New HampshireDepartment of JusticeOffice of the Attorney General

News Release

For Immediate Release
September 15, 2021

Contact:
Kate Giaquinto, Director of Communications
kate.giaquinto@doj.nh.gov | 603-573-6103

New Hampshire Announces Settlement with StubHub, Inc.

Concord, NH - New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella announces a settlement with California-based StubHub, Inc., concerning the company’s refusal to pay refunds to consumers for concerts, sports events and other events that were cancelled as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. New Hampshire joins nine other states and the District of Columbia in a multistate resolution with the company.

StubHub operates one of the largest ticket reselling marketplaces in the country. Under its “FanProtect Guarantee,” StubHub offered consumers full refunds of the purchase price and fees they paid for tickets if their events were cancelled. In March 2020, however, following the mass-cancellation of entertainment events, StubHub stopped honoring its refund guarantee and instead told its customers that they would receive account credits equal to 120% of their purchases to be used for future events and denied their requests for refunds.

Following the commencement of the states’ coordinated investigations, in May 2021, StubHub reversed its decision and notified its customers that if they purchased tickets prior to March 25, 2020, and their events were cancelled, they would receive full refunds of the amounts they paid for their tickets to events unless they elected to retain their account credits. This included 2,175 consumers residing in New Hampshire or purchasing tickets for an event in New Hampshire, who had previously purchased tickets on StubHub’s marketplace under terms that included the FanProtect Guarantee.

The settlement also includes an injunction that requires (i) StubHub to clearly and conspicuously disclose any modification to its refund policies before a consumer agrees to them; (ii) honor those policies when events are cancelled; and (iii) promptly process refund requests it receives from consumers for the events at issue going forward. The agreement also provides for a $122,600 civil penalty, which StubHub can avoid paying provided that it pays the refunds owed to New Hampshire consumers and it does not violate the other terms of the agreement.

Consumers who have not been contacted by StubHub and believe they are entitled to a refund may either contact StubHub at (866) 788-2482 or the Attorney General’s Office at (603) 271-3641.

New Hampshire Department of Justice
1 Granite Place South | Concord, NH | 03301
Telephone: 603-271-3658