Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation into StubHub following consumer complaints about World Cup tickets that were canceled or not delivered shortly before matches in Dallas and Houston, two Texas host cities during the tournament [1, 2, 3]. Many fans who bought tickets months in advance through StubHub only found out hours before the games that their tickets would not be provided [2, 3].
StubHub offers a FanProtect Guarantee, which promises customers replacement tickets or full refunds if there are issues. However, some customers reported that this guarantee was not fulfilled in their cases [2, 3]. A StubHub spokesperson said, "Even a single bad experience is deeply disappointing for fans and for us. That’s why, in the rare instance that problems arise, our FanProtect Guarantee provides replacement tickets or a full refund" [2].
StubHub attributed the ticket delivery problems mainly to issues within FIFA’s ticketing infrastructure, claiming the faults stemmed from there [1, 2, 3]. FIFA denied these claims, stating that its ticketing system operated reliably throughout the event [2, 3]. The investigation aims to determine whether StubHub misled customers or violated Texas consumer protection laws by failing to deliver tickets already purchased [1, 2, 3].
Alongside the investigation, fans proposed a class action lawsuit against StubHub relating to the World Cup ticket delivery problems during the week the investigation was announced [2, 3]. Texas Attorney General Paxton said, "My office is investigating reports that StubHub is failing to deliver tickets that Texas fans have rightfully purchased. In many cases, attending a World Cup match is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If StubHub is ghost ticketing Texans out of that experience, my office will use every tool available to hold them accountable and help fans who have been wronged" [2].
The World Cup games involving the Texas host cities took place in July 2023, overlapping with the investigation’s early period [1]. The investigation continues as Texas authorities review the evidence to determine if StubHub violated state laws related to consumer rights and ticket sales.
