FIFA subsidiary, Ticketmaster and Vivid Seats violated B.C.'s ticketing laws, finds watchdog. World Cup organizers and major resellers allegedly failed to adhere to transparent pricing and refund rules, according to inspectors with B.C.'s consumer watchdog Jun 23, 2026 11:51 AM Inspectors with B.C.'s consumer protection authority found FIFA's Canadian subsidiary and two major ticket retailers breached the province's laws governing ticket sales. Consumer Protection BC laid out the alleged contraventions of the Ticket Sales Act in three separate undertakings released Monday. Under the B.C. law, ticket sellers must guarantee a full refund if an event is cancelled, if the ticket is invalid, counterfeit, misrepresented, or bought via "bot" software, or if entry is denied. They must also provide any other legally required guarantees. FWC26 Canada Football Ltd. was singled out for allegedly breaching that section of the act when it failed to disclose all terms and conditions on its secondary ticketing platform. The FIFA subsidiary was incorporated in Victoria, B.C., in 2021 to manage everything related to hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada. That includes overseeing "operations in host cities like Toronto and Vancouver - from infrastructure and logistics to security and local partnerships," according to DEKOM, an audiovisual and information technology that set up the company's Toronto office. As part of the undertaking, FWC26 Canada agreed to "make necessary changes" to their ticket reselling platform by June 19. Failure to do so leaves the door open for Consumer Protection BC to initiate further enforcement actions, and could make the FIFA subsidiary liable for penalties. Major sellers found to have breached several sections of B.C.'s ticket sales law. In a second undertaking, Ticketmaster Entertainment LLC was found to have failed to ensure tickets for sale on its secondary ticketing platform disclosed the reseller's name, location and contact information. Inspectors also allege Ticketmaster contravened B.C. laws that require ticket sellers and resellers to provide an itemized list of any fees, service charges and applicable taxes. "The fees and tax information must not require additional action by the consumer to view (e.g. clicking or hovering over a field) and must be of similar prominence (including text size and colour) to other information appearing as part of the offer to sell," wrote Shahid Noorani, vice-president of Consumer Protection BC. A third ticket reseller, Vivid Seats LLC, failed to ensure offers on its ticketing platform disclosed itemized taxes and the ticket's face value. In cases where taxes and the ticket's face value were disclosed, the Chicago-based company was found to have failed to disclose the details in a "clear, prominent and comprehensible" way as required under B.C. law, claims the document. Vivid Seats also allegedly contravened B.C.'s ticket laws when it failed to ensure the tickets it re-sold: * disclosed the location of the seats; * came with guaranteed refunds should something go wrong (i.e. should the ticket be a counterfeit or fail to give the buyer access to the event); * clearly disclosed terms and conditions; * disclosed reseller's name, location and contact information; * disclosed any restrictions on the sale or transfer of the ticket by the original ticket purchaser to another person. The undertaking signed by Vivid Seats requires the company to make the necessary changes along a series of rolling deadlines ending June 26 - or face further penalties. FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An emailed statement from Ticketmaster Canada said the company was "committed to providing fans with a marketplace they can trust" and that complies with B.C.'s Ticket Sales Act. "We take Consumer Protection BC's findings seriously and are working with the regulator to quickly address them," wrote a spokesperson. A spokesperson for Vivid Seats, meanwhile, said the company has been in "ongoing dialogue with B.C. officials" to understand the province's legal requirements. "Vivid Seats has always supported and pushed for regulations that increase consumer transparency, and we are working to implement the changes required under the recent enforcement action," said the spokesperson. The statement said that the company "invests heavily" to protect its customers and maintains a nearly 100 per cent "on-time ticket fulfillment rate" for 2026 World Cup tickets sold on its platform. "Every purchase is backed by our 100 per cent buyer guarantee, ensuring tickets are accurate, valid, and delivered before the event, or customers receive their money back," Vivid Seats added. Three other ticket sellers under investigation. Consumer Protection BC spokesperson Louise Hartland said in an email that the three undertakings are not a confirmed breach of the law but act as a "voluntary but legally enforceable" commitment where a business agrees to fix an issue and prevent it from happening again. "These undertakings are about transparency and fairness - to ensure people know exactly what they're buying and can get refunds when the law requires it," Hartland said. The spokesperson said the authority's inspections did not stem from consumer complaints and was not related to the FIFA World Cup. "Consumer Protection BC is currently working with three other ticket service providers to assess their compliance; however, we do not comment on ongoing or potential investigations," Hartland added. The undertakings come amid a wave of allegations