StubHub

In short

StubHub's FanProtect Guarantee pays for an event that is cancelled and not rescheduled, but the terms let StubHub choose between a refund and a credit. A credit can be turned into a cash refund from StubHub Wallet. Postponed and rescheduled events are not refunded. Support runs through the signed-in account (My Tickets, chat in the app or website). For fee problems, the FTC fee rule has required all-in prices since May 12, 2025, and both the FTC and the DC Attorney General have acted against StubHub over fees.

How complaints actually go

• Support starts in the account: StubHub says to check My Tickets for the status of an affected event, use live chat in the app or website, and reach phone support through the contact options in the account Help section, with the order number ready. StubHub buyer guide, May 21, 2026
• StubHub says its Customer Care team is available 24/7. StubHub safety guide, August 31, 2026
• For an event cancelled with no new date, StubHub says you get a full refund, including all fees, to the original payment method or as StubHub credit, and that refunds are typically processed within 5–10 business days once the cancellation is confirmed. StubHub buyer guide, May 21, 2026
• StubHub's help article on canceled events (seen only as a search-result snippet, because the help center needs JavaScript) says to request a cash refund from StubHub Wallet by selecting "Request cash refund" on the credit, and that the refund goes to the original payment method within 10 business days. StubHub Support: postponed, rescheduled, or canceled events
• For tickets that do not arrive or do not work, FanProtect promises comparable tickets or your money back; StubHub gives no formal claim deadline but says to contact it as soon as possible, ideally the same day. StubHub: FanProtect explained, July 29, 2026, StubHub: ticket guarantees, August 20, 2026

What tends to work

• If StubHub gives a credit for a cancelled event, ask for cash instead. Attorneys general in California and DC settled with StubHub over its 2020 switch to credits, and the California settlement bars StubHub from failing to honor its existing refund policy unless a change is agreed with the consumer's informed consent. California AG, August 22, 2024
• Document a problem at the event on the spot, with a photo or screenshot, and report it the same day. StubHub: ticket guarantees, August 20, 2026
• Pay with a credit card. StubHub notes that card holders have recourse against fraudulent or unauthorized charges, while peer-to-peer payment apps generally cannot reverse a payment. StubHub safety guide, August 31, 2026
• For fees, compare the total shown when you chose the tickets with the amount charged. The FTC rule requires resale platforms to show the total price up front (rule ftc-junk-fees-rule). FTC: fee rule FAQ
• If you bought live-event tickets in the U.S. between May 12 and 14, 2025, the FTC says StubHub refunds certain fees automatically, with no action needed; eligible customers get an email from StubHub. FTC consumer alert, April 2026

Traps and fine print

• The FanProtect terms (seen as a search-result snippet) let StubHub decide, in its sole discretion, between a full refund (including fees and shipping) and a credit for a cancelled event, unless the law requires a refund. StubHub: FanProtect Guarantee terms
• Postponed and rescheduled events are not refunded: the tickets stay valid for the new date, and the terms exclude partial performances and venue, date, lineup or time changes. StubHub: FanProtect explained, StubHub: FanProtect Guarantee terms
• In late March 2020 StubHub replaced cash refunds for cancelled events with credits worth 120% of the order, including for buyers who bought under the old guarantee, and reversed course in May 2021. California AG, August 22, 2024, DC AG, September 14, 2021
• The DC Attorney General's 2024 lawsuit says StubHub advertised a low price and added mandatory "fulfillment and service" fees late in checkout. Check the checkout total before you pay. DC AG, July 31, 2024

By the numbers

• April 9, 2026: StubHub agreed to pay $10 million to settle FTC charges that it left mandatory fees out of the first price displays after the fee rule took effect on May 12, 2025, including for NFL tickets around May 14, 2025. The order was entered April 10, 2026 (S.D.N.Y., No. 1:26-cv-02924). FTC press release, FTC case page
• DC drip-pricing lawsuit (filed July 31, 2024): the DC AG estimates about $118 million in hidden fees on nearly 5 million tickets sold to District consumers since 2015. DC AG
• Status as of the quarter ended June 30, 2026: StubHub reports the DC matter as ongoing, with an $8.0 million accrued liability (up from $1.8 million at December 31, 2025). The Pennsylvania complaint about its all-in pricing feature survived a motion to dismiss on January 20, 2026, and the Pennsylvania AG proposed a settlement with injunctive relief and restitution on May 5, 2026. StubHub Form 10-Q, Q2 2026
• COVID-era refunds: 7,867 DC consumers received over $3.6 million in refunds under the 2021 DC-led multistate settlement (with 10 other states), and the 2024 California settlement memorializes $20 million in cash refunds to more than 45,000 Californians plus a $295,000 penalty. DC AG, 2021, California AG, 2024
• StubHub recorded $102.4 million of refund liabilities for canceled events as of June 30, 2026. StubHub Form 10-Q, Q2 2026

Scams that target customers

• StubHub says that on StubHub you will never be asked to send money through a peer-to-peer app or wire cash directly. StubHub safety guide, August 31, 2026
• StubHub warns of emails and texts that ask you to "verify your account" or "confirm a purchase", and of look-alike web addresses with a typo or an extra word. Type stubhub.com yourself or use the app. StubHub safety guide, August 31, 2026
• The FTC fee refund for May 12–14, 2025 purchases is automatic; the FTC says StubHub emails eligible customers with a phone number and website. Check any contact in such an email against stubhub.com before you use it, and report suspected fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. FTC consumer alert, April 2026