in this case
- A StubHub customer accepts a refund offer for a rescheduled show, but the $331 is sent to the original ticket seller.
- StubHub refuses to refund the customer, blames its resale policy, and even claims a refund promise was “misleading.”
- After escalating to executives, the customer is offered a small coupon, leaving her to fight a deceptive bureaucratic loop.
When Christi Barguig’s concert is canceled, StubHub offers her a refund. Then it sends the money to the wrong person.
Question
I recently bought tickets for a Nikki Glaser show through StubHub. When the event was rescheduled, I received an offer for a refund from the ticket promoter, which I accepted.
I never got the money back. I found out the refund went back to the original seller, not me. StubHub refused my refund request, citing its resale policy, even though I no longer had the tickets.
After months of back-and-forth, a StubHub representative promised a refund, but it never arrived. Customer service then called the email I received “misleading” and claimed no record of it.
StubHub’s excuses shifted. First, the company blamed a closed credit card dispute. Then it claimed the seller was unresponsive. Even after escalating to StubHub’s executives, I received only a useless coupon for $83. This feels like intentional deception. Is it legal to lie about processing a refund? — Christi Barguig, Austin, Texas
Your voice matters
Christi Barguig was promised a $331 refund from StubHub, only to be told the promise was “misleading” after the money went to the wrong person. This case highlights confusing “rescheduled” policies and customer service runarounds. We want to hear your thoughts.
- Should a “rescheduled” event where the customer can’t attend be treated the same as a “canceled” event for refunds?
- Have you ever been caught in a refund loop with a ticket reseller like StubHub? What happened?
- What’s your strategy when a company claims a previous promise from its own customer service was a “mistake” or “misleading”?
Answer
StubHub should have found a way to get the money to you, as promised. And to answer your question, no, it’s illegal to lie about a refund. That violates numerous laws against unfair and deceptive practices.
Your case is complex. StubHub is a platform for selling event tickets. When you requested a refund, the money went to the original seller. When StubHub refused to help you recover the refund, you filed a credit card dispute, which you lost. StubHub offered a voucher for a future event, but you refused that settlement. (Related: StubHub promised a refund after an emergency — but where’s my $2,561?)
StubHub’s FanProtect Guarantee promises valid tickets or a refund when an event is canceled, but the company sidestepped this by claiming rescheduled events aren’t eligible. That’s a questionable position, since you couldn’t use or resell tickets you no longer owned.
So, the original ticket holder (probably ABC Scalpers LLC) got paid for the ticket they sold to Christi and got paid again when StubHub refunded them. That’s some weird logic.
StubHub’s policies are just rotten. Once the original ticket holder has sold their ticket, they’re done. Honestly, if I buy shares in a company on the NYSE, then a couple of years later sell them the money does not go to the person who bought those shares in the IPO, it comes to me, less any brokerage fee.
Read more insightful reader feedback. See all comments.
As much as you might like to pin this on StubHub’s negligence, I think this comes down to a series of misunderstandings and bad policies. One consumer-unfriendly policy is the loophole for refusing a refund if an event is postponed instead of canceled. That’s just playing word games. If the event isn’t held on the day it’s scheduled, it’s canceled.
Refunding the original ticket holder is also a questionable policy, given that StubHub is a platform for selling tickets. StubHub should have worked directly with you to ensure you received your money back.
I understand why you would file a credit card dispute. But when that happens, it limits what a company can do until it’s resolved. That explains why StubHub took so long to respond. It had to wait for your credit card company to make a decision about your refund. (It made the wrong decision, but that’s a topic for a different article.)
The absurdity of your situation might make a good punchline in a Nikki Glaser joke. I can only imagine what she might have to say about this comedy of errors. It’s policies that don’t make sense, coupled with bureaucracy and slow customer service.
It looks like you tried contacting StubHub’s customer service executives, with disappointing results. (I publish their names, numbers and email addresses on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.) I recommend starting at the bottom of the chain and working your way up, to maximize your opportunities for a resolution.
Regardless of its policies, StubHub offered to refund you, and it should have done that months ago. I reached out to StubHub, and the company processed your $331 refund.
ticket buyer safety
How to protect yourself from ticket refund traps
Rescheduled show, missing refund, customer service fog? Use this checklist to keep your money from disappearing into a resale black hole.
1. Know the refund traps
Most problems start long before you ask for your money back.
- “Rescheduled” events are often treated differently than “canceled” events in the fine print.
- Refunds may be routed to the original seller, not the person who actually holds the ticket.
- Written promises can be walked back later as “misleading” or “a mistake.”
- Early credit card disputes can freeze what the platform is willing to do.
2. Before you buy: set up your safety net
You have the most power before you click “purchase.”
- Screenshot the event page (date, time, section, platform guarantee) before checkout.
- Read how the platform treats rescheduled vs. canceled events, not just their marketing slogan.
- Check who receives the refund when tickets are resold – the original seller or the buyer.
- Favor platforms that promise cash refunds, not just vouchers or credits.
- Use a credit card known for strong chargeback support.
3. When the show is rescheduled or canceled
Move quickly and keep everything in writing.
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1Screenshot the reschedule or cancellation notice, including any refund language.
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2Request your refund through the platform (not just the promoter or venue).
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3Ask support: “Exactly who will receive this refund?” and save the answer.
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4Download or forward all confirmation emails to yourself so they are searchable later.
4. When support starts playing word games
Your best weapon is their own written record.
Watch for these classic moves:
- “We have no record of that promise.”
- “That email was misleading” or “sent in error.”
- “The seller is unresponsive, so there’s nothing we can do.”
- “Because you opened a dispute, our hands are tied.”
5. Escalation ladder that actually works
Use this when your refund stalls or vanishes.
- Front-line chat or phone support
- Email support with your full documentation and screenshots
- Executive customer service / corporate contacts
- Only then: credit card dispute with your complete paper trail
6. The core lesson
A promise is not a refund. Only money in your account is.
Share these ticket-buyer protections
Executive Contacts
Stuck in a refund loop with StubHub? If customer service isn’t helping, try escalating your complaint to these executives.
What you’re saying
Christi’s $331 refund runaround exposed StubHub’s “rotten” policies. Readers quickly diagnosed the core problem: the original seller got paid twice, and StubHub’s rules are designed to protect itself, not the customer.
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The original seller got paid twice
Top commenter BKMatthew and OnePersonOrAnother quickly figured out the “weird logic.” The venue refunded the original seller (Person A), who had also already been paid by StubHub for the resale. They agree StubHub should be chasing the original seller for the money, not punishing the final buyer.
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StubHub’s policies are the real problem
JenniferFinger calls the “postponed vs. canceled” loophole and the “platform” excuse “nothing more than excuses for fist-clutching.” George Schulman adds that StubHub’s claim that it couldn’t help during a credit card dispute is false; it chose to deny liability instead of resolving the issue.
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The takeaway: buy direct
Many readers, like Mel65 and JenniferFinger, note the core issue is the third-party reseller model. While it’s not always possible, they advise buying directly from the venue to avoid these “layers of red tape” and to ensure a clear path to a refund.
Read more
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