StubHub Reviews 2024: Is StubHub Legit, Safe & Reliable?
Stubhub was tested and reviewed by Marianne Buie. Updated on 09.07.2023.
Is StubHub Legit? My Honest StubHub Review
One of my friends, Regina, is a huge fan of the NBA. Watching live makes her lose all inhibitions and makes her happier than anything!
Because I’m a good friend, I decided to buy two tickets for the NBA finals between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets using StubHub.
Right from the start, their website is easy to use. It is simple to find the game that we will be attending. I was also impressed by the variety of ticket options they provide. I was also pleasantly surprised with some of their ticket options, which include a meet and greet!
However, no company is perfect. I have encountered negative comments about StubHub’s customer service and getting tickets or payments delivered on time.
In this review, I’ll be answering the question, ‘Is StubHub legit?’
I will also include general information about StubHub, how to buy and sell tickets on their platform, and their ticket prices and feed. Lastly, I gathered some reviews from their customers and user satisfaction ratings.
All things considered, I’ll give Stubhub 4.3 out of 5 stars.
What are the Pros and Cons of StubHub?
PROS
A huge selection of tickets is available for purchase
Premium ticket options for meet and greet
100% FanProtect Guarantee
The website is easy to navigate
CONS
Negative reviews on customer service
Fluctuating ticket prices
High commission cut for sellers
Reports on late delivery of tickets
What is StubHub?
Based on my research about StubHub, it is an American ticket exchange and resale marketplace that lets you buy and sell tickets online and worldwide. StubHub has been around for more than 20 years and is owned by eBay, and eventually Viagogo.
This ticket marketplace connects buyers and sellers of tickets from different countries worldwide.
Aside from their large selection of tickets, another thing that’s special about StubHub is their Premium Ticket option, which includes court-side seats, VIP event packages, meet and greets, etc.
StubHub sells authentic tickets, and their website is safe for buying and selling tickets online. I purchased two tickets there, I should know.
So, to answer the question, “Is StubHub legit?” is yes. It is a legitimate company, and some people consider it a safe and reliable choice for buying tickets for events.
However, I still recommend that you be aware of the potential issues that go with online transactions and always be cautious when buying online.
What is StubHub’s ticket resale and buying process?
StubHub is a platform that manages ticket resale. They are the middlemen between the buyers and the sellers. So if you’d like to sell your ticket or want to buy one for an event you’d like to attend, then here’s how you can do it.
How do you sell tickets on StubHub?
If I have a ticket that I can’t use anymore, I’d also consider selling it to, at least, bring back the money I bought it with.
For people who’d like to sell tickets that they won’t be using anymore, here’s StubHub’s ticket resale process:
Sign in or create a StubHub account
To sell your tickets on StubHub, you need to register with them.
Once you are signed in, you’ll be able to see and click on the “My Tickets” options and then “Orders.”
From under your order details, select “Sell your ticket.”
You can now proceed to list your Event tickets on the StubHub platform. You can’t list non-event passes unless there’s a designated event page for the pass.
Search for your event
When the search box labeled “Search for event” appears, type in the name of the event that you have tickets for.
Continue the selling process by selecting or clicking on the applicable choices that correspond to the details of your ticket.
Once you’re done with that, you can click on the “Start Listing” button and provide the additional ticket details required to have your ticket listed on the website. This includes barcodes, choosing to split the tickets, listing features, and disclosures.
Set the ticket price
StubHub doesn’t dictate to you what you should price your ticket/s. You can list it as high or low as you want. But of course, before setting the price, you should consider benchmarking so you don’t price it too low or too high.
StubHub shows the price range for which other sellers have listed their tickets. You can use that as a guide.
In this section, you will also be asked to choose how you want to get paid. Your options are PayPal, bank deposit, and Payoneer.
Review and publish your listing
Double-check all the details that you have entered to make sure that everything is correct. You can edit your listing if you need to change some details.
Before finally listing your ticket/s, look at the “Ticket Summary,” where you can see when and at what time your listing expires. You’ll also see there when you can upload your tickets, with an instruction to check your email on how to do it.
Wait for delivery instructions
After you have completed the instructions, wait for an email from StubHub informing you whether StubHub will automatically deliver your tickets to the buyer or if you have to deliver them yourself.
Get paid!
This, I think, is the best part of the process, finally getting paid for selling your tickets.
After you have made a sale, you need to wait for at least 5 to 8 business days after the event to receive your payment. This is because StubHub needs to ensure that your tickets have been successfully used by the buyer.
I know that it’s hard to wait, but it is also one way for StubHub to avoid attracting fake sellers and listing fake tickets.
Here is a video tutorial on how to list your tickets on StubHub for sale:
How do customers buy tickets on StubHub?
