A Calgary concert enthusiast’s night of anticipated entertainment transformed into a costly lesson about the dangers lurking in the online ticket resale marketplace. Jennifer Wooldridge, 32, found herself nearly $400 poorer and without concert admission after falling victim to what appears to be an increasingly common scam on ticket reselling platform StubHub.
“I was so excited to see my favorite band that I didn’t scrutinize the transaction as carefully as I should have,” Wooldridge told CO24 News. “When I arrived at the venue and my tickets were rejected as invalid, I felt this horrible sinking feeling in my stomach.”
Wooldridge had purchased tickets for a popular concert through StubHub three weeks before the event. Despite receiving digital tickets that appeared legitimate, venue staff informed her upon arrival that the tickets had been reported stolen and subsequently invalidated by the original purchaser.
The incident highlights a troubling trend across Canada where ticket resale platforms have become hunting grounds for sophisticated scammers. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, ticket-related scams have increased by 27% over the past year, with Canadians losing an estimated $3.2 million to fraudulent ticket sales in 2023 alone.
Consumer protection specialist Margaret Harrington from the Better Business Bureau explains that scammers have grown increasingly sophisticated. “They’re now creating convincing digital tickets with valid-looking QR codes and confirmation numbers. The average consumer simply doesn’t have the tools to verify authenticity before making a purchase,” Harrington said.
When contacted by CO24, StubHub representatives stated that the company maintains a “FanProtect Guarantee” that promises full refunds for invalid tickets. However, Wooldridge reports waiting over three weeks for her refund request to be processed, forcing her to initiate a chargeback through her credit card company.
“The most frustrating part was the runaround from customer service,” Wooldridge explained. “I was transferred between departments, asked to provide the same documentation multiple times, and ultimately told my case would need ‘further review’ with no clear timeline.”
Law enforcement officials across the country are warning consumers about the limitations of these guarantees. Detective Sergeant Carlos Menendez of the Calgary Police Service’s Cyber Crimes Unit told CO24 Business that “while refund guarantees provide some protection, they don’t compensate for the disappointment of missing an event or the additional expenses like travel and accommodation that victims often incur.”
Industry experts suggest several protective measures for consumers. “Always pay with a credit card rather than debit or cash transfer services, verify seller ratings and history, and when possible, purchase directly from official venues or primary ticket sellers,” advises consumer advocate Teresa Lin from the Consumers’ Association of Canada.
The rise in ticket scams coincides with growing scrutiny of the secondary ticket market by federal regulators. Last month, the Competition Bureau of Canada announced an investigation into pricing practices and transparency issues within the ticket resale industry, signaling potential regulatory changes ahead.
As Wooldridge awaits her refund, her experience serves as a cautionary tale for other entertainment seekers. “I’ll definitely be more careful in the future,” she said. “That $400 was a lot of money for me, but the disappointment of missing the concert I’d been looking forward to for months was almost worse.”
As ticket prices for live events continue to climb and the secondary market grows, what additional consumer protections might be necessary to prevent more Canadians from experiencing the same disappointment and financial loss as Jennifer Wooldridge?
