StubHub Archives

VIAGOGO ANNOUNCES DEAL TO BUY STUBHUB

Posted on 25 November, 20193 February, 2022

Today, Viagogo has announced a $4.05 billion deal to buy StubHub, which it claims will be ‘a win-win for fans — more choice and better pricing,’ according to a statement released on the company’s Twitter account.

StubHub’s current owner, eBay, is selling the company back to its original co-founder, Eric Baker, who is also the founder and CEO of Viagogo. The sale is expected to close by the first quarter of 2020, but is still subject to regulatory approval.

Katie O’Leary, FEAT’s Campaign Lead said:

“It’s alarming to think of Viagogo potentially gaining an even greater stronghold in the secondary ticketing market given it’s been the subject of various legal actions across Europe and banned from advertising on Google globally.

“Viagogo claim this will create a ‘win-win for fans’, but further consolidation in the secondary ticketing market would most likely restrict competition, and further negatively impact fans.

“We hope that regulators will have consumers’ best interests at heart when considering this deal, and consider not only the question of Viagogo’s increased dominance but also whether they can be considered a fit and proper owner.”

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TICKETS DO NOT EXIST, PURCHASERS TOLD

Posted on 6 June, 20193 February, 2022

The companies contacted fans less than a week before the match to inform them that their ticket purchases would not be fulfilled by the sellers, who had sold them speculatively – including fans who had already travelled to Madrid. Whilst StubHub has promised fans a full refund, including shipping and service fees, and Viagogo has promised either alternative tickets or €500 compensation, many customers will still be left out of pocket – not least because of the inflated cost of travel and accommodation in Madrid.

Viagogo and StubHub have informed hundreds of buyers of secondary tickets for the Champions League final in Madrid that their tickets – some of which cost upwards of £10,000 – were sold speculatively and do not in fact exist.

StubHub has also offered €1,500 in compensation for each ticket purchased, but it is understood that if fans accept this offer, they will not be able to sue. This year’s Champions League final has seen extraordinarily high levels of ticket touting, according to the Times. Over 8,000 tickets have appeared on secondary ticketing sites with prices far higher than face value, due to extremely high demand.

The scandal has gained coverage from media outlets across Europe, with fans expressing their outrage at such blatant disregard for consumer protection.

Whilst the European Union has recently taken an unprecedented step forward in tackling ticket profiteering – by outlawing the use of bots to bulk-buy tickets as part of the New Deal for Consumers – this latest news demonstrates the continued need for tougher legislation, stronger enforcement and greater consumer awareness in the fight against touts.

FEAT Responds To StubHub’s Comment On FEAT Launch

Posted on 24 January, 201917 July, 2019

StubHub, an online ticket exchange company owned by eBay, argue in a recent Complete Music Update article that our “aims to restrict the resale of tickets by touts for profit online could be harmful to consumers“, among other things.

In response, one of our Directors Scumeck Sabottka has issued the following statement:

While we agree on the importance of a secure environment for fans to resell tickets when they can no longer attend a gig, we disagree on the need for this to involve price-hiking to the value of €8bn annually.
FEAT advocates for transparency in ticketing as our website attests. However, on that subject, we question why it took a CMA investigation for Stubhub to commit to telling UK ticket buyers what they are buying, whether they are buying from a business and whether their ticket might not actually get them into the event.
Both artists and fans want face value resale. We note the closure of Seatwave and GetMeIn! in the UK, the success of face value resale platforms like Twickets in the UK and Spain, and the fact that countries like Ireland are moving towards a face value resale only policy. We hope StubHub will catch this wave and work with organisations like ours towards a resale ecosystem that is truly fan first.

Read StubHub’s full statement on CMU.