Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. Attn: Litigation Department Those will be paid out by the end of May. News provided by The Associated Press. And StubHubs award-winning customer service is on standby to help with any issues or concerns. [4] The formal name of the user agreement is StubHub Marketplace Global User Agreement, and you can find a copy of it here: https://www.stubhub.com/legal/?section=ua. Buyers: We'll add a credit worth 120% of the total amount you paid for the impacted event to your StubHub Wallet. Your email address will not be published. Jackson, MS 39216 Most venues, ticket platforms, and resellers are offering full refunds (ticket fees included) when an event gets canceled. StubHub will refund your money if an event is cancelled or moved. His law firm, Kimmel and Silverman, which has a Pittsburgh office, is also helping consumers to file legal claims to get refunds. StubHub, for example, typically provides a credit of 120% of the total amount paid for tickets when an event is canceled (though the company recently . That guarantee is a promise you'll get your money back. Consumer lawyer Craig Kimmel says in most cases, its better to get a refund now. Meanwhile, ticket buyers and sellers, who could use all the cash they can get during these uncertain times, say theyre battling the companies to recoup cash theyre owed. Ja Morants allegations of aggression off the court, explained. Early last month, he paid $120 for two seats to the March 20 National Hockey League game between the Winnipeg Jets and the Minnesota Wild. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. "The return of live events, the input of customers, partners, and regulators, and the opportunity to finally consult with our new parent company, viagogo, all contributed to StubHub's decision to make this move now," the company said in a statement. [8] See Paragraph 22, Section B, titled Arbitration Procedures, regarding the requirement that you must submit a Notice of Dispute form before filing a refund arbitration claim. StubHub is offering some customers cash refunds for tickets to events that were canceled during the pandemic, creating an exception to a no-refunds policy it adopted in March 2020 to the. Paul Sawers / VentureBeat . The policy stated that consumers would receive full refunds on ticket purchases, including fees, if events were canceled. Only 120% coupon? Unfortunately, not all ticket sellers and venues are making it that easy. Unfortunately you will not be entitled to a refund. It covers you as a buyer if your tickets do not arrive in time for an event, are not valid for the listed event, or were grossly misrepresented on StubHub. This article is not here to tell you about how, in response to the COVID-19 virus outbreak, StubHub initially sent out a reassuring email to its customers that it would refund their ticket purchases for canceled events only to then update its policies a short time later to remove that very option. We certainly hope they do. Kimmel says its not as hard as you might think. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. I want to assure you that StubHubs FanProtect Guarantee protects every purchase the ticket you have purchased on our site will get you into the event or we will make it right, reads the update, which is also signed by Cassidy. But these are unprecedented times.. You can call the customer support line between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. any day of the week. The cost of loneliness: Social isolation holds back workers and costs employers billions, Businesses and consumers are borrowing more, despite rising interest rates, Why a Guarneri violin is expected to fetch $10 million at auction. Matt McMillan filed the lawsuitin federal court in Madison and seeks to have it declared a class action on behalf of the tens of thousands of StubHub customers no longer getting refunds to some 23,000 canceled games, concerts and other events. The credit is valid for a year (365 days), and you can use it for any live event on our site in the same currency. She says she called and chatted online with StubHub nine times from March 16 onward, after her home state went on lockdown and the event was canceled. But in a March 30 email to its customers, cited in the suit, it said the crisis has delayed getting its money back from sellersat a time when buyers expect immediate refunds. Open the SeatGeek app. