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Side-by-side trust check · Event tickets

StubHub vs Vivid Seats: which is safer?

In our AI checks of 28 October 2026, StubHub (run through StubHub, Inc., a subsidiary of StubHub Holdings) scored 80/100 (high trust) and Vivid Seats (owned and operated by Vivid Seats LLC) scored 91/100 (high trust). On both sites you buy from independent sellers, but StubHub names its FanProtect Guarantee and a 120% credit for canceled events, while Vivid Seats names a Buyer Guarantee and full compensation for canceled events; the scores are an indication, not a verdict.

Checked on by AnyFact's AI Business Check · We compare facts and show the scores; we do not pick a winner.

StubHub

stubhub.com

Trust 80/100

Platform score: you buy from independent sellers.

Full trust report

Vivid Seats

vividseats.com

Trust 91/100

Platform score: you buy from independent sellers.

Full trust report

Business Check · October 28, 2026

StubHub and Vivid Seats, criterion by criterion

Criteria shown

Who runs it
StubHub:

StubHub says it is operated through StubHub, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of StubHub Holdings. viagogo closed its acquisition of StubHub in February 2020.

Source:sec.gov

Vivid Seats:

Vivid Seats' legal pages say the site is owned and operated by Vivid Seats LLC. The listed parent, Vivid Seats Inc., has SEC filings referencing vividseats.com, and Stan Chia is named as CEO.

Sources:vividseats.comsec.govcorporate.vividseats.com

Difference: StubHub's report names a StubHub Holdings filing that our AI could not tie to the site automatically, while Vivid Seats' legal pages name its operating entity and Chicago address.
Registry or known organisation
StubHub:

Positive signal: Known website or service: StubHub (Wikidata), founded 2000, based in United States, part of eBay

Source:wikidata.org

Vivid Seats:

Positive signal: Known organisation: Vivid Seats (Wikidata), founded 2001, country United States

Source:wikidata.org

Domain age
StubHub:

Positive signal: Domain stubhub.com registered 26.4 years ago (2000-06-23)

Source:rdap.org

Vivid Seats:

Positive signal: Domain vividseats.com registered 25.2 years ago (2001-08-28)

Source:rdap.org

Popularity
StubHub:

Positive signal: Widely used site: stubhub.com is ranked 5,653 in the Tranco list of the most visited sites, list of 2026-10-27

Source:tranco-list.eu

Vivid Seats:

Positive signal: Widely used site: vividseats.com is ranked 15,199 in the Tranco list of the most visited sites, list of 2026-10-27

Source:tranco-list.eu

Buyer protection
StubHub:

StubHub says every purchase is automatically backed by its FanProtect Guarantee, which it describes as ensuring valid tickets or your money back.

Sources:newsroom.stubhub.comstubhub.com

Vivid Seats:

Vivid Seats names a Buyer Guarantee: valid and authentic tickets, delivered in time for the event, or your money back.

Source:vividseats.com

Difference: Both name their own guarantee covering valid tickets and money back; StubHub calls it FanProtect and Vivid Seats calls it the Buyer Guarantee.
Who you buy from
StubHub:

On StubHub you buy from a third party, and StubHub says it is not the ticket seller. Its Seller Policies require sellers to list only valid tickets.

Source:support.stubhub.com

Vivid Seats:

Vivid Seats describes itself as a marketplace between fans buying and reselling tickets. It says every seller is vetted before listing, but our AI could not verify how that works.

Sources:trustpilot.comvividseats.com

Difference: Both are marketplaces where independent sellers supply the tickets; Vivid Seats states a vetting step, while StubHub's sources state seller policies.
Refunds and returns
StubHub:

StubHub says sales are final with no change, cancellation or return. For canceled, not-rescheduled events it offers a 120% credit or a cash refund; rescheduled events get a credit only.

Sources:support.stubhub.comsupport.stubhub.comsupport.stubhub.com

Vivid Seats:

Vivid Seats says all sales are final. For events canceled with no new date, it describes full compensation of the purchase price, less possible restocking fees.

Sources:support.vividseats.comvividseats.com

Difference: Both treat sales as final; StubHub's sources describe a 120% credit for canceled events, while Vivid Seats' describe full compensation less possible fees.
Warning signs and complaints
StubHub:

Sources describe counterfeit websites and misleading emails about tickets, and scammers targeting StubHub accounts. The BBB page lists 12,241 complaints in three years, and a class-action suit alleges deceptive sales.

