StubHub World Cup ticket cancellations prompt calls for investigations, legal action

Jeff Ripley of Spokane, Wash., doesn’t mince words when asked how he feels about StubHub after the online resale site failed to deliver his $4,600 US tickets for a World Cup match last week.

"I think they're a f--king con. Excuse me," he said in a phone call with CBC News.

He and his wife bought three tickets back in December for a U.S. match in Seattle slated for June 19. They were excited for their son to fly in to join them.

But the day before the match, he received an email from StubHub stating: "The seller cannot provide the tickets." They bought different tickets so they wouldn’t miss the event — but are now fighting StubHub for a refund.

The couple has also filed formal requests for investigation by Washington state’s attorney general and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

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"We look at this as like a situation of fraud," Ripley said. He suspects StubHub allowed a scalper either to post tickets for resale, which they didn’t actually own — a practice known as "speculative ticketing," or allowed the reseller to renege because they found a different buyer.

"[StubHub] didn't do due diligence to ensure that the person listing tickets actually had physical possession of the tickets, or our original seller found a better price — somebody who was willing to pay more," he said. 

In an emailed response, StubHub told CBC News that the company "does not own, possess or sell tickets. We are a technology platform that connects independent buyers and sellers."

"StubHub does not allow speculative tickets, period. Sellers who violate our rules face fines,