: Honoring its FanProtect Guarantee, which promises valid tickets or a refund, is the right thing to do. By failing to deliver tickets for the correct showtime, it breached its own policy. StubHub might have also violated California law, which prohibits false advertising.
It's particularly frustrating when I review the notes from your interactions with StubHub. A representative initially promised you a refund but then placed you on a brief hold, returned to the call and asked if you had contacted StubHub before the event.
After you explained that you could not contact StubHub because there was no information on how to do so on the ticket or confirmation email, the employee suggested you couldn't get a refund because you hadn't contacted StubHub before the curtain rose on the matinee performance.
I see no requirement in the FanProtect Guarantee to ask for help before an event begins. When you questioned the employee about this apparently unwritten policy and asked for her ID, she disconnected the call. Come on!
You did everything right by escalating to executives and keeping records. Always double-check tickets immediately after you buy them. Mistakes happen, and catching them early gives you more options.
I publish StubHub’s executive contacts on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. It looks like you reached out to the executives too, but they failed to address your problem. Seriously? I publish this information so that consumers with legitimate problems can get through to a decision-maker and potentially avoid an embarrassing story like this one.
I contacted StubHub on your behalf. The company reviewed your case and did not say why your tickets were for the wrong time. It issued a full refund plus a 25 percent credit for a future StubHub event, a very generous resolution.
Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (https://elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at https://elliottadvocacy.org/help/
