Does the StubHub FanProtect Guarantee cover tickets that never arrive?

Yes. On-time delivery is one of the guarantee's stated commitments, covering mobile transfers, PDFs and shipped tickets alike. If an order cannot be delivered, StubHub says it will supply comparable replacement tickets or issue a refund. The company advises documenting the problem and reporting it the same day.

What is the difference between a canceled and a postponed event for refund purposes?

It is the single biggest gap in most resale guarantees. A canceled event that is never rescheduled triggers a cash refund or a credit worth 120 percent of the purchase. A postponed or rescheduled event does not, because the original tickets remain valid for the new date even if you cannot attend it.

Can you charge back a ticket purchase when the seller never delivered?

Yes. Non-delivery of purchased tickets falls squarely within the services not rendered dispute category with the major card networks. Useful evidence includes written confirmation from the venue that the event took place, your delivery complaint logged before the event, and any refund promise the company later withdrew.

Have regulators ever forced ticket resellers to honor their refund policies?

Repeatedly. California's attorney general settled with StubHub in August 2024 over pandemic-era refunds, a judgment that recorded more than $20 million paid to over 45,000 consumers plus a penalty. A separate multistate action led by Minnesota produced $1.87 million for 5,500 buyers and a commitment to process refund requests promptly.

Are ticket marketplace disputes subject to mandatory arbitration?

Often yes. StubHub's user agreement requires most claims to go to binding arbitration unless the buyer actively opts out, usually within a short window after registering. That clause limits court remedies but does not affect your ability to file a card chargeback or a complaint with a state attorney general.

StubHub refund: when the system says postponed but it isn't

StubHub insists a Rick Springfield concert has been postponed, but the show actually takes place. Can a customer get a refund even if the company’s computer thinks the band hasn’t taken the stage yet?

Question

I bought tickets to a Rick Springfield concert through StubHub. The event was originally scheduled 11 months ago but was postponed to three months ago. StubHub did not update this rescheduling correctly within its internal system.

On the new date of the concert, I contacted StubHub because I still hadn’t received my tickets. A representative assured me that the system showed the event as still “postponed.” I told them the concert was happening that day, but they couldn’t override the system to transfer the tickets.

I missed the concert. StubHub initially said I was eligible for a refund, but then changed its position, insisting the event is still pending rescheduling. I have confirmation from the venue that the concert took place. Can you help me get my $348 back? — Craig Field, Wellington, Fla.

Your top comment

The Wall Street Journal reported this morning that the World Cup ticket mess StubHub was involved in wiped out profits for the quarter. This morning, StubHub stock was at $7.24, down $1.30 for the day, quite a precipitous drop.

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Answer

You shouldn’t have missed this concert.

This is a bizarre case of man versus machine. You knew the concert was happening. The venue, the Kravis Center, knew the concert was happening. The promoter knew the concert was happening. Even Rick Springfield knew he was supposed to be on stage.

But StubHub’s computer insisted the show was postponed.

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When you called on the day of the show you ran into a brick wall of binary logic. You said the representatives told you that “unless confirmation was received from the event organizers or venue, someone higher up within StubHub could not modify the system.”

Because the computer said the show wasn’t happening, it wouldn’t release your tickets, and you missed the performance. How frustrating.

What happened next is even stranger. You asked for a refund. At first, StubHub agreed to return your $348. Then, it went back to checking its system, which apparently still thinks the show is pending rescheduling. You received communications that continued to claim the event remained postponed.

Come on.

You kept a great paper trail of correspondence between you and StubHub. You contacted the venue to get independent confirmation that the show actually took place. And you were patient.

StubHub’s FanProtect Guarantee promises that if an event is canceled and not rescheduled, you will receive a credit worth 120 percent of the amount you paid or a cash refund. If there is an issue with your tickets, StubHub says it will find you comparable or better tickets, or offer you a refund.

Clearly, a system glitch that prevents ticket delivery falls under that guarantee.

If you ever run into a problem with StubHub again, you can always find the names, numbers and email addresses of StubHub’s executives on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.

I contacted StubHub on your behalf. This time, a human reviewed your request.

“We’re truly sorry this fan didn’t receive the experience they deserved,” a spokesperson told me. “We know how important live events are, and we understand how disappointing it is to miss out.”

StubHub confirmed that the show did, in fact, go on. It issued a full refund of $348 and offered you a voucher as a gesture of goodwill. Next time, hopefully, the computer will agree with reality.

226

Should ticket sellers be required to let a human override an automated refund denial?

Yes

What you’re saying

A short thread, but one of you named the thing that actually decides these cases.

A person can always override the machine

OnePersonOrAnother makes the point that matters. An automated denial can always be reversed by a human being. The difficulty is never the technology, it is reaching the one person with the authority to say yes.

Buy from the venue instead

rcheetah Cheeta would skip resale platforms altogether and buy through the venue’s own official site, arguing every third-party seller carries the same risk. CasaAlux put it more bluntly, saying the story lost him at the word StubHub.

You noticed a pattern

Jason Hanna observed that a lot of these cases involve the same company lately. He is right, and we are spacing them out deliberately so this does not turn into a blog about one ticket reseller.

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Christopher Elliott

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers consumers to solve their problems and helps those who can't. He's the author of numerous books on consumer advocacy and writes three nationally syndicated columns. He also publishes the Elliott Report, a news site for consumers, and Elliott Confidential, a critically acclaimed newsletter about customer service. If you have a consumer problem you can't solve, contact him directly through his advocacy website. You can also follow him on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn, or sign up for his daily newsletter.

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