A Surrey man has initiated legal proceedings against StubHub, seeking $25,000 in damages after the online ticket marketplace allegedly failed to complete the resale of 12 FIFA World Cup tickets. Jayden Lalani claims the platform breached its contract by cancelling the sales, resulting in significant financial losses, according to a lawsuit filed in British Columbia Supreme Court.
Details of the Lawsuit
Lalani purchased the 12 tickets in October from FIFA's official marketplace, including matches such as England versus Ghana, Scotland versus Brazil, Iraq versus Norway, and Norway versus Senegal. All matches were scheduled to take place in the United States. He subsequently listed the tickets on StubHub and sold them for a total of US$16,270 (approximately CDN$22,000), with individual ticket prices ranging from CDN$1,000 to CDN$2,900.
FIFA Notice and StubHub's Response
Before the tickets could be transferred to buyers, Lalani received a notice from FIFA stating that all ticket transfers must occur between valid FIFA Marketplace accounts. The notice emphasized the importance of verifying that each buyer's email was linked to such an account and warned that transferring tickets to third-party platforms could lead to issues, including the inability to cancel or accept transfers. FIFA recommended that sellers only transfer tickets directly from one FIFA account to another to ensure security and validity.
Upon receiving this information, Lalani contacted StubHub customer service to ensure compliance, requesting that buyers' emails be verified or that they create FIFA accounts before transfer. Approximately ten days later, StubHub responded by cancelling all transactions and holding Lalani financially liable, stating that the sales were "not fulfilled as expected." The platform also blocked his account.
Allegations of Breach of Contract
In his lawsuit, Lalani asserts that he complied with all StubHub rules and contractual requirements. He denies allegations that he breached StubHub's privacy policy by contacting buyers directly, stating that he never had their contact information. He also claims that StubHub charged his credit card three times for $853 each, totaling over $2,500, without justification.
"StubHub's conduct constitutes a breach of contract and negligence, for which I have suffered loss and harm," Lalani stated in the notice of claim. "I did not breach any of StubHub's rules, and StubHub's conduct has been wrongful and without lawful justification."
Legal Context and Next Steps
StubHub has not yet filed a response to the claim, and a request for comment from the company went unanswered. None of the allegations have been proven in court. The case highlights ongoing tensions between ticket resale platforms and event organizers over compliance with official marketplace rules, particularly for high-profile events like the FIFA World Cup.
