StubHub files lawsuit against Warriors alleging ticket resale monopoly
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- StubHub, the online ticket re-sale company, is suing Ticketmaster and the Golden State Warriors.
Season ticket holders have been told if they resell their tickets on StubHub, they may have their ticket privileges revoked and they can forget about tickets to the playoff games.
Small ticket brokers are glad that StubHub has the money to sue, because they say they don't.
Warrior fans who can't buy tickets at the Oracle Arena are being told at the ticket counter to get them on the resale market through Ticketmaster.
"They said sometimes the tickets are sold twice so it's pretty hard, so it's risky for us to do it, so I would not recommend going to StubHub," said Warriors fan C de La Cruz.
That has ticket resale companies like StubHub steaming mad. The San Francisco-based company is now suing both Ticketmaster and the Warriors.
StubHub seeks to stop unfair and illegal anti-competitive business practices that prevent fans from deciding how they want to resell their tickets.
The Golden State Warriors and Ticketmaster share fees from the teams' resale market.
Antonio Flores, a fan, says he'll continue to buy from any site, including StubHub.
"I'll probably still go on there and get the tickets," Flores said.
The Warriors have also threatened season ticket holders with taking their seats away if they resell them on StubHub, or through any broker that's not approved by the team.
"Oh, it's definitely money, it's a monopoly thing they just want total control when you're winning you can do anything," said Stuart Kessleman of Mr.Ticket.com.
Kesselman has also been a season ticket holder for years.
"I tried to renew my season tickets, they don't even know who I am," he said. "I got a different rep and said 'We don't want you this year.' But you wanted me for 30 years, why don't you want me this year?"
StubHub now says listings for Warriors tickets are down by 80 percent.
The Warriors have not yet commented on the lawsuit.
