Need to know
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, dad Sean, mum Tracey.
What you need to know about the dad scammed out of £900 for derby tickets
Sean Pearce, 43, said he was scammed out of almost £900 after purchasing tickets for his daughter Ava’s 18th birthday treat. The pair of tickets were intended for the Merseyside Derby, which took place just two days after her birthday.
After an initial reseller failed to deliver tickets, Mr. Pearce turned to StubHub International and spent €1,000 for a new pair. He noted that he wouldn't normally pay this amount, but justified the expense because his daughter is a massive Evertonian.
Mr. Pearce stated that "alarm bells started ringing" on Saturday afternoon when he couldn't access the two digital ticket links sent by the seller. He said that communication with the third-party seller was non-existent, and calls went straight to voicemail.
He claims a StubHub customer service representative ended a call after 7 pm on Saturday when he followed up on the issue. The customer service line was not due to open again until four hours before kick-off on Sunday.
Upon arrival at Hill Dickinson Stadium, the two tickets failed to work, resulting in the family being left outside the ground. Sean’s daughter missed seeing the Blues play their first derby match at the stadium.
The family visited Everton’s ticket office, where helpful staff confirmed the tickets were invalid. The club could not find any registered season ticket holders under the name and phone number provided on the tickets.
A spokesperson for StubHub confirmed that Mr. Pearce received a full refund, citing their FanProtect Guarantee, which covers all international customers. The company maintained that fraud is "incredibly rare" on its websites, which operate processes to protect against it.
Everton FC has listed StubHub as an "unauthorised ticket website" and advises supporters to only purchase tickets through official channels. The club has a zero-tolerance policy on unauthorized ticket resale and works with authorities to protect supporters from touting.
Read the full story: Dad's birthday treat for daughter ruined as he's 'scammed out of £900' over derby tickets