Michigan AG sues HailgateA2 over alleged fraudulent tickets to U-M events, failure to deliver memorabilia

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is suing HailgateA2 LLC and its owner after several people filed complaints alleging they were scammed out of tickets and memorabilia related to University of Michigan events.

The lawsuit, filed on Oct. 8 in the Wayne County Third Judicial Circuit Court, alleges a violation of the Michigan Consumer Protection Act by the company and its owner, John Klein. The lawsuit also alleges that Hailgate implied affiliation with U of M and included the university's "M" logo on items without authorization.

According to the lawsuit, the allegations came to light after news reports of people complaining that they paid for meet-and-greet packages with country star Morgan Wallen when he performed at Michigan Stadium in July and did not receive details about the special event. The lawsuit states that Wallen never offered such an event and his team sent Klein a cease-and-desist letter; however, Klein allegedly "continued to hold out to consumers that the packages were legitimate."

CBS News Detroit reached out to Klein via email on Thursday for a comment, and Klein agreed to talk. We sent him a list of questions, which he agreed to answer, and he said he would send his responses on Friday.

CBS News Detroit gave Klein a 1 p.m. Friday deadline to respond, but he had not responded at the time this story was published.

According to the lawsuit, records showed that HailgateA2 is a Michigan for-profit limited liability company founded by Klein in 2023.

"Purchasing tickets to The Big House, for a big show or a big game, shouldn't be a big ripoff," Nessel said in a statement. "Our Consumer Protection Team received reports alleging thousands of dollars in tickets and memorabilia were never delivered, and the purchasers never refunded. The Michigan Consumer Protection Act provides robust protections against bad actors and predators in the marketplace, and we will fully enforce the law to protect Michigan consumers and visitors to our state." 

The lawsuit claims that beyond the news reports, Nessel's office also received several complaints alleging that Hailgate failed to send sports memorabilia, failed to issue refunds, and misinformed people about tickets for U of M games over the last two years.

In one instance, three consumers alleged that they ordered signed Michigan football helmets by the 2025 National Championship team and did not receive them. The lawsuit claims that one of the consumers received a refund only after Nessel's office contacted Klein.

The lawsuit alleges that in another case, a man paid over $1,400 for seven tickets to the Michigan-Oklahoma game in September 2024 and learned that only one of the tickets was legitimate when he went to the box office to verify them. The lawsuit claims that the man paid nearly $2,000 in additional fees for replacement tickets and was assured he would receive a refund of those costs, but he has not received it.

Nessel's office is calling for HailgateA2 to be dissolved and is also seeking a court order prohibiting Klein from selling tickets or memorabilia affiliated with U of M, Michigan Stadium or any other venue in the state.  

Nessel urged consumers to follow these tips when purchasing tickets or merchandise:

• Know your vendor - Make sure you are buying from a reputable website, especially before providing any personal financial information.
• Do your research - If you are unfamiliar with a particular ticket vendor, research the ticket seller on the Better Business Bureau's national website. You can also call the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Team at 877-765-8388 and ask if complaints have been filed regarding that seller.
• Use credit - If you purchase tickets online, especially via an online auction site, it is recommended that you complete your transaction using a credit card. Purchasing tickets with a credit card often provides you with protections that you would not otherwise have if you purchased the tickets using cash, check, or apps like Venmo and Cash App. Try to choose sellers with long histories of satisfied customers, and make sure the online bid amount is listed in American dollars.
• Shop securely - If a website begins with "https," the "s" indicates that the website is "secure." Typically, the "s" will not appear in the web address until you access the order page of the site where you are asked to enter your personal information. Another indicator of a secure website is a graphic of a closed lock located at the bottom of your screen.