Sources:finance.yahoo.comdigitalmusicnews.combbb.orgwbaltv.com

Vivid Seats:

Norton and TrustDALE describe impostors using phishing emails, texts, lookalike sites and social media messages. Some customers report undelivered or invalid tickets, and the terms include mandatory arbitration.

Sources:us.norton.comtrustdale.comreddit.comvividseats.com

Difference: Impostor scams are reported for both; StubHub also has account-takeover reports and a cited lawsuit, while Vivid Seats' report notes arbitration terms.

Registry, domain age and popularity come straight from the two reports; the other rows restate the sources linked under each cell. Scores are indications built from public signals, not verdicts.

From their own terms and the sources

When to choose StubHub, when to choose Vivid Seats

When StubHub fits

  • You want protection built into every order

    StubHub says its FanProtect Guarantee applies automatically to each purchase, with nothing to opt into or pay for.

    Source:newsroom.stubhub.com

  • You want a credit or cash option if an event is canceled

    For canceled events that are not rescheduled, StubHub describes a 120% credit or the option of a cash refund.

    Source:support.stubhub.com

  • You want several ways to reach support

    StubHub's support site offers contact with customer service by chat, email or phone.

    Source:support.stubhub.com

When Vivid Seats fits

  • You want delivery-timing cover in the guarantee

    Vivid Seats says its Buyer Guarantee covers delivery in time for the event, or your money back.

    Source:vividseats.com

  • You may need to resell tickets you cannot use

    Vivid Seats says sales are final but points buyers who cannot attend to listing their tickets for resale.

    Source:support.vividseats.com

  • You like a Knowledge Base for common questions

    Its contact page points to a Knowledge Base with answers to common customer questions.

    Source:vividseats.com

StubHub or Vivid Seats: questions

Is StubHub safer than Vivid Seats?

We do not rank them. In our AI checks stubhub.com scored 80/100 and vividseats.com scored 91/100, both high trust. Our AI could not read the StubHub site automatically, while 12 Vivid Seats pages were read. Complaints exist for both, so the scores are an indication, not a verdict.

Sources:tranco-list.euvividseats.combbb.org

Who owns StubHub and Vivid Seats?

StubHub says it is operated through StubHub, Inc., a subsidiary of StubHub Holdings, and viagogo closed its acquisition of StubHub in February 2020. Vivid Seats' legal pages say Vivid Seats LLC owns and operates the site, and the listed parent is Vivid Seats Inc. The two filings we cite name different companies.

Sources:sec.govvividseats.comsec.gov

How do refunds compare on StubHub and Vivid Seats?

Both say sales are final once complete. For canceled events that are not rescheduled, StubHub describes a 120% credit or a cash refund option. Vivid Seats describes full compensation of the purchase price, less possible restocking fees. StubHub says it gives no refunds for rescheduled events.

Sources:support.stubhub.comsupport.vividseats.comsupport.stubhub.comvividseats.com

What protects buyers on each site?

StubHub says every purchase is automatically backed by its FanProtect Guarantee. Vivid Seats names a Buyer Guarantee covering valid and authentic tickets and delivery in time for the event. Both promise your money back if the tickets are a problem.

Sources:newsroom.stubhub.comvividseats.com

Which scams use the StubHub and Vivid Seats names?

For StubHub, sources describe counterfeit websites, misleading emails and scammers targeting accounts. For Vivid Seats, Norton and TrustDALE describe impostors using phishing emails, texts, lookalike sites and social media messages. These are reports about impostors, not findings about either company.

Sources:finance.yahoo.comdigitalmusicnews.comus.norton.com

Do you buy tickets from StubHub or Vivid Seats themselves?

No. StubHub states you are buying from a third party and that it is not the ticket seller. Vivid Seats describes a marketplace between fans and says it is not affiliated with any event or venue. Reliability therefore depends partly on the individual seller.

Sources:support.stubhub.comtrustpilot.combbb.org

Read more

How this was made: both sites went through the same AnyFact Business Check on the dates shown (company registers, Wikidata, domain age, popularity, Google Safe Browsing, regulator warning lists, web reputation and an AI review whose findings quote their evidence). The comparison restates those reports and the pages they cite. How the Business Check works.

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