StubHub is one of the largest and most well-known secondary ticket marketplaces, allowing buyers and sellers to trade tickets for sports, concerts, theater, and other live entertainment events. As with any online marketplace, buyers reasonably wonder whether StubHub is a safe and legit platform to use.
The short answer is yes, StubHub is considered a legitimate, reliable, and generally safe site to buy and sell event tickets. However, as with any large online marketplace, buyers should still exercise caution and use common sense to avoid problems.
What is StubHub?
StubHub was founded in 2000 as an online ticket resale marketplace, providing a platform to connect buyers and sellers of event tickets. It allows season ticket holders, concert promoters, sports teams, and other large ticket holders to resell unused tickets.
StubHub does not directly sell tickets themselves. Rather, they provide the platform and services to facilitate ticket resales between third parties. StubHub makes money by charging fees to both the buyers and sellers for use of their marketplace services.
Over its 20+ year history, StubHub has grown into one of the largest ticket resale marketplaces worldwide. It provides a platform to buy and sell tickets to over 10 million live entertainment events across more than 40 countries each year.
Is StubHub legit?
Yes, StubHub is widely considered to be a legitimate business. Here are some key reasons why:
- Established, reputable company – StubHub has been in business since 2000 and is owned by Viagogo, a large global ticket marketplace company.
- Official partnerships – StubHub has official partnerships with major sports leagues like the NBA, MLB, NHL, and several large entertainment venues.
- Buyer guarantees – StubHub provides 100% buyer guarantees to ensure valid event tickets or a refund.
- Seller screening – StubHub has policies to screen sellers and prevent fraudulent sales.
- Customer support – StubHub provides customer service by phone, chat, and email.
- Industry oversight – As a ticket reseller, StubHub is subject to regulation in many states and countries.
While no marketplace is 100% foolproof, StubHub employs a number of measures to ensure a safe and reliable ticket buying experience. The company has a strong incentive to keep out fraudsters and maintain their reputation.
Is StubHub safe to use?
In general, yes StubHub is considered safe to buy and sell event tickets. Safety tips include:
- Buy early – Purchasing tickets well in advance of an event decreases risk.
- Review seller ratings – Buying from highly rated sellers with many reviews reduces risk.
- Buy verified tickets – Opt for StubHub’s Verified Tickets when possible.
- Use official payment methods – Pay with credit card or PayPal for purchase protection.
- Review order carefully – Double check the event details before completing a purchase.
- Know the policies – Review StubHub’s buyer guarantees and fraud prevention policies.
- Avoid steep discounts – Extremely low prices can be a red flag for fraud.
As with any online purchase, buyers should use good judgment to avoid problems and scams. But the vast majority of StubHub orders are legitimate ticket sales.
Does StubHub sell fake or invalid tickets?
Selling fake, fraudulent, or otherwise invalid tickets is strictly prohibited on StubHub. The company has implemented several measures to prevent users from listing and selling fake or voided tickets, including:
- Seller accounts must be registered with a valid credit card and contact details.
- Sellers displaying suspicious behavior may be banned.
- Listings go through automated scanning to detect fraud risk.
- Manual reviews are performed on high-risk transactions.
- Unique barcode IDs are used to identify each StubHub ticket.
Despite these efforts, there is still some risk of buyers encountering invalid or fraudulent tickets, as with any secondary resale site. This risk increases closer to event dates as scammers try to take advantage of last minute shoppers. Fortunately, StubHub provides buyer guarantees if any issues arise with tickets purchased through their marketplace.
Are StubHub tickets legit if events are postponed or canceled?
Yes, tickets purchased through StubHub are still valid and legitimate if an event gets postponed, rescheduled, or canceled. However, StubHub’s policies around refunds, exchanges, and credits vary depending on the circumstances of the schedule change.
If an event is fully canceled with no rescheduling, StubHub buyers are offered a full refund of the purchase amount. Sellers also receive their earnings back minus any fees paid to StubHub.
For event postponements or rescheduling, buyers typically have the option to receive a refund or attend the event on the new date. Exchange policies can vary, so customers should check directly with StubHub’s customer service.
The validity and legitimacy of the tickets themselves does not change due to cancellations or scheduling changes. StubHub provides assurance that all original tickets remain valid for any rescheduled or postponed events.
Can tickets be fake if purchased through StubHub?
While rare, there is still a possibility of receiving fake or fraudulent tickets when purchasing through StubHub. Some potential scenarios include:
- Seller has listed fake/scam tickets – The seller intentionally listed invalid or false ticket details.
- Tickets were reported lost or stolen – The original tickets were voided after sale.
- Tickets already used/redeemed – Seller used or sold the same tickets to multiple buyers.
- Counterfeit printing – Physical ticket was reproduced and differs from venue’s version.
- Technical glitches – StubHub’s system errors caused invalid ticket generation.
Fortunately, StubHub provides a 100% Buyer Guarantee to protect against fake tickets. If a buyer receives fraudulent, invalid, or unusable tickets for any reason, StubHub will find replacement tickets or provide a full refund.
StubHub also employs multiple measures to vet sellers, verify inventory, and prevent counterfeits from being sold in the first place. But no secondary ticket marketplace can completely eliminate the risk of fake tickets.
