Is StubHub a Reliable & Trustworthy Site?

StubHub is a second hand ticket vendor that allows users to buy and sell pre-purchased tickets – sometimes for events that have already stopped selling admission (last-minute Taylor Swift concert, anyone?). But is it too good to be true? Is StubHub safe to use? Come with us to explore StubHub's buyer and seller policies and determine not only if this website is safe to use but also if it's better than other ticket vendors out there (like Ticketmaster).

Is it safe to buy tickets from StubHub?

Yes, StubHub is a safe, legitimate website for fans to buy and sell their unwanted tickets to concerts, sports games, and other events. StubHub guarantees the tickets sold on their marketplace and offers refunds or replacement tickets to buyers who encounter scams or issues with their orders.

Section 1 of 9:

Is StubHub safe to buy and sell tickets on?

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StubHub is safe as long as you know how to tell which tickets are legit. Overall, StubHub is a safe and legitimate website where you can buy and sell event tickets. In the vast majority of instances, StubHub tickets are genuine and work without any issues. Occasionally, however, unscrupulous sellers who want to make a quick buck may create accounts on StubHub to sell fake tickets. If you avoid these listings, your shopping experience on StubHub will be safe and productive.
- If you accidentally purchase a fake ticket, StubHub will either help you find replacement tickets for the event (if any are available) or issue a full refund.^{[1]
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Section 2 of 9:

What if my event is postponed, rescheduled, or canceled?

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If your event is postponed or rescheduled, the tickets will still be valid. StubHub will email you about the change, so there won't be any surprises. They don't refund tickets for rescheduled events, however, so if you can't go on that date, you can resell them through StubHub.^{[2]
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- StubHub requires sellers to deliver the tickets before the new event date. They'll receive their payout from the sale 5-8 business days after the rescheduled event takes place.
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StubHub will credit your account or refund cash if your event is canceled. If you choose to receive a credit to your StubHub wallet, the credit will be worth 120% of the price of your tickets. You can only spend those funds on more tickets, though, so if you prefer to receive a refund at your original payment method, go to your StubHub Wallet and click "Request cash refund."^{[3]
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- StubHub doesn't pay sellers for canceled event tickets. If they want a refund, they'll need to go through the vendor they bought the original tickets from.

Section 3 of 9:

How to Safely Buy Tickets on StubHub

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Check the event organizer's official website to find out when they plan on releasing tickets. Once they put them up for sale, start looking at StubHub listings for the event on your desired date, time, and location.^{[4]
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The seller should describe exactly what event the tickets are for, the date it's taking place, and the section, row, and seat numbers. If not, that could be a sign that the listing is a scam, so you may want to keep looking.^{[5]
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Check the seat and row numbers on the tickets to verify they're real. Find pictures or diagrams of the seating in the venue you're planning to attend, and make sure the seat and row numbers on your tickets match up. Also, look for disclosures such as whether the seats are ADA accessible if you or someone in your party has a wheelchair.^{[6]
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- If your tickets don't show seat numbers, that's not necessarily a sign you've been scammed. According to Rich Schefter, the CEO of a ticket brokerage firm, ticket sellers have legitimate reasons for not listing seat numbers.^{[7]
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Look for the official website of the event you want to attend and check the tour schedule for a stop at the venue, date, and time for which you bought your tickets. If they don't match, you may have bought the wrong ticket or been scammed. Reach out to StubHub to resolve the matter.^{[8]
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Section 4 of 9:

How to Sell Tickets on StubHub

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After you find the event, select the date. Take care that you find the exact event, date, and time listed on your tickets to avoid buyer confusion.^{[9]
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Select the type of ticket you want to sell. StubHub allows the sale of mobile as well as paper tickets. It's important to select the right one, as that will determine which delivery method you're supposed to use so the buyer will receive their tickets on time. The ticket types you can sell on StubHub include:^{[10]
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- Mobile Transfer: These are tickets you purchased from another ticket vendor, such as Ticketmaster, and which you'll need to transfer from your account with that vendor to the buyer's email address.^{[11]
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- Mobile QR: These are scannable mobile tickets that come with an image of a QR code. Buyers can access these and other mobile or digital ticket files through StubHub once their purchase is complete.^{[12]
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- Barcode: For this type of ticket, StubHub will require you to provide them with the numbers on the barcode of your ticket. You won't have to send the buyer your original tickets.
- PDF (eTicket): This is a computer file (also accessible on smartphones) that came with your original ticket purchase.
- Paper: These are tickets printed by the official ticket vendor, wristbands, or tickets printed at your home. They must be mailed directly to the buyer through FedEx.^{[13]
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- Pickup: These are original, hard tickets (i.e., paper tickets or wristbands) that buyers will pick up at one of StubHub's Last Minute Services locations. You'll need to send StubHub the ticket so they can have it ready for the buyer to pick up by the day of the event.
Even if you don't want to get paid through a credit card, StubHub requires one to guarantee the purchase on behalf of their customers. You can choose how you want to receive payment in the last step.^{[14]
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StubHub will email you once your listing is officially live and for any other notifications about your listing. Buyers will not be able to contact you directly.^{[15]
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Section 5 of 9:

What is StubHub?

