Sean Pearce, 43, wanted to treat daughter and lifelong blue Ava to tickets to Sunday’s Merseyside derby, which fell just two days after her 18th birthday
Ava Pearce was hoping to celebrate her 18th birthday at the Merseyside derby.
Ava Pearce was hoping to celebrate her 18th birthday at the Merseyside derby.(Image: Marianna Longo/supplied/Liverpool ECHO)
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A dad sid he was scammed out of almost £900 after buying derby tickets for his daughter’s 18th birthday. Sean Pearce, 43, wanted to treat daughter and lifelong blue Ava Pearce to tickets to Sunday’s (April 19) Merseyside Derby, which fell just two days after her 18th birthday.
But the pair of tickets did not work, and the family was left out in the cold as the Blues played their first derby game at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Sean, from Cronton, Widnes, had already purchased two tickets in advance of the game, but was let down by the reseller on Friday, April 17 and was refunded.
He turned to StubHub International, paying €1,000 for a pair of tickets for the game. He told the ECHO: “I'd never normally pay that, but it was for her 18th. She's a massive Evertonian, and she's only 18 once.”
Everton FC lists StubHub as an “unauthorised ticket website” and urge fans to “exercise extreme caution” when dealing with them. StubHub said fraud is “incredibly rare” on its websites and that Sean received his money back.
Issues began as soon as the funds were transferred. Sean said: “It was Saturday afternoon when the alarm bells started ringing because I couldn't open the tickets. The communication with the seller was non-existent.
Ava Pearce with dad Sean.
Ava Pearce with dad Sean.(Image: Supplied)
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“The guy I bought them off sent two links for the two tickets, but they wouldn't open. I tried to call him, but it went to voicemail. I contacted StubHub, and they said they had to give him time.”
Sean said he was told to call back if nothing had changed by Saturday evening. He said: “I phoned back, but the lady I spoke to said they couldn't give new tickets and I had to wait until morning. I told her I had already spoken to her colleague and it was logged, but because it went over the 7pm mark, she put the phone down on me.”
StubHub’s customer service line was due to open just four hours before kick off. Sean said he was told he had a valid reason to receive new tickets, but that prices on other available tickets had risen “too much” by that time. StubHub agreed to refund the tickets.
The family took the original tickets to Everton’s ticket office. He said: “Everton were very helpful. They looked up the name and phone number and there were no registered season ticket holders under that name.”
Sean added: “The money isn’t the concern, it’s the heartbreak for my daughter. She even saw friends outside the ground while they were waiting, which just made it worse. She's going to remember it, and she told everyone she was going.”
Ava Pearce with mum Tracey.
Ava Pearce with mum Tracey.(Image: Supplied)
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A spokesperson for StubHub said: “We are sorry to hear of this customer’s experience. We take all complaints very seriously and are looking into the situation. This was not a purchase on our UK website as we do not list football tickets in the UK. However, all StubHub International customers are covered by our FanProtect Guarantee and we can confirm he received a full refund.
“Fraud is incredibly rare on our websites, and we have processes in place to protect against it. Under our guarantee, we offer replacement tickets or a refund if anything goes wrong with a ticket. On this occasion, it was not possible to find an alternative ticket and the customer received his money back.”
A spokesperson for Everton FC said: “Everton Football Club understands that supporters are being targeted by third-party ticket sellers for home and away fixtures.
“We have consistently advised supporters to only purchase tickets through official Club channels or authorised resale platforms. Tickets obtained through unauthorised sellers carry a significant risk of being invalid, fraudulent or not delivered.
“We are disappointed to hear of any supporter being exploited by unauthorised third-party ticket sellers. Supporters who believe they have been affected by ticket touting, or who have information regarding unauthorised resale, are encouraged to contact the Club in confidence at ReportIt@evertonfc.com or Report Fraud.
Ava Pearce, 18.
Ava Pearce, 18. (Image: Supplied)
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“The Club continues to work closely with relevant authorities and partners to tackle ticket touting and protect supporters.
“Everton operates a clear zero-tolerance policy on the unauthorised resale of tickets and has introduced a range of measures in recent years to protect supporters and ensure fair access. These include:
Significant banning orders for any supporter found to have sold tickets via unauthorised third-party websites or directly to touts
Joint operations with Merseyside Police to act against ticket touting both online and in person
The transition to fully digital ticketing, removal of print-at-home options and enhanced ticket transfer processes to reduce unauthorised resale
A ballot process for home ticket sales to better manage demand and monitor distribution
A dedicated Ticket Transfer Portal allowing Season Ticket Members to securely share tickets with approved official Members
An official resale platform offering Season Ticket Members a pro-rata refund, with returned tickets made available to official Members
Increased monitoring of suspicious purchasing activity, including the identification and removal of bot accounts in partnership with Ticketmaster
A published list of unauthorised ticket websites to help supporters make safe and informed purchasing decisions
“These measures form part of Everton’s ongoing commitment to protecting supporters, safeguarding the matchday experience and ensuring tickets remain accessible to genuine fans.”