Death to eBay, Long Live StubHub

Did you know that eBay users can retract their bids? Yeah, it blew me away too except I found out the hard way. Recently I purchased season tickets to the Washington Capitals, and as a bonus, I was given the option to purchase additional reserved tickets to the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Hoping to make some money back from my $3000+ purchase, I put a set of such tickets on eBay. The auction received a handful of bids as the Capitals battled the Fliers in what would be a seven game series. The tickets listed were to a game late in the series, and at the time, things were looking bleak after the Caps returned home on a sad note after dropping a game in Phillthy. The auction ended the day before the game, but when I checked to see who had won, I noticed the number of bids had actually gone down. Doing a little more research, I discovered that the person who had been the highest bidder had retracted their bid after the loss (obviously a bullshit fair-weather fan). In addition, I was shocked to learn that bid retraction is allowed more frequently than one would expect on eBay. Here are some eBay’s rules regarding bid retraction in their words…

If you place a bid before the last 12-hours of the listing: You may retract that bid before the last 12-hours. You will not be allowed to retract that bid during the last 12-hours of the listing.

…

If you place a bid during the last 12-hours of the listing: You may retract the bid only within one hour after placing the bid.

At the same time, I noticed the next highest bidder had messaged me. Their message explained how they were outbid on this auction and had therefore bid on and won another set of tickets, and were now unsure what they should do. Usually I wouldn’t let my morals influence an eBay matter, but I felt for this guy who was being sincere and obviously not a fair-weather-fan like the other (retracting) bidder. I told him I understood and we mutually filed the eBay dispute as resolved without payment. Luckily, I had an ace up my sleeve, or so I thought…

Access America’s EventTicketProtector.com, claims to offer ticket insurance for missed events. When I bought these tickets through Ticketmaster (aka Ticketbastards), purchasing their service was as easy as checking a box during checkout. At the time it all seemed straightforward, and that should I miss the event I would be refunded. It turns out, that this seems to be nothing more than a scam.

Initially I tried filing claim at Ticketmaster, thinking the service was implemented into its platform just as much as its shopping cart. I was eventually redirected to EventTicketProtector.com, where filing claim was anything but easy or convenient. They asked a series of private questions as to the reasons I missed the event and was filing claim. Auto insurance companies don’t ask as many invasive questions as this site or “service” did. I filed the claim, indicating I could not attend due to a friend suddenly falling ill, which is actually a true story and why I wasn’t going to the game myself. I received confirmation of my claim filing on April 15, 2008.

Today is June 9, 2008, almost two months later, and I have not heard from Access America aside from a confirmation card they sent a week or so after filing. I’m shocked to discover that Ticketmaster would promote and sell this scam directly on their site during checkout when they clearly have no knowledge of their contractor’s integrity or means to conduct legitimate business. The fact that it was so easy to pay for a service that is actually impossible to use and seemingly non-existent outside a crummy postcard leaves me feeling cheated. Readers hear my words, Access America is an illegitimate business sold through Ticketmaster.

Although there is the approximate $250 I spent on purchasing the tickets and am filing claim, all is not lost in this debacle. The scams of Access American and Ticketmaster are really a consequence of eBay’s obscure and hidden policy on bid retractions. Therefore, the lesson learned and I offer to the entire internet-community of ticketholders is stay away from eBay! It’s easy to lose money on your investment and get screwed by the fine print. StubHub offers a much more specific, organized, and sanctioned service. Needless to say, my days of selling tickets or anything on eBay are over. I regret not making this decision earlier, having heard many eBay horror stories of rip-offs that all stem from the same lackadaisical and virtually non-existent enforcement of user regulations and policies.

Forget about your user rating. Being ripped-off on eBay is only a matter of time…