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Users can go to the website and sell their pre-purchased tickets for concerts, sports games, theater performances, and other events to people who couldn't buy their tickets directly from the original ticket vendor.^{[16]
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Section 6 of 9:

Pros of Using StubHub

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Sometimes, for various reasons, people are unable to buy tickets for an event directly from the official vendor before they sell out. StubHub can be an amazing opportunity to get tickets from someone who doesn't want theirs anymore.
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StubHub will replace or refund your order if you have any issues. All StubHub tickets come with a FanProtect Guarantee, which is an assurance that if anything goes wrong with your order, StubHub will either help you find comparable tickets or issue you a full refund. ^{[17]
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- StubHub also promises that you'll receive your tickets in time for you to go to the event and that they will grant you admission.

Section 7 of 9:

Cons of Using StubHub

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You risk purchasing a fake or duplicate ticket from a scammer. StubHub doesn't vet its sellers, so if you're not careful, you could end up buying a fake ticket or one the seller has also listed on another online marketplace.^{[18]
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- StubHub punishes sellers who sell fake tickets by charging them for the price of the tickets or for the money StubHub had to spend to make the situation right with the customer (whichever is greater). But that still doesn't protect customers from buying fake tickets in the first place or guarantee that the seller will pay StubHub what they owe.
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You may not receive your tickets in time for the event after all. Despite the FanProtect Guarantee, there are cases where customers didn't receive the tickets they bought in time due to a problem with the vendor.^{[19]
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- StubHub allows sellers to sell tickets without proving that they have them in their possession. All they have to say is when they think they'll have them "in-hand." If they never get them, the purchase still goes through.^{[20]
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In July 2024, the attorney general in Washington DC filed a lawsuit against StubHub for hiding mandatory fees from customers until they're almost ready to complete their purchase. StubHub also doesn't provide clear information on what these fees are for or how they're calculated.^{[21]
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Some sellers, called scalpers, purchase tickets to popular events and then turn around and sell them on marketplaces like StubHub. Then they set the price for several times more than they're worth.^{[22]
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Section 8 of 9:

StubHub vs. Ticketmaster

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Ticketmaster is better for verified tickets and approved resales. Ticketmaster is an official ticket vendor and works directly with event organizers. Only certain event organizers allow their tickets to be resold. If you purchased a ticket to an event whose organizer sells through Ticketmaster and they allow resales, you can put yours up for sale and get some, if not all, of your money back.^{[23]
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- Like StubHub, Ticketmaster subjects their buyers and sellers to fees. The fee amount is equal to whatever Ticketmaster, the venue, and the artist or promoter agree on.^{[24]
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Because they're a secondhand marketplace and don't sell tickets directly from event organizers, StubHub can offer buyers a wider selection of events and prices to choose from than Ticketmaster. However, there's also a greater risk of buying fake tickets on StubHub than on Ticketmaster.

Section 9 of 9:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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Yes, StubHub charges service and fulfillment fees at checkout. The fees vary in price depending on the ticket price, the amount of time to the event, event information, and supply and demand.^{[25]
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There are no federal laws that ban reselling tickets. However, different states and municipalities have laws against scalping, and some require resellers to obtain a license.
Yes, StubHub offers a 100% guarantee on all the tickets sold on its website. That means if something goes wrong with your order – like you don't receive it on time, the event is rescheduled or canceled, or the tickets turn out to be fake – you can contact StubHub directly to get a credit to your StubHub wallet, a cash refund, or replacement tickets (in most cases).^{[26]
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What are the alternatives to StubHub? If you don’t feel comfortable using StubHub, try Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, Razorgator, or Ticket Liquidator. Vivid Seats is unique among ticket resellers in that it thoroughly vets its sellers before allowing them to create listings on their platform. For those worried about buying fake tickets, this vendor might be a safer option. Plus it offers a money-back guarantee.^{[27]
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- SeatGeek is a ticketing platform that lets users search for events they want to go to and compare ticket prices from various other vendors. Users can also resell their tickets and search for admission to specific rows and seats in the venue.^{[28]
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- Razorgator boasts the largest selection of event tickets of all the ticket resellers on the internet. They're similar to StubHub in that they promise that tickets will be delivered on time and that they will be equal to, similar to, or better than what the customer ordered.^{[29]
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- Ticket Liquidator connects customers directly to ticket resellers so they can negotiate their own prices. It does offer a 100% refund guarantee if there are any issues with the tickets' legitimacy, quality, or delivery.^{[30]
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