Fans get stuck outside when World Cup tickets bought through resellers fall through

Key Points:

• Many fans, including Bina Ramroop, faced difficulties using resale tickets bought from StubHub for World Cup matches, with issues transferring tickets to FIFA’s official app leading to denied entry and refunds instead of access.
• StubHub blamed FIFA’s last-minute transfer restrictions and technical problems, while FIFA emphasized that tickets bought through its official site are guaranteed; industry experts highlighted both technical glitches and speculative sellers as root causes.
• Speculative sellers, who list tickets without owning them, have caused cancellations when prices rose sharply, forcing either expensive purchases or order cancellations, a longstanding issue in ticket resale markets.
• StubHub’s FanProtect Guarantee offers refunds or replacement tickets at its discretion, but many fans expected guaranteed entry, leading to widespread disappointment and criticism.
• Some fans, like Patrick O’Neil’s family, received partial refunds or alternative tickets after publicizing their issues, with StubHub agreeing to donate replacement tickets to nonprofits to help fans attend matches.