Paxton announced Thursday his office is investigating StubHub over what he described as “ghost tickets”—listings for World Cup matches that he says sellers did not actually possess and later canceled after collecting payment.
The attorney general’s office says StubHub blamed many of the cancellations on “transfer problems” tied to FIFA’s ticketing platform. Similar complaints have also surfaced online.
In one Reddit thread dedicated to World Cup ticket problems, users described spending hours with StubHub customer service after tickets purchased for matches in Houston and Dallas were transferred to temporary email addresses created by StubHub instead of the buyers’ personal accounts. One user said repeated attempts to access the tickets failed before they ultimately disputed the charge with their credit card company.
“Texans deserve to know exactly what they are paying for when purchasing tickets to one of the biggest sporting events in the world,” Paxton said in a statement. “If StubHub has engaged in deceptive practices by selling ‘ghost tickets’ to fans, we will hold the company accountable.”
The latest investigation now arrives as the World Cup enters its final weekend, with Houston preparing to host its seventh match, so whether the attorney general’s investigation leads to enforcement action against StubHub remains to be seen.