SEATTLE — Steve Goldberg, a concertgoer from British Columbia, paid $559 for what turned out to be invalid online tickets through StubHub for a show at the Moore Theater in Seattle.
To gain entry to the venue after being turned away, Goldberg had to purchase replacement tickets at the door for an additional $230.
The experience underscores the financial risks facing consumers on the secondary ticket market.
Between the original purchase, replacement venue tickets, transportation, food and hotel accommodations, Goldberg may have spent around $1,000 for the trip and concert experience.
Goldberg said he expected valid entry after receiving purchase confirmation online.
“I was stunned. I just felt like I did everything right,” Goldberg said. “I’m seeing it being offered with the whole view of the arena. I’m being told that the purchase was went through, that I have these tickets or will be ready for me before the concert.”
Upon reviewing his receipt, Goldberg also expressed surprise at the transaction costs.
“The other thing that was pretty stunning is as I’m looking at this receipt that finally showed up, that broke things down, is there was almost $140 in fees for tickets,” Goldberg said.
When Goldberg tried to resolve the issue with StubHub, the platform informed him that the seller’s account did not exist.
He is currently disputing the charge.
Seattle Theater Group, which operates the Moore Theater, did not respond to requests for comment.
Cybersecurity experts recommend verifying platforms before purchasing tickets online.
Tony Sabaj, head of engineering at Checkpoint Software, emphasized using official brokers rather than sending payments directly to individuals.
“Make sure you’re dealing directly with StubHub or Axis or Ticketmaster or any number of authorized ticket providers out there and make sure they’re the ones brokering the information, and you’re not sending money directly to the individual,” Sabaj said.
Other concertgoers noted that navigating secondary sellers has become standard practice for high-demand shows.
Joanna Campbell, an Everclear fan, discussed the challenge of securing tickets during primary sales.
“If you want them right when they come out, it’s impossible to get them. You just always get them on the secondary market,” Campbell said.
In a statement to KIRO 7 about the incident for the BC concertgoer, StubHub said:
“We understand how disappointing this experience was for the customer. Our Customer Care Team has reached out to Mr. Goldberg to make this right.”