Peter Dickson had high hopes for a weekend getaway when he left his residence in Belleville, Ont., with pre-booked hotel accommodations and Blue Jays tickets. However, instead of a pleasant experience, he found himself under the scorching 35 C heat, accompanied by his pregnant wife, elderly parents, and invalid StubHub bar codes.
Dickson, along with two others who reached out to CBC Toronto, faced issues with StubHub after their accounts were compromised in a hacking incident. The victims received initial emails from StubHub denying any fraudulent activity. Dickson expressed his disappointment, stating that what was supposed to be a relaxing weekend turned into a nightmare.
The scam involving StubHub users typically involves hackers gaining access to accounts, transferring or selling tickets at lower prices than their actual value, and reselling them at higher prices. In Dickson’s case, he had purchased four StubHub tickets for a Blue Jays game in May. However, a day before the game in July, he was informed that his attempt to transfer the tickets had failed, causing panic as he realized his tickets were being bought by someone else.
Upon contacting StubHub, Dickson was initially reassured that his tickets were secure. However, upon arrival at the arena, he discovered that his tickets had been transferred to a different StubHub account, leading to a frustrating experience at the Blue Jays box office.
After intervention by CBC Toronto, StubHub pledged to issue refunds for the affected parties. The ticket reseller emphasized its commitment to resolving such rare issues and highlighted its FanProtect Guarantee, an AI-powered fraud prevention system. StubHub acknowledged mishandling two of the cases and expressed regret over the incidents.
Cam Molinski, who had planned a special trip with his son to watch a Blue Jays game, also fell victim to the hacking scheme. Despite proactive efforts to address the situation, Molinski found his tickets being resold by another user just before the trip. It took numerous attempts and the involvement of CBC for Molinski to finally receive a refund after two months of persistent follow-ups.
Emily Sneddon, who was selling concert tickets, faced a similar ordeal when her tickets were sold for significantly lower prices than their actual value. Frustrated by StubHub’s response, Sneddon resorted to filing a dispute claim with her credit card company and a police report, impacting her plans to utilize the proceeds for her wedding.
According to Dave Valliere, a business strategy professor, StubHub faces a critical decision between refunding affected customers or investing in enhanced technology like two-factor authentication. Valliere highlighted the potential financial implications for the company and suggested that StubHub needs to weigh the costs and benefits of each approach.
While Dickson, Molinski, and Sneddon are set to receive refunds from StubHub, Molinski’s negative experience has led him to vow never to use StubHub again despite the compensation offered. The incidents underscore the challenges faced by online ticket resellers and the importance of robust security measures to protect users from fraudulent activities.