COLUMBUS, Ohio — As many sporting events and concerts have been canceled or postponed over the last 17 months due to the pandemic, many Ohioans were holding onto tickets unsure of what to do.
Ohio, along with nine states and the District of Columbia, reached a settlement with StubHub on Tuesday that the company would ensure refunds for those left with tickets to canceled events. The settlement also prevents StubHub from changing its policies for purchased tickets unless the purchasing consumer consents to the change.
The settlement calls on StubHub to pay a civil penalty of $654,100, which the Ohio Attorney’s General Office will suspend if StubHub issues refunds and honors its agreement.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office accused StubHub of not honoring its “FanProtect Guarantee.” The guarantee, the AG’s office said, promised “full refunds on ticket purchases, including fees, if events were canceled,” but altered its policy due to the onslaught of pandemic-related cancelations.
“We’d all like a refund from the ride COVID has taken us on, but in this case there was written policy not followed,” Ohio AG David Yost said in a statement. “That’s why we went to bat for Ohioans here and put money back in their pockets.”
Yost said an estimated 12,000 Ohioans were owed a refund from StubHub. Any Ohioans seeking a refund from StubHub may contact either StubHub at 866-788-2482 or the Attorney General’s Office at 1-800-282-0515 or www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov.
