But experts say platforms can’t hide behind software flaws.

“I blame StubHub 100%,” said Scott Friedman, co-founder of Ticket Talk Network, which has already collected more than 600 consumer complaints just for this tournament.

“FIFA is no angel. Their input technology is absolutely terrible. It’s like software from 1999,” he added.

While StubHub maintains that it strictly prohibits speculative ticket sales on its platform, industry advocates and frustrated users generally believe the practice remains rampant.

Some sellers are also feeling the pinch. An Austin seller told the BBC he lost $2,600 after posting a legally purchased FIFA Marketplace ticket on StubHub. Although he sold it for $1,200 and sent it to the platform’s automatically generated email address, StubHub canceled the sale for “non-compliance,” withholding his payment and charging him a $1,400 fine.

For the average consumer, fighting a large corporation may seem like an impossible uphill battle.

Bradford Clements, a lawyer currently representing clients with more than $2.4 million in claims against StubHub, most of which are unrelated to the World Cup, notes that the company’s complex dispute process often forces regular fans seeking redress to give up entirely.

“People don’t understand that StubHub’s name of the game is to bully you, defer and deny you,” Clements told the BBC, also citing notices of legal disputes that were mailed to the company but returned.

StubHub declined to comment on Clements’ allegation.

It is not yet clear how many people have had problems with tickets purchased on StubHub or other ticket resale sites. Hundreds of fans have complained online, while one report suggested thousands have had their tickets cancelled.

A StubHub spokesperson said it was increasing its ability to get replacement tickets for affected customers and that each order was backed by its FanProtect Guarantee, which means if customers don’t get the tickets they ordered, or comparable or better replacements, they will receive a refund.

However, the fine print means little to fans who spend thousands of dollars on non-refundable trips.

As the World Cup moves into the high-stakes rounds, industry observers warn that the cancellation crisis may intensify, leaving more families stranded outside stadium gates with little to show for an experience destined to last a lifetime.

Additional information from Osmond Chia