Are StubHub tickets cheaper than box office prices?
StubHub tickets are not guaranteed to be cheaper than box office prices. Ticket prices on StubHub are set by individual sellers, based on market demand and other factors.
That said, StubHub tickets can sometimes be found below face value or box office prices, for a few reasons:
- Low ticket sales – Sellers drop prices if demand is lower than expected.
- Last minute listings – Sellers reduce prices as event dates near.
- Unused season tickets – Season ticket holders resell unused tickets.
- Promotions – StubHub runs special promotions with discounted tickets.
StubHub also charges buyers service and delivery fees on all ticket purchases. So any potential savings on the ticket price itself must outweigh these fees.
On the other hand, very high demand events will generally sell at a premium over box office prices on StubHub. Popular concerts, championship games, etc. can end up reselling for 2-3X face value or more.
Are StubHub seller fees and commissions legit?
Yes, the various fees and commissions charged by StubHub on ticket sales are standard and legit business practices for a secondary ticket marketplace.
Whenever a ticket is sold on StubHub, both the buyer and seller are charged fees:
- Buyer fees – Charged a final sales fee & delivery fee, total 10-20% of the ticket price.
- Seller fees – Charged a commission fee & order processing fee, total 15% of the ticket price.
These StubHub fees cover the costs of providing buyer guarantees, fraud review, payment processing, customer support, and other marketplace services. The fees are always clearly displayed during the checkout process.
Sellers also have the option to add on extra services like pricing recommendations, dedicated account managers, and enhanced listing visibility. These carry additional fees if utilized.
While StubHub’s fees may seem high compared to direct peer-to-peer sales, they are generally in line with other major secondary ticket marketplaces. The fees provide necessary protections for both buyers and sellers.
Does StubHub have hidden fees?
StubHub does not have any truly hidden fees – all their charges are disclosed during the checkout process. However, there are some non-obvious fees to be aware of:
- Service and delivery fees – Charged on every ticket purchase but not shown in listed ticket prices.
- Recommended pricing – If enabled, 10% fee charged when StubHub’s pricing recommendations are used.
- Last minute processing – For tickets delivered within 5 days of event, $15 fee per order.
Their checkout process also encourages buyers to voluntarily donate an extra $1-5 per ticket to StubHub’s corporate social responsibility fund.
While not hidden, buyers should carefully review their full order total before completing a purchase to ensure they understand all charges being applied.
Does StubHub refund canceled events?
Yes, StubHub provides full refunds to ticket buyers if an event is outright canceled and not rescheduled. Refunds are generally processed back to the original payment method automatically within 7-10 business days.
Sellers must also return any funds earned back to StubHub, minus fees already paid. If funds are not willingly refunded, they will be collected from the seller’s registered credit card.
For postponed or rescheduled events, StubHub typically provides options for refunds, event credits, or exchanging into tickets for the new event date. Customers must contact StubHub’s FanCare customer service to handle exchanges or credits for postponed events.
StubHub’s refund practices align with industry standards for secondary ticket marketplaces. Refunds after cancellations provide buyers with necessary fraud protection and support the legitimacy of their business.
Can you sell tickets last minute on StubHub?
Yes, StubHub allows users to list and sell tickets up until the last minute – often right up until the scheduled event start time. However, selling tickets at the last minute does involve some risks and logistical challenges.
StubHub requires all ticket sales to be completely finalized at least 4 hours before event start time for standard delivery methods. For last minute digital ticket deliveries under 4 hours, extra fees apply.
Last minute ticket buyers may also face higher prices, fewer ticket options, and uncertainty on actual ticket delivery and validity. Sellers also have a much shorter window to obtain ticket payments.
In summary, while StubHub’s policies do enable sellers to list tickets at the last minute, both buyers and sellers face added risks involved with these narrow timeframe transactions.
Does StubHub call sellers to sell tickets?
No, StubHub does not directly call or solicit their users to list and sell tickets on their marketplace. All ticket listings are initiated and posted at the discretion of ticket holders themselves.
However, StubHub does provide tools, tips, and incentives to encourage ticket holders to post their unused tickets for sale on StubHub when available. These seller-focused initiatives include:
- Seller marketing emails and newsletters with listing reminders
- Seller dashboard showing trending events and ticket demand data
- Discounts on StubHub seller fees and commissions
- Guaranteed sell-through dates to motivate early listings
StubHub may also indirectly get more last minute ticket listings by contacting buyers on waitlists for sold out events. Waitlisted buyers are notified of newly posted tickets and may purchase them quickly.
So in summary – StubHub does not cold call or pressure users to sell tickets, but they do provide various incentives and tools to encourage ticket listings on their marketplace when possible.
Conclusion
In conclusion, StubHub establishes itself as a legitimate, trusted marketplace for buying and selling verified event tickets. While no secondary resale site is risk-free, StubHub employs extensive measures to ensure ticket validity, prevent fraud, and deliver a safe experience.
Users should follow standard purchase precautions, but can confidently use StubHub to access tickets for sold out events at competitive market prices. StubHub’s buyer guarantees, seller vetting, and strong incentives to maintain reputation make them a reliable player in the ticket resale industry.