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23, StubHub says it can no longer afford that business practice, the company furloughed 67 percent of its workforce last week, Stay up to date on all of MLives coronavirus coverage, Wash your hands often with soap and warm water, Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. All Rights Reserved. Virginia, along with nine other states and DC, has reached an agreement with StubHub, an online ticket reseller, after the company refused to pay refunds for events canceled as a result of COVID-19. [2] StubHub said theyd refund canceled tickets, but now theyre taking that back (StubHub is here for you. College basketball conference tournament predictions: Picks for every mens league. This doesnt mean, of course, that folks arent having any trouble with some of these other major marketplaces. Refund Policies for Ticketmaster, StubHub, Telecharge, TickPick. We will process the refund to your original payment method within 5 days. Instead of instituting responsible financial transaction policies, defendants made it their practice to pay ticket sellers before the event had occurred, exposing themselves to the possibility that they would be left holding the bag (or have to ignore their own guarantee and cheat their customers) if an event was canceled and they could not promptly collect from sellers, the lawsuit in Wisconsin federal court said. That includes includes California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Utah, and Virginia. StubHub is offering the retroactive refunds now because the live events industry is opening back up. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. If sellers had events canceled, StubHub would. This argument incorrectly assumes that StubHub has not already paid sellers for tickets that sold prior to the unprecedented wave of cancellations, or that all sellers have a net positive balance with StubHub. Just 21 days ago, online ticket exchange and resale company StubHub sent a reassuring email to their customers. What happens to showgoers and sports fans when events across the globe are canceled and tickets are no good anymore? If you don't, we may cancel orders and charge you as provided in our User Agreement. The credit is valid for a year (365 days), and you can use it for any live event on our site in the same currency. 2023 www.jsonline.com. The organizers stuck to their no . The suit accuses StubHub of breach of contract, conversion, negligent misrepresentation and violations of various California consumer protection laws. You do have to be careful not to agree to something you dont want, like a voucher for the future, because that could change your legal standing. Other StubHub communications made clear that no refunds would be offered, noting that in the event of a cancellation "[w]e'll give you a coupon worth 120% of your original order. "It was no problem canceling flights. A quick search on Twitter yields dozens of accounts complaining that they have not received refunds for events that were canceled, or payouts for events that already happened. StubHub promised its customers a full cash refund for cancelled events with its FanProtect Guarantee. For your convenience, we will directly add it to your StubHub account once the event is canceled.. Did you find it helpful? FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. StubHub users who attend events during the COVID-19 pandemic agree that they are responsible for complying with all venue, team, and performer policies including COVID-19 verification requirements and health and safety protocols (e.g. What are the consequences if I dont comply with these health and safety policies? Gibbs Law Group filed a complaint on May 1, 2020 against StubHub for refusing to refund customers who purchased tickets for events that have been cancelled in light of COVID-19. If an event is rescheduled or postponed, your ticket will be good for the new date. "It's really bad customer relations, I think, to kick people off for disputes like this," said Ted Rossman of BankRate. Yes, the coronavirus is causing issues with everything ranging from everyday life to professional sporting events and everything in between, but StubHub wanted to assure everyone they would be taken care of. May 3, 2021, 9:57 AM PDT StubHub is offering some customers cash refunds for tickets to events that were canceled during the pandemic, creating an exception to a no-refunds policy it. Instead of full refunds for canceled events, they changed it to a COUPON worth 20% more than the value of the ticket. The credits are valid through the end of 2022. Required fields are marked *. Postponed events may not be eligible for refunds. Read more about our event cancelation policy. Got our money back last week. Not surprisingly, this new policy has been heavily criticized. In 14 states including California, Florida, New Jersey and New York, local laws already allowed customers to get cash refunds if they contacted customer service. Just a heads-up that some of the services were reviewing here have affiliate partnerships with us, so we may earn a commission if you visit one of them and buy something. Tap Sell on the ticket group and set the number of tickets that you want to sell and how they're split. Tel: 251.432.1600 It doesn't look like the case has officially seen the courts yet. Theyre trying to tell people they either have to accept a voucher for a percentage more than the ticket price or theyre going to reschedule the event, he said. When an event is canceled, you will receive a StubHub coupon worth 120 percent of your original order. If an event is rescheduled or postponed, your ticket will be good for the new date. