StubHub won't refund Bay Area couple's money for canceled rock concert: 'Prove it'
MENLO PARK, Calif. (KGO) -- A South Bay couple who paid hundreds of dollars for rock concert tickets to celebrate the husband's birthday instead found themselves at a locked, empty venue. They were excited to "take it easy" with the band famous for the song "Slow Ride" -- but no one told them the concert had been canceled.
Not only was the birthday ruined, but they also couldn't get their money back. StubHub said they had to prove the show was canceled, or no refund.
But how could they prove that something didn't happen?
It happened to Kevin and Charisse Patterson of Sunnyvale, who admit their lives revolve around going to rock concerts.
"We fly in, rent a car, get a room, go to the show," Kevin Patterson said. "We have a calendar just for all the shows."
They've seen Journey at Oracle Park. Metallica at Levi's Stadium.
"We're dancing and singing. We know all the music, and we enjoy it," Kevin said.
So when the classic rock band Foghat booked a concert at Menlo Park's iconic Guild Theatre, right on Kevin's birthday, Charisse had to surprise him.
"I thought, 'Oh, this will be great,' because it's been a long time since either one of us had seen Foghat,'' Charisse Patterson said. "We'd never been to the Guild Theatre, and it's a small venue, which we like. You can see the band up close."
The couple both recalled going to Foghat concerts when they were teenagers, wondering now if they might've been at the same ones. Now, years later, they were excited to see the classic rock band famous for the song "Slow Ride."
Charisse found two tickets on StubHub for $327, a perfect gift. Or so it seemed.
"We got ready to go. We showed up a little bit early, and when we drove by the place, I was like, 'How come there's not a big crowd of people around here?'" she said. "We walked over to the door, and it was closed up tight. All the lights were off. It was dark. There were maybe seven to 10 people waiting outside. I asked other people where they got their tickets, because I was beginning to think we got scammed."
The window display had posters for other shows, but not Foghat.
"We waited around for about 20 minutes, a half hour, nothing was happening,'' Charisse said. "It was his birthday, and the whole night was basically... I mean, we were bummed, so we just came home."
What was worse, Charisse was stunned when she contacted StubHub, and the ticket platform would not refund her money unless she could prove the concert had been canceled.
"How can I prove something didn't happen?,'' Charisse said. "I mean, how do you prove it? I guess I should have taken pictures of the doors locked or closed, no lights on, nobody home?"
That's when Charisse decided on next steps.
"I told my husband. I said, 'I'm going to contact 7 On Your Side. See if they can help me.'"
Guild Theatre manager Barry Synoguard confirmed in an interview that the Foghat concert on Feb. 13 was, indeed, canceled and not rescheduled.
He said everyone who bought a ticket through the venue itself received a cancellation notice and an automatic refund. But, he said, the venue has no way to reach customers who buy tickets on third-party websites like StubHub.
"I will sing this till the cows come home: if you always buy tickets from the official ticket seller, you're going to be in good shape," Synoground said. "You're going to pay the correct amount. You're going to have authorized tickets. You're going to not have problems."
And they would have received a refund.
Synoground said whoever sold those tickets on StubHub got the automatic refund, plus the payment from Charisse.
"Not only did they get their money back from us, they got their money from selling the ticket as well. Yeah, it's terrible," Synoground said.
He said the venue will always confirm a cancellation when asked.
7 On Your Side also reached out to Foghat themselves, and the rock band quickly replied, saying:
"We are upset to hear that some of our fans are having a problem getting reimbursed for our February 13, 2026, canceled show at the Guild Theatre in Menlo Park. Of course, we assumed at that time that all tickets would be refunded. We would never want to upset our fans in any way."
After getting that confirmation, StubHub refunded the couple's money.
StubHub tells 7 On Your Side that its policy requires an official confirmation before it will refund tickets for a canceled event. In a written statement, StubHub said:
"We understand how frustrating this experience was for the fan. After reviewing the information provided, we have initiated a full refund for the order. We are committed to making things right when issues like this arise and to delivering the best possible fan experience."
The Pattersons said they promptly used that refund to go to an Eagles concert in Las Vegas.
"Without a doubt, I would not have been able to get my money back without you guys," Charisse Patterson said. "Oh, we love you!"
StubHub did not say how fans should go about getting proof if they find themselves in this situation -- arriving to find a concert was canceled. It's a good warning that buying off a third-party site means fewer protections if something goes wrong. The Guild Theatre manager said most venues will provide proof of cancellation if you ask. He said next time he'll post a sign at the door for folks who never got the message.
Take a look at more stories and videos by 7 On Your Side.
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