HOUSTON – Since April, Lisa Coulter had been counting down the days.
The sixth-grade teacher from Toronto and her cousin had planned a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Houston to watch their homeland, Cabo Verde, compete in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Then, only days before Cabo Verde’s match with Saudi Arabia, everything unraveled.
After purchasing tickets through StubHub, Lisa received a demoralizing email informing her the order had been canceled and directing her to find replacement tickets through its platform.
“They said they had to cancel our tickets and to find replacement tickets,” Lisa recalled. “But when you clicked the replacement button, there were none available.”
StubHub advertises “Every order is 100% guaranteed” that promises replacement tickets or a refund if something goes wrong. In Lisa’s case, replacement seats simply weren’t available.
The company offered a refund, “No, I don’t want a refund. I want to go to this game,” said Lisa.
Determined not to give up, Lisa spent hours trying to resolve the issue.
She estimates she spoke with a dozen or so different customer service representatives, escalating the issue again and again without success.
Eventually, she emailed StubHub’s executive team and copied numerous media outlets in hopes someone would listen.
One journalist did, “I have to give credit because you were the only one who responded to my story,” Lisa said to 2 Helps You.
After learning of Lisa’s situation, I reached out to StubHub on her behalf, asking the company to review her case.
The effort didn’t produce immediate results, but it did get the company’s attention. I also provided her order number and contact information in a follow-up email.
“It took a while and some pushing,” Lisa said. “Within about an hour, StubHub called me and said they were going to get us new tickets.”
Game on!
On Friday morning, less than 24 hours after emailing StubHub, Lisa and I enjoyed an emotional introduction at George Bush Intercontinental Airport after landing from Toronto.
She greeted me with a hug, watery eyes and a heart full of gratitude.
Her cousin Maria also weighed in on what the tickets meant to them, “Thank you. I mean it from the bottom of my heart. God bless you.”
Lisa then reflected on the entire experience, “If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here,” she said. “It’s your passion, your heart, your thoughtfulness. That’s why my cousin and I are here.”
A few hours later, Lisa walked into NRG Stadium with her Canadian flag, took to her seats in Section 130 and started making memories of a lifetime by cheering on Cabo Verde.
A goal scored.
What to do if your event tickets are canceled
Now what should you do if you have problems with a third-party ticket vendor?
- Document with a paper trail, save every email and receipt connected to your purchase.
- Contact the company immediately and ask for replacement tickets if they’re part of the seller’s guarantee and take a screenshot of your call.
- Escalate the issue if standard support isn’t resolving the problem.
- If the company fails to deliver, file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office for the State of Texas as they have consumer protection office and hotline. They also have the power to legally hold companies doing business accountable.
Statement from StubHub to 2 Helps You
“The issues fans have experienced at this World Cup are largely transfer problems, not ticket problems. The event organizer’s own ticketing infrastructure, including a new app launched right before the tournament began, has had significant performance issues that have affected transfers across all resale platforms. We’ve responded by standing up a dedicated World Cup support team and expanding our capacity to source replacement tickets for affected customers. Every order is backed by our FanProtect Guarantee, and getting fans to their matches remains our top priority for the rest of this tournament.”