StubHub’s website is easy to use. You can simply search for events on their search bar, or you could also click on the category you like on their home page. There is also a location and month filter for your convenience.
Here’s a general step-by-step guide on how you can buy tickets from StubHub:
Search for your event
On their search bar, you can search for the specific event that you’d like to attend. If you are still undecided, there’s a list of events that you can look at.
Unlike when selling tickets, you don’t have to create an account to buy one. You can simply buy tickets as a guest.
At first, I didn’t want to create a StubHub account, but there are benefits and perks when you do. One of these is the StubHub Beyond benefit.
Select the event you like and browse through the available tickets
Mine was the NBA finals. You can now compare the ticket details like seat and section, row, seat numbers, and, of course, the price.
Feel free to compare each ticket selection. They have interactive seats, and you can also see the view you’d expect to have.
It was easy to look for the seats that I liked; for me, as long as no one is blocking our view of the game, then I’m good!
Review the seat details before you add the tickets to your card.
Proceed to checkout
Enter your payment details and delivery information to finally reserve and get the tickets you want. For the last time, review your order summary and confirm your purchase.
StubHub has allotted 10 minutes for you to select and hold on to your preferred tickets, so don’t take too long to confirm and finalize your selection.
Receive your confirmation email
Wait for the confirmation email along with your tickets or some instructions on how to access them.
I recommend that you choose tickets with Instant delivery, where you can instantly download the tickets. You can either have it printed or save the electronic tickets.
This is because most of the reviews that I found said that they had issues with the delivery time of mailed tickets.
Like most of the ticket marketplaces that I’ve used before, StubHub offers a 100% FanProtect Guarantee. It is StubHub’s way of making each of its buyers use the platform with confidence. It’s both applicable to buyers and sellers.
In case you encounter some problems with your tickets, feel free to reach out to their customer service:
Email address: commentsrequests@stubhub.com
Customer Service Numbers:
Are StubHub’s pricing and fees reasonable?
Budget is one factor why I try my luck browsing through peer-to-peer marketplaces like StubHub. There are times when I can score a great deal from these sites despite their additional fees.
It is also a great place to find tickets to a sold-out event!
At the same time, there are risks when you buy from these websites compared to buying them from the primary sellers. So, you have to be smart about which platform you’ll be using.
StubHub is known to have high fees added on top of the face value price. How high? Let me give you an idea. Read on!
What are StubHub’s fees for sellers?
StubHub gives you the freedom to set your own prices for the tickets you want to sell. You can lower or raise your ticket prices.
If you have no idea how to price your tickets, StubHub posts a price range for the tickets that other sellers have posted. So you can use that as a guide.
Just be aware that StubHub’s seller fee percentage is typically 15% of the ticket price for each ticket sold. It can be lower or higher in some cases, depending on the event type, location, and other factors. This fee is deducted from the total amount of your sales.
There are times when the seller fee is waived when you relist your tickets on StubHub.
What are StubHub’s fees for buyers?
As an avid fan of live events, I want to get tickets for a cheaper price without sacrificing the experience or being scammed. That’s why, in a way, I do understand the reason why I need to pay additional fees for ticket resale platforms.
StubHub’s buyer fee usually ranges between 20% and 35% of the value of the tickets. This is on top of the face value price that you initially saw in your search results. It is usually reflected upon checkout.
That being said, it is up to you if you want to proceed with buying the tickets or not.
What are StubHub’s payment channels and currencies?
StubHub sells tickets from different parts of the world, which is why they offer different payment channels and accept payment in different currencies.
Sellers can choose the currency they prefer to receive payment in. Your payment is sent to a prepaid MasterCard, PayPal, or direct bank transfer.
StubHub accepts payment from major credit and debit cards, Paypal, and you can also use their gift cards, but they do not accept cash or checks.
Is StubHub legit and safe?
I was looking into some of the reviews for StubHub, and it seems like people generally have a good experience buying tickets on StubHub.
I myself was able to get the tickets that I wanted for the NBA Finals without any problems, so I’d say that it is legit.
The 100% FanProtect Guarantee gave me the assurance that if something went wrong, StubHub had my back. They are ensuring that the buyers receive verified and legitimate tickets.
And besides, StubHub also guarantees that I’ll get a replacement ticket if the tickets I originally bought are not valid.
Here’s a review that I saw talking about StubHub’s reliability and ticket replacements.
So, when it comes to ticket validity, they are pretty reliable for buying tickets. Their screening process and policy for sellers seem to work well in preventing fraud.
Is StubHub reliable and safe when it comes to refunds and transfers?
