in this case
- Roland Nazariyan ordered three sets of UFC tickets through StubHub, with the first two orders refunded when he proved the tickets never arrived, but the third order worth $4,605 became a battle when StubHub denied the refund.
- Despite sending multiple emails with screenshots of his Ticketmaster account showing no tickets were delivered, he didn’t receive all of them them.
- StubHub suddenly reversed course and denied the refund without warning, claiming the seller had transferred the tickets, leaving Nazariyan with weeks of documented emails proving he had been contacting them all along about the missing order.
Roland Nazariyan buys three sets of tickets to a UFC fight through StubHub. But the real battle comes after the event — with StubHub’s customer service department. Two sets of tickets never showed up and were eventually refunded. But the third order, worth $4,605, turned into a heavyweight bout. Who will come out on top?
Question
I ordered three sets of tickets for a UFC event through StubHub. The first two orders were refunded when I proved I never received the tickets. But StubHub is denying a refund for the third order, worth $4,605, even though I sent multiple emails showing I never received that ticket either.
StubHub claims I never contacted them about the third order, but that’s not true. I have emails going back weeks — including one where they told me the refund was in its final stage. Then, without warning, they denied the refund because the seller claimed they transferred the tickets.
I’ve sent them screenshots of my Ticketmaster account showing no tickets were delivered. They’re just playing games at this point. Can you help me get a refund for this third order? — Roland Nazariyan, Granada Hills, Calif.
I had a terrible time with StubHub. They sent me tickets to the wrong event, a week before the event. I sent them all the screenshots, but they never fixed the problem. They admitted the error but blamed the ticket seller, and refused to replace tickets or offer me refund. They kept saying wait! I wrote executives, but no response. I finally purchased the ticket from Ticketmaster, at much higher cost 3 days before event. I finally disputed charge on my credit card, and won. I will never use StubHub again. BOYCOTT STUBHUB!
Read more insightful reader feedback. See all comments.
Answer
You shouldn’t have to go to the mat with StubHub to get your money back. If you received a refund for the first two orders after proving the tickets never arrived, the third one should have followed the same process. Instead, StubHub kept changing the rules — first acknowledging the problem, then pretending it never happened.
You kept a solid paper trail, which is key in a case like this. I reviewed your correspondence, and it was clear you had been communicating with StubHub all along about that specific order. You provided the order number, documented every step, and shared screenshots proving the tickets never landed in your Ticketmaster account. (Nice job, by the way!)
Remember, you can always escalate a problem to a higher level by contacting the customer service executives at StubHub. I publish the names, numbers and email addresses of the StubHub higher-ups on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.
Remember the key moves for overcoming a customer dispute in case this ever happens to you again (which I hope it won’t). First, keep a meticulous paper trail. Emails, screenshots, support tickets — anything that proves you tried to fix the problem. Companies may claim you didn’t reach out, and your only defense is written proof.
Second, never rely on phone calls alone. If the conversation doesn’t exist in writing, it might as well have never happened. If you must call, always follow up in writing. And finally, don’t wait to escalate. If you’re getting nowhere with frontline agents, ask for a supervisor or file a formal complaint. Waiting too long can make your case harder to resolve.
I contacted StubHub on your behalf. To its credit, it admitted that while the seller had provided proof of transfer, you were left in the dark. A StubHub rep told me, “While this appears to potentially be a case of buyer error, we could have done a better job assisting the customer in locating his tickets.”
StubHub finally submitted, to borrow an MMA term. It refunded your ticket and also offered you a coupon for 25 percent off a future purchase as a goodwill gesture.
Your voice matters
Roland Nazariyan ordered three sets of UFC tickets through StubHub. The first two orders were refunded when tickets never arrived, but the third order worth $4,605 became a battle when StubHub denied the refund, claiming he never contacted them despite weeks of documented emails proving otherwise.
- Should ticket resale platforms be legally required to honor the same refund process for all orders when a customer provides proof that tickets were never delivered?
- When a company tells a customer a refund is in its final stage, should they be prohibited from reversing that decision without clear evidence the customer received what they paid for?
- Have you ever been denied a refund by a ticketing platform despite providing proof that you never received your tickets?
What you’re saying
Readers shared their own StubHub nightmares, from duplicate ticket sales to wrong event deliveries, revealing a pattern of “wait and see” tactics that force customers into credit card disputes. The conversation highlighted how recording customer service calls and meticulous documentation are becoming essential survival tools.
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Credit card disputes are the only real leverage
Howard Schwartz got tickets to the wrong event. StubHub admitted fault but blamed the seller and refused replacement or refund. He won his credit card dispute and vowed to boycott StubHub. Richard Zierdt called for laws with fines or jail time for denying valid claims.
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Recording calls can be your smoking gun
Ed Sackley had StubHub sell the same seat twice, then charge him for a replacement. He used iPhone’s recording feature to create a 7-page transcript. CapitalOne resolved his dispute the next day after seeing the transcript and screenshots.
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Never trust the transfer until tickets are in your wallet
Tina advised never trusting “sent the link” claims until tickets are in your wallet, and going straight to executive emails at the first sign of trouble. David L Books had tickets arrive just an hour before the event. Gerri Hether said avoid third parties, though George Schulman noted they’re sometimes the only option.
