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Business
Jun 23, 2026
Analyzed by Llama- 4 Scout 17B 16E Instruct

StubHub UK Fined Almost £900,000 for 'Hidden' Ticket Fees

AI Summary
StubHub UK has been fined almost £900,000 and ordered to refund over 50,000 customers for not showing the full price of tickets at the time of booking, a practice known as 'drip pricing'. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that StubHub broke consumer law by adding mandatory costs such as delivery and service fees at the final stage of the checkout process.

The Lead

StubHub UK has been fined almost £900,000 and ordered to make payments to more than 50,000 fans for not showing the full price of tickets at the time of booking, an illegal practice known as 'drip pricing'.

The Event Details

The UK competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), launched an investigation into the sales practices of eight companies, including rival reseller Viagogo UK. The CMA found that StubHub must issue refunds exceeding £590,000 to customers. The average refund for the 51,350 customers who had a 'hidden fee' added at the end of the online ticket buying process was about £10.33 for each transaction.

The Data Analysis

  • Total fine: £889,200
  • Total refunds: exceeding £590,000
  • Number of customers affected: 51,350
  • Average refund per customer: £10.33

The Impact Analysis

The CMA's investigation found that StubHub broke consumer law by adding mandatory costs such as delivery and service fees at the final stage of the checkout process, rather than including them in the price shown at the start. This practice, known as 'drip pricing', is illegal. Emma Cochrane, the executive director of consumer protection at the CMA, said: 'Hitting customers with hidden fees is illegal. It's not fair to draw people in with what looks like a good deal, only for them to find the real price is higher when they get to the checkout due to extra charges that can't be avoided.'

The Prediction

The CMA's action is part of a broader effort to crack down on businesses that engage in unfair practices. The watchdog has so far secured more than £1.95m in refunds for customers and levied fines exceeding £5.7m under its new consumer enforcement powers. The investigation into Viagogo is ongoing, and the CMA is also investigating other companies, including Gold's Gym, Wayfair, Appliances Direct, and Marks Electrical.