Jeremy Wright, an Austin, Texas resident, was eager to fulfill his wife Sarah’s Christmas wish of attending the World Cup. Sarah had expressed her desire for nothing more than this opportunity. Jeremy set out to buy tickets, unaware of the official FIFA ballot process for purchasing them. He discovered StubHub online and purchased two tickets worth $1,158 for a game in Dallas.
When Sarah learned that they would be watching Japan versus the Netherlands, she was thrilled, particularly because of her Dutch heritage. The couple traveled eight hours to Dallas the night before the game, investing $800 in a hotel. They were prepared, with Sarah getting a Netherlands-inspired soccer scarf in anticipation.
However, on the game day morning, Jeremy received an email from StubHub informing them of their tickets’ unavailability. Despite StubHub’s FanProtect Guarantee, promising valid ticket delivery or refunds, the Wrights faced the reality of no replacement tickets being available. The app showed remaining ticket options priced between $2,200 and $3,500, which were beyond their budget. As a result, Jeremy requested a refund and the couple opted to return home without watching the game.
Sarah noted that if they’d had more notice, they could have considered alternate plans. Jeremy suggested that mandatory ticket transfers once purchased could have helped avoid their situation.
Jeremy shared his experience on social media, connecting with others facing similar issues. Mark Cooley, Majid Lagzian, and Glen Albuja recounted their difficulties with StubHub too. Each received cancellation notices after arranging travel and accommodation, only to find their tickets unavailable.
“We understand that attending the World Cup represents a significant investment of time and money, and we take our responsibility to every fan who books through our platform seriously,” said a StubHub spokesperson.
The spokesperson stated that due to the event organizer’s technology infrastructure and newly announced transfer restrictions, some ticket issues have occurred. StubHub advocates for flexibility and choice, emphasizing their FanProtect Guarantee. To rectify the situation, StubHub apologized directly to Jeremy and Sarah Wright, offering them an upgraded experience for the World Cup semifinal game in Dallas.
Cooley, Lagzian, and Albuja have also received replacement tickets. StubHub encourages those having issues to contact them directly for World Cup specialist support. They highlighted that many problems stem from the event organizer’s new app system launched shortly before the tournament, affecting all resale platforms.