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. [2] "StubHub said they'd refund canceled tickets, but now they're taking that back (StubHub is here for you. "If you want a refund don't accept no for an answer, because if you're entitled to one under the original agreement, you should get one," Kimmel said. It seeks class-action status and various damages, and an order that StubHub return to a policy of full refunds instead of coupons for 120% of the refund amount. Ticket sales volume had crashed at the same time as they'd been receiving chargebacks from customers and requests for refunds on cancelled shows. Customers can choose to keep their credits if they like. Instead, theyre offering customers 120% credit for the canceled purchases, according to a letter from the companys president. Unless you want a refund. StubHubs return policy is called the FanProtect Guarantee. StubHub, however, won't offer refunds to anyone who bought a ticket after March 25 of last year if an event is canceled only credits. SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (CBS) - The ticket resale company StubHub is now offering customers cash refunds for tickets to events that were canceled during the pandemic. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. But sellers are not seeing payouts for sales they say took place before any changes to the companys policy occurred. The Associated Press. But with thousands of events wiped out, StubHub says it can no longer afford that business practice, and instead will offer a 120 percent site credit once an event has been officially canceled. Lindsay is the author of this solution article. Our FanProtect Guarantee protects sellers, too: We guarantee you on-time payment for the tickets you sell, according to our terms. Join us for a free, virtual event for International Women's Day on March 8! In the past, cancellation prompted a full refund from the online ticket broker. StubHub is based in San Francisco. Financial experts say there are rumors StubHub may not even survive the pandemic, but for now it's still trying to weather the storm. No problem. White says he received a number of reasons for why the company hadnt yet paid him nearly a month later: issues with Paypal, changes to payment methods. Tap Tickets in the navigation bar at the bottom. Events that were postponed or rescheduled wont be refunded, Fowlks said. If you can no longer attend the event, you can relist your tickets and we'll waive the sell fee. "You give the guy a free piece of cheesecake, do you want them to come back and eat 500 more down the road? StubHub is offering some customers cash refunds for tickets to events that were canceled during the pandemic, creating an exception to a no-refunds policy it adopted in March 2020 to the dismay of . Events that were postponed or rescheduled won't be refunded, Fowlks said. Sellers won't face consequences under our dropped order policy, but we may ask them to send proof their tickets were canceled. By attending the event, you assume all risk of exposure to COVID-19. Consumers shouldnt have to underwrite the business problems of this company that can no longer honor the agreement they made, he said. If you've purchased tickets, you'll . [7] There is a provision in the Paragraph 22, Section C of the user agreement, titled Costs of Arbitration, which provides that in the event the arbitrator determines the claim(s) you assert in the arbitration to be frivolous, you agree to reimburse StubHub for all fees associated with the arbitration paid by StubHub on your behalf that you otherwise would be obligated to pay under the [AAA] Rules. But given Californias consumer-friendly laws that apply to any arbitration claim, including its ticket seller laws in Cal Bus & Prof Code Div. Thats simple contract law, he explained. StubHub confirmed it had received a refund request, and said processing would take between two and three weeks. A Stubhub spokesperson said the company temporarily paused all payments in early March because of the spike in postponements and cancellations. If an event is canceled, well give you a StubHub credit for 120% of the amount you paid. Moyles had a similar experience: She requested a refund on March 17 and was told to hang tight for processing. The complaint contains several responses to StubHub's tweet about the changed policy from angry users to show they did not consider it convenient. Each cancelled show was a loss to StubHub of their fees which now represented as much as 45% of the total sale. 2023 Cox Media Group. Event Cancellation Protection . Also, always look at the delivery date for the tickets to ensure they arrive before you leave . Unfortunately, not all ticket sellers and venues are making it that