that secondary ticket sellers have broken contracts with people trying to sell tickets to the global soccer tournament. In May, a B.C. man sued StubHub, alleging the ticket reseller acted negligently when it cancelled transactions on a dozen tickets to the FIFA World Cup. The Surrey resident claims he is owed $25,000, though none of the allegations have been tested in court. Other resellers have made similar claims to Business in Vancouver from as far away as New Jersey. Kingsley Bailey, a ticket broker in Vancouver, said he is not surprised FIFA, Ticketmaster and Vivid Seats were found to have breached ticket sale laws. He said large online ticket resellers have taken over the market in a process that has effectively legalized scalping. He said FIFA's practice of only disclosing the stadium section - rather than the specific seat number - makes it easy for resellers to "sell short." "They can say, 'I'm going to get you into category one...' no specifics on location," said Bailey. "This is a joke what's going on here." The ticket broker said more than a half-dozen groups have already come to his downtown store looking for replacement tickets after flying to Vancouver and realizing they had lost their purchases. In one case, Bailey said six people who had bought and later lost tickets from StubHub said they were offered a refund. But that did little to absorb the cost of the flight tickets and hotel, according to Bailey. "There are a lot of people who have been left holding the bag," he said. "They buy tickets and they get here and there's nothing there for them." "You have a problem. Who are you going to call?" Editor's Note: The original version of this story has been updated to include statements from Consumer Protection BC, Ticketmaster and Vivid Seats. The story has been edited to clarify that findings from inspectors at Consumer Protection BC do not amount to a confirmed breach of the law. BIV's free newsletters cover daily business, real estate, B.C. politics and more. Sign up here for B.C.'s most important business news delivered directly to your inbox. This has been shared 0 times.

Housecall Pro appoints Stan Chia as Chief Executive Officer. Posted on June 15th, 2026 Housecall Pro(R), a leading AI-powered field service platform trusted by home service professionals who have served 1 in 4 American homes, today announced the appointment of Stan Chia as Chief Executive Officer. Chia succeeds Michael Beaudoin, who will assume the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors, where he will continue supporting the company's long-term strategy and mission to champion the trades. A proven technology executive with more than two decades of experience building and scaling high-growth businesses, Chia most recently served as Chief Executive Officer and Board Director of Vivid Seats (NASDAQ: SEAT), where he led the company's successful public market debut and helped scale the business through product innovation, technology investment and strategic growth initiatives. Prior to Vivid Seats, he served as Chief Operating Officer of Grubhub, helping scale the company into one of the nation's largest online food ordering and delivery marketplaces. Earlier in his career, Chia held leadership roles at Amazon, Cisco and General Electric. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Slickdeals. He holds a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he serves on the advisory board, and an MBA from Emory University. Chia joins Housecall Pro during a period of continued growth for both the company and the home service industry. More than 200,000 Pros across the United States and Canada use Housecall Pro to strengthen customer relationships, grow revenue and run more efficiently. As software, automation and AI continue to create new opportunities for home service businesses, Housecall Pro continues to invest in technology which helps Pros save time, improve profitability and operate with greater confidence. "Housecall Pro is an amazing company where the mission, market and opportunity all line up," said Chia. "The company was built to champion the Pro, serving the tradespeople and entrepreneurs who keep homes, businesses and communities running, with the scale, trust and product foundation to make their businesses meaningfully stronger. The opportunity ahead is enormous, and this is the moment to build on those strengths and accelerate technology and practical AI innovation across the platform to help define the next generation of Pro success." "Stan brings the combination Housecall Pro needs now," said Beaudoin. "He is a proven public-company CEO, a scaled technology and platform operator, and a leader who has successfully guided organizations through periods of significant growth, transformation and innovation. We are confident he is the right leader to build on our momentum, continue championing the Pro and guide Housecall Pro through its next chapter." Under Chia's leadership, Housecall Pro will continue expanding its platform and investing in AI-powered capabilities that help Pros spend less time on administrative work and more time serving customers, growing profitably and building stronger businesses. Media Contact Taylor D'Eliseo Walker Sands for Housecall Pro [email protected] Housecall Pro. Official corporate communications. Last Posted June, 2026 See what businesses like yours earn with Housecall Pro in 1 - 2 minutes. Helpful articles about the field service industry, the latest news about the app, and downloadable templates you can use right now.