Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into StubHub after receiving numerous reports that the ticket reseller has canceled or failed to deliver FIFA World Cup tickets purchased by fans.
Paxton’s office announced the probe on July 3, citing complaints from fans across the country, including in the Texas host cities of Dallas and Houston. Some ticket holders said their orders were canceled just days or hours before matches began.
StubHub has attributed the cancellations to “transfer problems” linked to FIFA’s ticketing platform. However, consumer complaints suggest a broader issue known as “ghost ticketing,” a practice in which sellers post tickets they do not actually have, accept payment, and then cancel the order when they are unable to fulfill it, according to the attorney general’s office.
“My office is investigating reports that StubHub is failing to deliver tickets that Texas fans have rightfully purchased,” Paxton said. “In many cases, attending a World Cup match is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If StubHub is ghost ticketing Texans out of that experience, my office will use every tool available to hold them accountable and help fans who have been wronged.”
The Attorney General’s Office is urging Texans who bought World Cup tickets through StubHub and either did not receive them or received tickets substantially inferior to what was purchased to submit a complaint through the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the Attorney General.