Like other ticket marketplaces, StubHub offers refunds and transfers for their tickets. The only difference is their policy on it. If you are wondering whether you can ask for a refund on your tickets, I’ve included StubHub’s event statuses for your reference:
Requesting refunds or transfers depends on the event and the ticket sellers. So, make sure to check the specific refund and transfer policies for your tickets. You can also contact their customer service if you have any questions or issues.
StubHub’s Ticket Selection and Availability
StubHub is considered one of the world’s largest ticket marketplaces. From what I saw when I browsed through their selection, they have tickets for sports, concerts, and theaters. and other live entertainment events.
Although their ticket availability depends on the sellers who list their tickets on the platform, they have gained enough sellers and partnerships to keep the ticket supply in line with demand.
Aside from that, they also have an affiliate program that aims to extend their reach to concertgoers and sports fans.
Is StubHub reliable and safe?
In my opinion, it is very important for a company to have good customer service. It is one of the factors that connects the company with its customers. And besides, it also reflects whether the company really values its customers or not.
So, I looked into some reviews and comments for StubHub to see if they respond to customers well and also strive hard to resolve their buyers’ and sellers' issues.
What I found out was that there’s a mix of opinions about StubHub’s customer service and its responsiveness. There were comments saying that they were able to fix problems with their tickets, while others were not satisfied with StubHub.
Most positive reviews mentioned that StubHub’s customer service was available when they needed it and was helpful in resolving issues. Some reviews also mentioned their satisfaction with StubHub’s FanProtect Guarantee.
Negative reviews mentioned difficulty reaching customer service, long waiting times, and frustrating experiences. One recurring complaint is StubHub’s ticket delivery time; customers sometimes receive their tickets too close to the show or later.
Of course, the high fees charged by StubHub remain a drawback for some users.
Is StubHub legit? Overall customer satisfaction and recommendations
Is StubHub legit? Yes, it is.
From my experience, as well as my research and the reviews that I read, StubHub seems to have made a name for itself. Being in the industry for 20 years means that they already have a following and have made several changes to improve.
Some users are satisfied with their ticket purchases, specifically with their FanProtect Guarantee and wide selection of tickets.
I also appreciate their premium ticket offerings since not every ticket reseller is able to offer that to their customers. It makes the experience more exciting and valuable for fans. Their website is also easy to navigate.
On the other hand, others have reported some negative experiences with StubHub. Most reviews pointed out late ticket deliveries as well as receiving invalid tickets, where some of them got replacements while others, unfortunately, were not able to get theirs.
Fluctuating and high prices were also reported, but it can still be a useful and reliable resource for finding tickets to different events you’d like to attend, especially when other platforms are sold out.
I still recommend that before buying a ticket, you do your research. Compare the prices and the inclusions. Of course, make sure that your ticket is guaranteed to avoid the possibility of being scammed.
Overall, my experience with StubHub is good, and I give it a 4.3-star rating.
What are other StubHub alternatives?
Part of getting the best ticket deals is to research and compare the ticket offerings of other resellers. Feel free to check out the sites below:
Viagogo is a multinational ticket exchange and ticket resale company founded in London in 2006 by Eric Baker, who is also the co-founder of StubHub in the US.
Viagogo offers a wide range of tickets for different in-demand events. It has official partnerships with Chelsea FC, Manchester United FC, and other sports clubs, sharing in the commission revenue on ticket resales.
However, Viagogo received backlash for allowing professional resellers to advertise on its platform, which sometimes resulted in high ticket prices and scams.
Despite this, Viagogo remains a popular ticket marketplace with a wide reach when it comes to ticket availability.
Vivid Seats is an online ticket exchange and resale company that connects buyers and sellers of tickets for live events in the United States and Canada.
They went public in 2021 as a result of a merger with Horizon Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC. Although still relatively new, they make sure to focus on empowering fans by making event discovery and ticket purchase easy and exciting.
They are generally considered a legit and safe exchange and resale site. Aside from their 100% buyer guarantee, they also have a reward program for their loyal customers.
Ticketmaster is probably the most famous ticketing platform out of the platforms mentioned in this review. It was founded in 1976 and is still standing strong until today. Their tickets come from both primary and secondary markets.
They have a wide reach and are usually the preferred platform of fans and event-goers. While they are considered reliable and safe, a lot of buyers seem to not like Ticketmaster because of their ticket monopoly.
Because of this, their ticket prices are expensive because of the added fees. Some negative reviews also mentioned poor customer service.
SeatGeek is a legit online ticket platform that started in 2009. Eventually, they expanded their services to include both secondary and primary ticketing for sports and live events in 2016.
SeatGeek is a user-friendly platform for buying and reselling event tickets. Although they don't have a lot of different events to choose from, their ticket prices vary depending on the seller, which results in higher costs.
Even though SeatGeek isn't the most well-known ticket place, it's a legit company that does a good job helping people buy tickets.