easy. The StubHub policy for rescheduled events is that the tickets are good for the new event and you can either attend or sell the tickets. Unfortunately, as our complaint alleges, StubHub is breaching its . Edit: People are asking a bunch of questions, so here is the article with StubHub's statement. The buyer will be provided a credit for 120% of the total amount originally paid or the option of a cash refund. The answer is yes, StubHub is legal. But these are unprecedented times.. Emily Walsh. Fax: 251.432.1700, Business Services and Commercial Litigation, Author: Bradley R. Hightower Dial 833-228-5143. [5] If your refund demand is for more than $10,000 (which seems unlikely in most cases; if youre buying those kind of tickets, take me with you next time), you may be required to demonstrate that the costs of accessing arbitration will be prohibitive as compared to the costs of accessing a court for purposes of pursuing litigation on an individual basis. If you can do that, it will be up to the arbitrator to determine how much StubHub must pay for the arbitration costs. Im not proud of having to do it, but in order for us to be there for our customers post-recovery, we have to make these tough decisions now, Cassidy told Axios.com. Stated performance for THIS DATE, THIS EVENT, is canceled. McMillan has had a StubHub account since 2017. It had already been disbursed to the sellers. |, How to Get a Refund from StubHub Because Getting a Future Credit for an Event That May Never Happen Just Sounds Sketchy. 2023 Minnesota Public Radio. All rights reserved (About Us). As pointed out by @don_shano, this is not only absurd (fans deserve their $ back), its unethical and likely illegal. As if the cancellation of sporting events and concerts wasn't enough. Daphne, AL 36527 1:00 StubHub offers some customers cash refunds for tickets to events canceled during the pandemic, creating an exception to a no-refunds policy it adopted in March 2020 to the dismay of. The AAA, upon its receipt of your refund arbitration claim, will notify you and StubHub that your claim has been received and StubHub will then be required to submit its written response (and its payment for the costs of the arbitration) within 14 days. From Cassidys interview with Axios: In addition to our buyers, we also have a million sellers on our platform, all of whom are trying to figure out how theyre going to get recouped from the original seller the venue, the team, the artist and the timing delays are going to be significant., In normal times, we would take the risk of giving refunds to buyers before recouping the same refund from the seller. Select the ticket group you'd like to sell. A StubHub official said Wednesday the company doesn't discuss active litigation. Canadian Doug Farley was supposed to visit New York City in mid-March to see his Calgary Flames take on the Islanders, Devils and Rangers, but the NHL season, like everything else, was paused, so he tried to get a refund. StubHub was pressing hard to get money. You can read more about how this works at https://techboomers.com/how-to-support-techboomers. 72 hours prior to the event). Irvine, CA 92606. If they cant produce to you what you paid for in and around the same time you bought it to occur, then, youre entitled to your money back. Tel: 601.427.4050 You can also follow WPXI on Facebook and Twitter. STUBHUB APP FEATURES: FIND THE BEST EVENTS Search for events by category, your interests, or . The suit accuses StubHub of breach of contract, conversion, negligent misrepresentation. If the event for which you bought ticket (s) was cancelled, as indicated on your Notification, you are entitled to a refund of the paid value subject to the exclusions as set forth herein, unless the Event Organizer is offering a Credit (as defined below), and you want to accept that Credit. Thats when Woody, Moyles, Kreifels and many others learned that the refunds werent coming. Sep 15, 2021, 1:28 PM. StubHub and several more of these. It depends on where they got those tickets. Even on March 12, as major cancellations had begun to be announced, StubHub emailed users to say, "We have your back," and assuring them they could still get refundsbut also offering, as an alternative, coupons for 120% of the tickets' prices, redeemable for a year. Gambling problem? San Francisco, CA 94105, A copy of the Notice of Dispute form is available through a link in the user agreement on StubHubs website (or by searching for StubHub notice of dispute on Google), and a copy is appended to this article as Exhibit A, StubHub Article, Notice of Dispute. c/o National Registered Agents, Inc. 5. It turns out, according to BankRate, more than half of people who laid out cash for events since the pandemic shut everything down didn't get it returned, and 60% have given up trying. 