StubHub offers Florida family original tickets to Taylor Swift concert disappear

FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. - A Flagler Beach family had some bad blood with StubHub over Taylor Swift tickets.

The family got a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see Taylor Swift in concert, but not long after they bought tickets, they were suddenly taken away. 

Now, StubHub is making things right. 

Vivian, 8, didn’t think in her wildest dreams that she would be getting tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras tour concert in Tampa. She’s a huge Taylor Swift fan, so her mom, Celeste, worked hard to get coveted tickets to the show with Vivian’s best friend and her mom. 

It was the girls’ Christmas gift and would be their first concert. The families planned the trip to Tampa, and booked the hotel, but then, Celeste got an email from StubHub last week.

"We got a message on Thursday saying that the seller did not have the tickets available," Celeste Ackerman, said. "When this all happened, the momma bear came out of me, and I was not going to let this happen to my daughter."

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StubHub’s email said it would replace the ticket as part of its "fan protect guarantee" policy. The policy ensures an equivalent or better ticket, or a full refund. But Celeste said the only option for replacement tickets was for seats behind the stage, and even those seats were no longer available.

She said she called customer service and was told she could wait, and hope new seats would become available before the event. Then a few days ago, Celeste got another email saying the tickets were refunded. 

She said she never asked for a refund, and getting her money back wouldn’t get her daughter to see Taylor Swift.

"It was heartbreaking. And I didn’t want to tell her," she said. "I just said ‘oh I’m working on some things’ but I didn’t have the courage to say we’re not going."

Celeste reached out to FOX 35. We called and emailed StubHub in reference to her tickets, and while we were speaking with Celeste in person, she had a phone call with a StubHub manager who said the company would make it right. 

The manager offered Celeste, her daughter and the two others new tickets that are worth more than the original value.

Celeste is relieved, but she wants others to know about what happened so it doesn’t happen to anyone else.

A StubHub spokesperson said the company has invested additional resources to handle the "unprecedented demand for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour." The spokesperson said customers can call customer service or reach out on social media with any ticket issues.