When Jeff Balesh buys tickets to see Eric Clapton in Philadelphia, he believes StubHub’s FanProtect Guarantee will give him peace of mind. It doesn't. Will it ruin his 24th wedding anniversary plans?

Q: I bought two tickets to an Eric Clapton concert in Philadelphia through StubHub a few months ago. The seats were in Section 114, and I paid $780, including over $100 in service fees, because I wanted the assurance of StubHub’s FanProtect Guarantee. That guarantee says buyers will get the tickets they ordered — or comparable or better tickets.

But the seller backed out of the deal. StubHub canceled my purchase and offered me replacement seats in Section 108 or 207. These were dramatically inferior seats. 

I wrote to StubHub’s customer service team and even copied several executives, but I was told “the system” had given me what it could offer and nothing more.

This was supposed to be a special anniversary gift for my wife, and we've already booked travel and a hotel in Philadelphia. A refund is not acceptable. I just want StubHub to honor its promise and provide tickets in Section 114, 124, or floor sections. Can you help? — Jeff Balesh, Towson, Md.

A: StubHub’s FanProtect Guarantee is clear: If your seller falls through, the company promises tickets that will be the same or comparable to those you ordered. But there's a big asterisk to that guarantee, and I'll get to that in just a minute.

Your paper trail shows you did everything right. You contacted customer service, asked for help on social media, and escalated your complaint to the executive level. (I publish the names, numbers and email addresses of the StubHub executives on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.) 

StubHub still wouldn’t budge. Instead, it told you that its system dictated the replacement tickets, even though you could see better seats available on its own site. That’s the kind of corporate doublespeak that makes consumers feel cheated and disrespected. Kind of like something right out of an Eric Clapton song, come to think of it.

You were also right to push back against a refund, which was your other option. But remember that asterisk I was talking about? Here it is: According to the guarantee, StubHub will "find you comparable or better tickets to the event, or offer you a refund of what you paid for your purchase or credit of the same amount for use on a future purchase." In other words, under the guarantee, StubHub could offer you a refund and it would be in compliance.

Quick sidebar: My advocacy team and I have been getting a lot of StubHub cases lately, and we're not entirely sure why. But this we do know: If StubHub is going to give customers assurances that it will deliver tickets, then it either needs to make good on its promise, or change the way it promotes itself. There's no two ways about it.

Your case shows why persistence matters. When a company makes a bold promise like StubHub's FanProtect, customers should expect it to follow through. If it isn’t, don’t accept excuses about what the “system” can or can’t do. Press for the resolution you’re owed.

I reached out to StubHub on your behalf. After some back-and-forth, the company finally honored its guarantee. It issued you tickets in the same section you originally booked, just as you asked. You and your wife will celebrate your 24th anniversary at an Eric Clapton concert after all.

 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/