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Is StubHub's Website Deceiving Users?

jordancolburn.com

91–99 of 99 posts

Re: Is StubHub's Website Deceiving Users?

#91
post #3

Creating a false sense of urgency is a cornerstone of modern marketing. The only difference between this and any other marketing campaign is that you just happened to catch them this time. This is just like when you go to an electronics store and they put the super expensive tv (almost) nobody buys right next to the still very expensive but comparably more modest model. You are more likely to buy that second tv even…

> sometimes will just say "few available" without specifying a number

I don't think it is a good example. It is often a real technical limitation - they aren't able to keep consistent inventory count between branches, warehouses and internet sites. Other reason for "few available" is some form of dropshipping - they don't really have any items.

Re: Is StubHub's Website Deceiving Users?

#92
post #43
post #3

Creating a false sense of urgency is a cornerstone of modern marketing. The only difference between this and any other marketing campaign is that you just happened to catch them this time. This is just like when you go to an electronics store and they put the super expensive tv (almost) nobody buys right next to the still very expensive but comparably more modest model. You are more likely to buy that second tv even…

Nothing modern about it, it's one of the classic old selling techniques.

What historical examples can you give where a seller made products look popular using fake customers purchasing unavailable products?

It'd be like seeing a line for a new video game system, and everyone in the line was paid to be there and won't be buying it.

Re: Is StubHub's Website Deceiving Users?

#93
Didn't Uber have a similar issue? You open the app, see multiple cars around you, so initiate a request, only to discover that the nearest car is actually not that near (and won't take your request)? Uber later said that the display of cars was just representative, that it wasn't revealing the real location or amount of cars near you on purpose to protect privacy of drivers... but that seemed a bit disingenuous.

Re: Is StubHub's Website Deceiving Users?

#94
post #3

Creating a false sense of urgency is a cornerstone of modern marketing. The only difference between this and any other marketing campaign is that you just happened to catch them this time. This is just like when you go to an electronics store and they put the super expensive tv (almost) nobody buys right next to the still very expensive but comparably more modest model. You are more likely to buy that second tv even…

"The only difference between this and any other marketing campaign is that you just happened to catch them this time." I'm not sure this is fair. By displaying false information, they are point-blank lying. That's misinformation. It should be illegal - it could be. Some other tricks such as 'creating very expensive items which they never expect to sell' as a cognitive 'price anchor' - well, not quite the same thing.…

displaying a SOLD ticket as NOT SOLD, and then CHANGING it to SOLD is LYING.

you're all idiots.

Re: Is StubHub's Website Deceiving Users?

#95
post #3

Creating a false sense of urgency is a cornerstone of modern marketing. The only difference between this and any other marketing campaign is that you just happened to catch them this time. This is just like when you go to an electronics store and they put the super expensive tv (almost) nobody buys right next to the still very expensive but comparably more modest model. You are more likely to buy that second tv even…

This is analogous to when an unknown Joe creates a new course he specify in italics that only few seats left even though nobody have signed up yet. It is all to just create a rush.

Re: Is StubHub's Website Deceiving Users?

#96
post #4

The key deception with StubHub is that you're not actually buying tickets, you're actually giving away put options for free.

Huh?

The other issue is that the venue for the ticket in most cases can reject you for any reason. (Typically venues don't do this.. but they will).

Bought Chris Rock tickets a long time ago with the impression that they didn't have any special terms on them. Nothing unusual in the terms. The ticket was a standard Ticketmaster ticket. Showed up to the Chicago Theather this weekend and they were forcing people to put their phones in a locked bag. I didn't agree to those terms, so I refused. I got denied entry.

(Btw Talked with ticketmaster support about this and they said this was an venue issue, the event didn't have any special terms attached)

Re: Is StubHub's Website Deceiving Users?

#99

Where has ethics gone to in the corporate world? I also came across them displaying say only 4 tickets for what it seems like a sold out event but in reality it was never sold out and the prices were cheaper on the day of the actual event. I recall seeing something along the lines of the event being almost sold out. Maybe Stubhub only had 4 tickets during that time so I could be wrong. It is a sale from ticket holder…

> Where has ethics gone to in the corporate world?

I suspect either "outcompeted" or "only required until you've crushed all of the competition who might use it to outcompete you". Neither is a particularly cheering thought.

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