The only disappointment you should feel when you attend a professional sports event is if your team loses. But Jorge Martinez experienced so much more than that when he bought tickets to a game between the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts with SeatGeek, a ticketing platform.
First, SeatGeek failed to deliver his tickets. Then, it refused to cover the expense of the missed event, including his airline tickets from Tampa to Indianapolis. It offered him a paltry 20 per cent discount off a future football game, which left him fuming. But he’s even angrier now. I’ll explain in a minute.
“I don’t believe SeatGeek did its due diligence in securing a legitimate seller for my tickets,” he says. “Nor did they conduct adequate follow-up to confirm that the seller actually possessed the tickets at all.”
Martinez’s case makes you wonder:
- What are your rights when a ticket seller fails to deliver?
- How can you protect yourself when buying tickets online?
- How do you get help when SeatGeek doesn’t deliver your tickets?
Before we go there, let’s take a closer look at this SeatGeek ticket problem.
“The seller was unable to fulfil the order.”
Last year, Martinez bought six tickets for the football game through SeatGeek, a ticket reseller. He paid $1,272 for the tickets, then bought airline tickets from Florida and booked hotel rooms so he could attend the game.
“The SeatGeek app indicated the tickets were confirmed but would not be available until before the game,” he recalls.
That didn’t seem right to him, so he started messaging SeatGeek. He asked when he would get his tickets.
“A representative told me they would reach out to the seller and assured me the tickets would be received on time,” he says.
That worked for him.
Fast forward to the day of the game. Still no tickets.
“Beginning at 9 a.m., I began calling and texting SeatGeek about the tickets,” he says. “At 11 a.m., I told their rep that the gates open in 30 minutes, and we wanted to see the pre-game warmups.”
But still no tickets.
“At 11:30, I again called and said it was now raining and we wanted to enter the stadium and where were my tickets?” he says.
The tickets were nowhere to be found.
“At 12:40, the rep informed me by telephone that the seller could not fulfill the order,” he says.
So Martinez went to the ticket window and asked for six tickets. It was an almost sold-out game, and they could only offer to sell him four for the astonishingly high price of $2,040.
When Martinez asked SeatGeek about a refund, he said the company offered him a 20% discount on a future purchase.
“At a minimum, I’m asking for the difference between the refund and the cost of the last-minute tickets,” he says. “I also want adequate compensation for the two individuals who secured airfare and hotel accommodations but could not attend the game.”
He adds, “They say they gave us a 20 per cent promo credit on their website for our next order. Are they kidding me? I would never consider using their services again.”
So, can SeatGeek do better? Let’s find out.
What are your rights when a SeatGeek fails to deliver?
SeatGeek is an intermediary platform connecting buyers with sellers who list event tickets. It relies on the sellers to fulfil ticket orders. Although it’s rare for an order to go unfulfilled, we’ve had a few recent cases involving missing tickets.
SeatGeek’s Buyer Guarantee promises a reimbursement if it can’t deliver your tickets. But the guarantee is subject to certain conditions (i.e., “applicable” laws).
For instance, same-day ticket purchases might require patience, as sellers sometimes fail to transfer tickets promptly. (You should contact SeatGeek customer service immediately if there are delays.)
So, what should you do if your SeatGeek tickets don’t come through?
- Get everything in writing. Maintain detailed records of your transactions, including emails and chat logs. These records serve as substantial evidence when disputing any issue with SeatGeek.
- Ask for a refund. SeatGeek appears to have two levels of compensation. In minor cases, the cost of the tickets will be refunded, and a 20 percent discount will be offered on future purchases. For more serious cases, the customer will receive a 120 percent refund. Ask for 120 percent.
- Consider more drastic action. That might include contacting your state’s attorney general, a consumer advocate or filing a credit card dispute. This is particularly true if you’ve made significant plans around the event, including buying airline tickets and booking hotel rooms.
You have a right to your tickets, but when you work with SeatGeek, there’s a risk that the seller won’t come through. When that happens, SeatGeek assumes a limited liability. In other words, covering your hotel room and flights is doubtful — even if a consumer advocate gets involved.
Which is about to happen.
How can you protect yourself when buying tickets online?
Purchase event tickets online is as easy as a few clicks, and tickets are often delivered electronically. But with convenience comes risk. Ticket fraud, hidden fees, and last-minute cancellations can turn your dream event into a nightmare.
How do you protect yourself when you’re buying event tickets?
Consider using a site with a good reputation. Well-known platforms like Ticketmaster and StubHub have reasonably good reputations and offer consumer protection policies. Sadly, SeatGeek is one of those reputable sellers, but unfortunately, sometimes even the best companies can screw up.
Review the terms. Before you click “buy,” take a moment to review the fine print. Look for information about fees, cancellation policies, and what happens if the event is rescheduled or cancelled. Remember, the platform and the event may have separate policies — read both.
Know your consumer rights. Your state has consumer protection laws that may apply to your purchase. For example, in many states, you have the right to a refund if the event is cancelled. Even if the event is rescheduled, check the policy regarding ticket transfers or refunds.
In Martinez’s case, Florida law gave him the right to a full ticket refund. However, it did not entitle him to any damages.
How do you get help when SeatGeek can’t deliver your tickets?
Getting a hand from SeatGeek proved challenging for Martinez—and if you’re reading this, it may be for you, too.
First, some of SeatGeek’s functions appear to be handled by an AI bot. That means you’ll likely get a scripted response that may not answer your question, leading to more frustration.
The essential Elliott Method advice applies here: Stay off the phone, create a paper trail, and appeal when necessary.
We publish the names, numbers and email addresses of the SeatGeek customer service representatives on this site. A brief, polite appeal in writing might help.
Sadly, there’s no back door to resolving a case. But there are ways to make it more difficult. Calling the company, which doesn’t leave a paper trail, can make a resolution difficult.
Will SeatGeek compensate him for this trip in vain?
The question is, will SeatGeek pay Martinez for the missed event—something known as a trip in vain? Perhaps it could cover the price difference between its tickets and the new, more expensive ones. Or maybe it could even cover the airline tickets and hotel rooms for the guests who were shut out of the football games.
I asked SeatGeek. A representative contacted me and said the company would respond if I used the material on “background”, meaning the information could not be attributed to the company.
I agreed.
I received the following email, which I am not attributing to SeatGeek.
After looking into the order, we found that we immediately alerted the customer once the seller informed our team that they could not deliver the tickets (~2 hours before the event).
As our Buyer Guarantee states, if tickets are not delivered in time for an event, we will provide comparable tickets, a refund, or a credit.
Our teams looked into replacement tickets on the customer’s behalf and immediately alerted them that they were no longer available for this event, as it was in high demand. As a result, we provided them with a 120 per cent refund on their order.
We understand the disappointment and frustration this experience must have caused, especially with the travel involved. We can confirm that the seller was penalized for breaking the policies found within our Seller Handbook.
Again, to be clear, I am not attributing any of this information to SeatGeek.
Martinez says SeatGeek offered him a 120 per cent refund.
“What a joke,” he says. “People need to know about their scams, especially how much they charge for their services. I, for one, will never patronize their service again.”
Written by: Christopher Elliott
BIO:
Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidential, a travel newsletter, and the Elliott Report, a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can reach him here or email him at [email protected].
