Thousands of fans discovered days or even hours before World Cup matches that tickets they purchased on StubHub simply did not exist. Families had planned vacations around these purchases, and money had changed hands. But customer service responses were sparse, with vague explanations about "transfer problems" rather than clear accountability.
Bradford Clements, an attorney and former Texas state prosecutor now representing over 150 affected customers, has documented a pattern extending far beyond this World Cup. His clients collectively claim StubHub owes them $2.4 million. "This happens over and over," Clements said when asked whether these failures are one-time glitches.
StubHub declined to comment on specific cases but said in a statement that FIFA's ticketing app experienced "significant performance issues." The company operates under terms of service that shift risk almost entirely onto buyers while extracting transaction fees regardless of whether tickets materialize. The company also uses arbitration clauses to prevent customers from accessing the court system.
For consumers holding canceled World Cup reservations, here are documented remedies:
Persistence through customer service. The Sports Fans Coalition recommends refusing refunds and demanding replacement tickets. However, replacements use "comparable" as a price-based metric rather than location-based, meaning worse seats at similar prices.
Written escalation to management. Letters to executives occasionally generate action that frontline customer service cannot authorize, though this requires time and carries no guarantee.
Credit card disputes. Customers can attempt chargebacks through their financial institutions, framing transactions as goods not delivered. Success rates vary.
Regulatory complaints. The FTC and state attorneys general accept consumer complaints, though enforcement timelines operate in years, not weeks.
Arbitration. Customers can initiate formal disputes by certified mail for a $225 fee through the American Arbitration Association. The process takes months and requires potential legal costs.
Legislative pressure. The Ticket Act would ban speculative ticketing practices. It passed the House but was stripped from a 2025 spending omnibus during negotiations.
Shareholder activism. Some customers have purchased single shares of StubHub's parent company to pose questions at shareholder meetings, though this requires capital and media amplification.
Emily Peterson-Cassin, director of competition and market fairness at the Consumer Federation of America, said "the practice of ghost ticketing should be outlawed." She noted that functional marketplaces require intermediaries to either verify product legitimacy or face liability for failures to do so.
Consumer advocates recommend buying downloadable tickets available immediately or purchasing directly from official sources such as FIFA for World Cup events. This eliminates the resale intermediary and the asymmetrical risk it creates.
