StubHub is a marketplace for ticket exchange. It is a platform where people can buy and sell pre-purchased tickets for live events such as sports, concerts and theatre. Suppose you’ve found yourself in a situation where you bought tickets to an event but cannot attend it because something important came up, or you were looking forward to purchasing tickets to an event only to discover they were sold out. Here’s where StubHub comes in.
With its recent merger with Viagogo, an international ticketing marketplace, StubHub has expanded its presence in over 90 countries.
But is StubHub safe and legit? In this article, we’ll answer this question and outline some tips on ensuring safety while buying or selling tickets on the platform.
How safe is StubHub for ticket transactions?
To answer this question, let’s look at a few criteria to assess the platform’s legitimacy and reliability:
FanProtect guarantee for buyer and seller safety
StubHub has developed a FanProtect guarantee covering buyers and sellers to ensure safe transactions. For buyers, it states that if you incur any issues with your order, they promise comparable or better tickets or a full refund. They offer a 120% credit or a full refund if an event is cancelled and not rescheduled. For sellers, the platform provides flexibility to adjust ticket prices before their sale and guarantees on-time payments.
StubHub support
The marketplace comes with a dedicated customer support page that addresses queries or issues with ticket transactions, where you can find answers to commonly asked questions. For further assistance, they have a dedicated customer support team on their website, which can be contacted via call during business hours.
Stringent seller policies
Strict guidelines for sellers stipulated on StubHub’s website ensure a level of protection for buyers. The guidelines include providing complete and accurate ticket information and ensuring ticket validity. There are consequences associated with non-compliance with specified requirements.
Also read: Is Etsy safe?
Tips to ensure safety while buying on StubHub
Despite such guarantees, there is always a risk regarding online marketplaces. Recently, a fan surfaced the news of having been duped of $1400 for the much-awaited Taylor Swift Eras Tour. After having paid, StubHub informed her that the seller did not possess the listed tickets. It took many conversations with customer support and a probe from NBC before she received the refund.
There are a few things you can keep in mind to avoid such mishaps:
Cross-check ticket prices
The marketplace allows sellers to set the ticket price. It is a good idea to explore other platforms and methods for ticket sales and purchases to determine the market price for the tickets you are looking to buy or sell. StubHub does charge fees at checkout, so make sure you are accounting for the additional cost.
Preferably buy printable tickets
There are several buying options, including printable tickets and in-mail tickets. The advantage of printable tickets is that they can be immediately accessed via a printout on your end. However, for tickets to be sent through the mail, there is uncertainty and a chance for delay, especially if your event is sooner.
Use a secure payment method
StubHub only accepts payments via PayPal, major credit and debit cards, and StubHub gift cards. Its website states that the platform does not accept cash or checks. If you find yourself in a position where a seller or buyer requests to accept or make payments off the platform, do not follow through.
Keep a record of conversations and transactions
The website’s customer support has proven unsupportive in a few cases, as claimed by buyers. Having a record of your transactions and any other evidence you can gather in case of an issue with your purchase can help make a compelling case to customer support.
Check the privacy policy
To know which of your data is collected, how it is used, and who it is shared with, it is advised to go through a website’s or an app’s privacy policy. The StubHub website and app collect user data, including but not limited to the internet protocol (IP) address, login details, browser type and version, device information and browsing history.
The collected data is used to deliver service functionality, create tailored marketing campaigns, and verify transactions to guarantee the services’ security. The user can request access, correct, update, restrict, or delete personal information by contacting the email address on StubHub’s privacy policy page.
StubHub shares your information with its affiliates, business partners, financial institutions and other entities.
Browse through reviews
Performing due diligence before using an online marketplace like StubHub is always a good idea. With 1561 reviews as of August 2023, StubHub has a 1.7/5 rating on Consumer Affairs. Interestingly, there is a 1-star review by a seller detailing a glitch faced by them while trying to sell a Taylor Swift Eras Tour ticket for $1400.
Today, the marketplace is not accredited by BBB (Better Business Bureau) and has a rating of 1.04/5.
StubHub is a legit and safe marketplace, albeit with the risk of scammers and delayed refunds. If you follow the essential tips mentioned above and are prepared to patiently follow up with customer support if an issue does arise, StubHub could be the marketplace for you.
Also read: Is Reddit safe?