2023 Fortune Media IP Limited. Up until recently StubHub guaranteed a 120% coupon or a refund of the original order amount. The company is a registered Since its inception in 2000, StubHub has grown to become the world's largest ticket resale marketplace. Places like Vivid Seats, Gametime and SeatGeek are still offering refunds, or credits of equal value for future use. StubHub, an event ticket re-seller, told him the company couldn't issue a refund, only a credit towards a future event. Postponed events may not be eligible for refunds. In March of 2020 t Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. However, their respective terms of service seem to leave the door open for shutting down refunds if need be as things progress. How are others in the industry handling this? It also covers you if an event is cancelled, or rescheduled and requires new tickets to be purchased. McMillan says StubHub denied him a refund, saying the March 20 game was only postponed, not canceled. Re: StubHub Notice of Dispute At the same time, consumers who had purchased approximately $5 billion annually from StubHub clamored for refunds of the tickets they had bought for shows which were postponed or cancelled as. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Birmingham, Alabama 35203 Followhim on Twitter at @ProofHearsay. 2021 The Associated Press. What To Do If Someone Isn't Social Distancing Or Wearing A Mask? Those will be paid out by the end of May. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Customers can choose to keep their credits if they like. Fugitive in $18 million COVID fraud scheme extradited to U.S. Energy Department report on COVID's origins rekindles ongoing debate. Viagogo, a tickets marketplace, bought StubHub in February 2020. StubHub notes it was the first to offer the 120% credit for canceled purchases. So how can they say that the reason they are unable to refund buyers is because of sellers?, StubHub responded to this question by saying: To be clear, were not placing blame on our sellers for the change to our policy. August 20, 2020 / 6:06 PM [3], What you may not know, however, is that StubHubs user agreement[4] contains a provision that lets you file a refund arbitration claim against StubHub and requires StubHub to pay all of your (and their) arbitration costs. March 28, 2020 (https://www.sbnation.com/2020/3/28/21198101/stubhub-refunds-canceled-event-ticket-nhl-nba-concerts). Marketplace is a division of MPR's 501 (c)(3). In an interview, StubHub customer experience vice president Daron Fowlks declined to comment on litigation but said that customers who bought tickets to events in the U.S. or Canada on or before March 25, 2020, and were issued credits for cancellations, will now get refunds. A buyer that had Opening Day tickets is stuck waiting to see what Major League Baseball is going to do with the 2020 season. Powered and implemented by Interactive Data Managed Solutions. No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. If you are denied entry or are dismissed from the event due to your failure to comply with these policies, you will not be compensated for your order. But StubHub was the one that caused the grief," Farley told CBS2's Natalie Duddridge on Thursday. / CBS New York. If you want to receive local news alerts, please download our WPXI News App. Worth to consider! If StubHub made a mistake, call their customer service line at 1-866-788-2482 and explain your problem. StubHub, as the middleman between buyers and sellers of secondhand tickets, says that handling refunds for the huge number of canceled concerts is simply not manageable. Kimmel says, legally, companies cant just change the rules due to COVID-19. Powered and implemented by FactSet. We have a situation right now where we had over 20,000 events canceled, basically at the same time," StubHub president Sukhinder Singh Cassidy told Axios.com. "You can apply this coupon to one or multiple StubHub orders in the. If you can no longer attend the event, you can, Log in to your StubHub account and click or tap Profile then. Fax: 601.707.7913, 1 Timber Way Fans Still Struggling To Get Refunds From Ticket Re-Seller StubHub For Concerts, Sporting Events Canceled Due To Pandemic August 20, 2020 / 6:06 PM / CBS New York NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) --. Wheres that guaranteed refund? Request to speak to a Vivid Seats agent. StubHub suspended that policy in March 2020, following the mass . And new figures show more than half of ticket holders still haven't gotten their money back. Its important to know your consumer rights when you ask for a refund. In May 2021 - as a result of the attorney generals' investigations - StubHub reversed its decision and notified its customers that if they purchased tickets prior to March 25, 2020 and their events were cancelled, they would receive a full refund unless they elected to retain their account credits. But why is insulin so expensive in the first place? In normal times, we would take the risk of giving refunds to buyers before recouping the same refund from the seller. Its not acceptable, he said, explaining what to write. If your event is canceled and not rescheduled, you'll receive 120% credit or provide the option of a full refund. 