When Big Ticketing Platforms Fail, a Better Event Ticketing Platform Wins
Published Sep 29, 2025
For fans, buying tickets should be exciting. Instead, with platforms like StubHub, SeatGeek, and Ticketmaster, it’s become a gamble. A recent Business Insider article exposed a disturbing practice in the ticketing industry: “ghost tickets” (also called speculative tickets) listed on major secondary marketplaces like StubHub, SeatGeek, and Ticketmaster. These speculative listings allow sellers to advertise tickets they don’t actually have before the official tickets have gone on sale.
For fans, this means stress, financial loss, and shattered trust. For organizers, it damages your brand by associating your event with broken promises. It’s a prime example of why the industry needs alternatives, and why independents like Sellout are rising as the best event ticketing platform for organizers. Next, let’s look at where big ticketing platforms go wrong, and why organizers are turning to better event ticketing platforms like Sellout.
The Problems With Big Ticketing Platforms
The issues with large secondary markets are bigger than just scalpers. Here’s what the Business Insider report highlights:
Speculative Listings Undermine Trust: Buyers think they’ve secured tickets when, in reality, the seller doesn’t have them yet.
Financial & Emotional Fallout: Even if refunds are issued later, fans have already booked travel and hotels, or missed out on experiences they were promised.
Lack of Transparency: Hidden fees, vague seat locations, and urgency tactics (“only 3 tickets left!”) mislead customers.
Brand Risk for Organizers: When fans get burned, they often blame the event itself, not just the reseller. That damages your reputation and your long-term audience growth.
These issues reveal why some of the “big guys” are losing public trust and even market value, like StubHub’s recent IPO followed by a 10% stock drop.
The Best Event Ticketing Platform for Organizers? Here’s Why It's Sellout.
We created Sellout to solve the very problems that plague the big platforms. Rather than an annoyance or a burden to organizers, we're a partner who wants to build loyalty, protect fans, and grow repeat attendance for your events. Sellout stands apart from the rest of the event ticketing platforms in four key ways. We broke it down below:
Speculative Tickets Leave Fans in the Lurch
Big platforms often list tickets that don’t exist yet, leaving fans frustrated and organizers’ reputations at risk. Sellout requires verified ticket ownership before tickets go live, so every purchase is real and trustworthy.
Clear Seats, No Hidden Fees
Fans hate surprises at checkout. Unlike other platforms, Sellout provides full seat details and transparent pricing upfront—no hidden fees, no confusion.
Refunds That Actually Protect Fans and Organizers
On major platforms, refunds often arrive too late to prevent disappointment. Sellout’s clear refund policies and guarantees keep fans satisfied and protect your event’s brand.
From One-Time Sales to Lifelong Loyalty
Big ticketing platforms treat fans as one-off transactions. Sellout goes beyond the sale with tools like attendee insights, QR code sharing, and custom promo codes, helping organizers build lasting relationships and grow their audience.
With Sellout, fans know their tickets are real, and organizers know their audience trusts the purchase process. This is an essential foundation for repeat attendance, stronger word-of-mouth, and a reputation that keeps your events growing. That’s what makes Sellout the best event ticketing platform for organizers who care about long-term growth for their events.
The Future of Event Ticketing Platforms
The future of ticketing belongs to platforms that are transparent, trustworthy, and organizer-focused. While giants like StubHub, SeatGeek, and Ticketmaster chase volume and IPOs, independent platforms like Sellout are focused on building community, loyalty, and repeat attendance.
Organizers deserve an event ticketing platform that works for them, not against them. One that drives sales while protecting fans. That’s why Sellout is the clear choice for those who want to do ticketing differently.
Ready to move beyond the broken systems of big ticketing companies? Discover why more organizers are calling Sellout the best event ticketing platform for organizers today.
Get started and schedule a demo today!
