But experts say the platforms cannot hide behind software glitches.
“I blame StubHub 100%,” said Scott Friedman, co-founder of the Ticket Talk Network, who has already compiled more than 600 consumer complaints from this tournament alone.
“Fifa is no angel. Their ticket tech is absolutely terrible. It’s like software out of 1999,” he added.
While StubHub maintains that it strictly prohibits speculative ticketing on its platform, industry watchdogs and frustrated users widely believe the practice remains rampant.
Some sellers are also feeling the crunch. One seller in Austin told the BBC he lost $2,600 after listing a legally purchased Fifa Marketplace ticket on StubHub. Though he sold it for $1,200 and sent it to the platform’s auto-generated e-mail address, StubHub cancelled the sale for “non-fulfilment” – withholding his payout and charging him a $1,400 penalty fee.
For the average consumer, fighting back against a big corporation can seem like an impossible uphill battle.
Bradford Clements, an attorney who currently represents clients with over $2.4m in claims against StubHub, the majority of which are not related to the World Cup, notes that the company’s complex dispute process often forces regular fans seeking redress to give up entirely.
“People don’t understand that StubHub’s name of their game is to intimidate you, defer you, and deny you,” Clements told the BBC, also citing legal dispute notices that were mailed to the company but returned.
StubHub declined to comment on Clements’ accusation.
It remains unclear how many people have had problems with tickets bought on StubHub or other ticket resale sites. Hundreds of fans have been complaining online, while one report suggested thousands have had their tickets cancelled.
A StubHub spokesperson said it was increasing its capacity to source replacement tickets for affected customers and that every order was backed by its FanProtect Guarantee, meaning that if customers don’t get the tickets they ordered, or comparable or better replacement ones, they will get a refund.
However, the fine print means little to fans who are out thousands in non-refundable travel.
As the World Cup moves into the high-stakes rounds, industry watchdogs warn the cancellation crisis may intensify, leaving more families stranded outside stadium gates with little to show for an experience meant to last a lifetime.
Additional reporting by Osmond Chia
