Adele concert postponement uncovers little-known risk to sellers on StubHub
BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) -- Whenever you buy tickets for anything on the secondhand market, there's a certain amount of risk, but there are also pitfalls for the seller as well. 7 On Your Side exposes another side of the secondary market.
Adele tearfully apologized to fans in January after postponing her highly anticipated residency in Las Vegas at Caesar's Palace.
"I'm so upset and I'm really embarrassed. I'm so sorry to everyone who traveled again," she said.
Michael Hagler of Berkeley was so excited when he got his hands on those prized tickets.
RELATED: Ticket reseller blames pandemic for 15-month holdup on payment for resold BottleRock passes
"She sold out in like, you know, like 12 minutes for that show, because it was the opening night show," said Hagler.
The Adele fan club member knew this would be a rare opportunity to see one of his favorite performers.
"She doesn't do concerts. I mean, that's the thing. She really has a lot of stage fright," he said.
Adele postponed her show at Caesar's saying it just wasn't ready and that some of her crew came down with COVID.
Hagler had been planning to see a show with a friend flying in from Dallas, but they ended up selling their tickets out of concern about the omicron COVID-19 variant.
If you're on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live
"A lot of people had their tickets listed for, you know, thousands of dollars. I sold mine for right at $600 each," said Hagler.
He said he was only interested in recouping his money and the ticket fees he paid. But when it came time to get his money, he was told he'd have to wait.
"They said we're not going to pay you until eight to 12 days until after the concert," Hagler said.
There's still no word on when the three-month tour will be rebooked.
In 2017, Adele cancelled two shows at Wembley Stadium due to illness. She has yet to return to London to perform in concert.
RELATED: Concert cancellations blamed on COVID variant leave ticket buyers struggling to get refunds
"The guy bought the tickets. He bought the risk of knowing the concert -- I sold the tickets. I want to be paid for my tickets," said Hagler.
StubHub told 7 On Your Side, "This policy is out there to protect the sellers, due to the fact that if we were to pay him now, and the concert were to be cancelled, we would have to take that payment back."
We asked StubHub numerous times if they would hold that money indefinitely. We're still waiting for an answer.
Hagler wants to know who's going to get all that interest that's accumulating from the money sitting in StubHub's account. He may find out. He says he plans to sue StuHub in small claims court.
Take a look at more stories and videos by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.
Have a question for Michael and the 7 On Your Side team? Fill out the form HERE!
7OYS's consumer hotline is a free consumer mediation service for those in the San Francisco Bay Area. We assist individuals with consumer-related issues; we cannot assist on cases between businesses, or cases involving family law, criminal matters, landlord/tenant disputes, labor issues, or medical issues. Please review our FAQ here. As a part of our process in assisting you, it is necessary that we contact the company / agency you are writing about. If you do not wish us to contact them, please let us know right away, as it will affect our ability to work on your case. Due to the high volume of emails we receive, please allow 3-5 business days for a response.