07-26-2021 09:10 PM 0 Reply Alastor Backup Singer Re: Event cancelled - Seller refunds? March 28, 2020 (https://www.sbnation.com/2020/3/28/21198101/stubhub-refunds-canceled-event-ticket-nhl-nba-concerts). ATTORNEY GENERAL HERRING HOLDS STUBHUB ACCOUNTABLE OVER FAILURE TO PROVIDE REFUNDS FOR CANCELLED EVENTS ~ StubHub, Inc. has agreed to honor its refund policies and is paying refunds to consumers whose events were cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; more than 8,300 Virginia consumers were affected by StubHub's actions ~ More than disappointed at not being able to take her daughter to see her favorite show for her birthday, shes angry that she, like thousands of others, bought tickets months ago through StubHub with the guarantee that in the event of a cancellation, she would be able to get a refund and then, just over a week ago, in the heat of the global pandemic, StubHub changed its policies. pic.twitter.com/onFRrGVh6S. For a buyers and sellers, theres the waiting game on whether an event is canceled or just postponed. Farley said refunds should be a piece of cake. Recently, we announced this as our standard policy for canceled events, with refunds available in jurisdictions where they are required. Use of this website signifies your agreement to our, Read more about our event cancelation policy, relist your tickets and we'll waive the sell fee. Sorry we couldn't be helpful. NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- For months, major concerts and sporting events have been canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. But people want their cash back now. StubHub FanProtect Guarantee: Trusted by people worldwide, we back every order so you can buy and sell tickets with 100% confidence. Receive a coupon for 120 percent of your original. [5] Better yet, because the arbitration proceeding is administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and its consumer arbitration rules permit the arbitrator to award you any legal fees and costs you could have received in court (consumer-friendly California law applies per the user agreement),[6] you can hire a lawyer to file your refund arbitration claim and StubHub will likely have to pay his/her fees and costs too. Coupons, not refunds: a new policy for buyers, StubHub was hit with a class action lawsuit by a Wisconsin resident a week ago, alleging it is reneging on its guarantee to provide cash refunds as many are seeking to get their money back for the thousands of events canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic., Todays live event landscape looks far different than it did months or even a few weeks ago, a StubHub spokesperson told Marketplace in an email. "In addition to our buyers, we also have a million sellers on our platform, all of whom are trying to figure out how theyre going to get recouped from the original seller the venue, the team, the artist and the timing delays are going to be significant. A copy of the Demand for Arbitration Consumer Arbitration Rules form is available for download from AAAs website[10] and a copy is appended to this article as Exhibit B, StubHub Article, Consumer Demand for Arbitration. This Rewards Cash is ready to be used right now through the Vivid . This may include wearing a mask at all times, providing proof of your COVID-19 vaccination status, or submitting proof of a negative COVID-19 test within a certain window of time (e.g. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Receive a full refund of your purchase, 2. Then theres the question of the legality of the move, beyond any ethical shortcomings. pic.twitter.com/onFRrGVh6S. For most sold out events, Stubhub is a great and easy way to get tickets. Before, if an event were canceled before it happened, StubHub would then go back and essentially reverse the transaction, charging the seller for a refund, as its doing now in many cases. There is no place on the website that says you have a time limit, but you do. ContactBruce Vielmetti at (414) 224-2187or bvielmetti@jrn.com. ICE Limitations. Some have received refunds, StubHub said, "in jurisdictions where they are required. StubHub said theyd refund canceled tickets, but now theyre taking that back, The Clippers Russell Westbrook experiment is off to a terrible start. StubHub owed him $111.36. The NHL suspended its season March 12. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. He immediately requested a refund. But StubHub responded by booting him from their ticket platform altogether, something experts say is a sneaky clause in StubHub's fine print. Ticketmaster and its owner, Live Nation, whose pandemic ticketing policies were also subject to complaints and lawsuits, offers refunds or credits if an event is canceled once it gets funds from the event organizer.