Fans who bought World Cup tickets on the secondary market have lodged a proposed class action against StubHub Inc, alleging the resale platform did not supply the expensive tickets they paid for. The suit was filed late Tuesday night in Manhattan federal court and claims that many purchasers "did not get what they paid for" because StubHub failed to deliver the promised tickets.
The complaint, brought on behalf of thousands of U.S. buyers, seeks unspecified damages of at least $5 million for alleged breaches of various consumer protection and false advertising laws. Plaintiffs say the financial harm extends beyond ticket costs, noting they incurred nonrefundable travel and lodging expenses after traveling long distances to attend matches.
Social media was flooded during the tournament with accounts from fans in the United States, Mexico and Canada who blamed StubHub for last-minute cancellations and for withdrawing earlier assurances that replacements would be provided. According to the complaint, offered refunds provided little relief for people who remained out of pocket for airfare and hotels.
"[Fans] were lied to and purchased World Cup Tickets for large sums of money - only to incur tremendous financial losses," the filing said. "This is a new low for a sports ticketing industry that has been rampant with consumer protection issues time and time again to the detriment of the fans who make sports special."
StubHub did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In public statements, the company has attributed resale problems to FIFA's ticketing infrastructure.
FIFA has urged fans to use its official resale platform, saying that option was reliable. The lawsuit, however, asserts that purchasers who relied on StubHub's listings were left without the tickets they believed they had secured, and seeks compensation on behalf of the affected class.
The filing centers on allegations that StubHub's representations about ticket availability and delivery were misleading to consumers who paid substantial sums for World Cup access. The plaintiffs are pursuing relief under state and federal consumer protection frameworks and allege false advertising in the course of the sales.
The complaint does not specify an exact number of affected buyers, describing the group as "thousands" in the United States. The damages sought are described as at least $5 million but are otherwise unspecified in the filing.
Summary
A class action filed in Manhattan accuses StubHub of failing to deliver World Cup tickets sold on its platform, leaving purchasers with unrecoverable travel costs and seeking at least $5 million in damages. StubHub has pointed to FIFA's ticketing systems as the source of resale problems, while FIFA has promoted its own official resale channel as reliable.