Seeing the message “Something went wrong” on Ticketmaster can be frustrating when you’re trying to purchase tickets. This vague error doesn’t provide much insight into what the actual problem is. Some common reasons you might see this message include website glitches, high traffic overwhelming the servers, payment issues on your end, or problems with the event provider’s ticket inventory.
Common Causes
Here are some of the most common reasons the “something went wrong” error appears on Ticketmaster:
Website Errors
Like any website, Ticketmaster’s platform can sometimes experience glitches or technical problems on their end. Things like bugs in their code, server outages, or other software issues can prevent the ticket transaction from going through properly. The “something went wrong” message is a generic catch-all for any unknown technical errors.
High Traffic and Overloaded Servers
For very popular events, Ticketmaster often experiences extremely high traffic and demand all at once when tickets go on sale. With millions of fans all rushing to purchase tickets at the same moment, this can overload the servers and cause them to crash or freeze. The volume of requests simply overwhelms the system’s capacity. This tends to happen most with big concerts, sports events, or special performances that have huge demand.
Payment Problems
In some cases, the “something went wrong” message might indicate an issue on your end with the payment or billing information you entered. Maybe your credit card was declined or there was an error processing your payment method. Entering incorrect billing details or your card being maxed out can result in the transaction failing. The message is meant to be generic so it doesn’t specify the nature of the payment problem.
Issues with the Event Provider’s Ticket Inventory
Ticketmaster relies on event providers like sports teams, concert promoters, theaters, etc to supply them with the available ticket inventory information. Sometimes there are errors or problems connecting Ticketmaster’s systems to these backends. If the inventory numbers are inaccurate or unavailable from the provider for some reason, it can cause transactions to fail. The root cause stems from the provider rather than Ticketmaster’s platform in these cases.
When Does This Message Appear?
In most cases, the “something went wrong” message appears while you are in the later stages of finalizing a ticket purchase on Ticketmaster. After selecting your tickets and entering payment information, you’ll go through several confirmation screens before the tickets are officially issued to your account. It is during this final confirmation stage that the error tends to show up.
You generally will not see the vague “something went wrong” message when simply browsing for events or selecting tickets. It occurs when you are confirming and submitting the order for processing. That’s because all the required steps – like inventory check, payment approval, buyer verification, and ticket issuance – have to execute properly in sequence behind the scenes. A failure at any point in that chain can produce the generic error message.
When Does the Error Typically Occur?
While the “something went wrong” message can appear at any time when purchasing tickets on Ticketmaster, it tends to happen more frequently in certain scenarios:
- During the frantic on-sale rush when tickets initially go on sale for an event, especially a popular high-demand event.
- When ticket inventory is very limited. Trying to purchase tickets that are basically sold out.
- Over peak traffic periods when many fans are on the site at the same time like right before a major concert.
- When purchasing a high volume of tickets in a single order, like 10+ tickets.
- International events that involve additional complexity around currency conversions and country-specific payment methods.
The common thread is that any scenario which puts more strain on Ticketmaster’s systems can increase the chances of transactions failing and the error appearing. Major sporting events, smash-hit Broadway shows, or celebrity concerts are prime candidates for tech hiccups simply due to the sheer demand.
Troubleshooting Tips
If you encounter the dreaded “something went wrong” message, here are some troubleshooting tips to try:
Refresh and Retry
Quite often, the issue is just a small glitch and refreshing the page will solve it. Wait a minute or two and then refresh your browser to reload the Ticketmaster website. Then try going through the purchase process again.
Use a Different Browser or Device
It’s possible the error was caused by an outdated browser or some software issue that may be browser or device-specific. Try accessing Ticketmaster from a different web browser or switch to a different device entirely. Sometimes switching from desktop to mobile or vice versa will resolve glitches.
Clear Browser Cookies and Cache
An overabundance of cached data and cookies in your browser can sometimes interfere with or corrupt the Ticketmaster purchase process. Clearing out old browser cookies and cached data may allow the transaction to complete normally.
Avoid Peak Traffic Times
If possible, avoid purchasing tickets right as they go on sale or during other known high-traffic periods. The servers are less prone to overloading at off-peak times like weekdays or outside of major rushes.
Try an Alternative Payment Method
Switching to a different credit card or form of payment might enable the purchase to go through if payment issues were involved. You may also want to contact your credit card company to ensure your card hasn’t been temporarily frozen.
Contact Ticketmaster Customer Service
If you continue receiving the error message and are unable to complete your ticket purchase, reach out to Ticketmaster’s customer service team for assistance. They may be able to diagnose the problem and manually assist with purchasing tickets.
Does “Something Went Wrong” Mean The Tickets Are Gone?
The “something went wrong” error does not definitively mean the tickets in your order are no longer available. Because it’s such a generic message, it doesn’t confirm whether inventory was the specific issue. There are many back-end reasons the transaction could fail.
With that said, there is certainly a chance the tickets were snatched up if you experienced the error while purchasing in-demand seats during a busy on-sale. It’s wise to complete the transaction as quickly as possible when tickets are scarce. But don’t abandon hope if you see the message. Keep trying and troubleshooting the purchase.
Many times it’s just a temporary glitch and refreshing or trying again will allow you to complete the purchase for the same tickets. The error doesn’t guarantee someone else beat you to them, even though that is a possibility in high demand situations. Don’t panic, the tickets may still be available.
Is the “Something Went Wrong” Message Normal?
Seeing a vague “something went wrong” message is not completely abnormal or unexpected when purchasing tickets online. Given the complexity of Ticketmaster’s platform and the unpredictability of demand spikes, periodic glitches and errors do occur. However, they still represent a flaw in the service.
Ideally, Ticketmaster’s website would be able to handle enormous traffic spikes and process all transactions smoothly without internal failures. But the reality is that extremely high demand combined with website technology can expose flaws or capacity issues.
While not unheard of, the “something went wrong” message indicates poor site performance if it happens consistently. It points to potential weaknesses in system stability, scalability, and error handling that Ticketmaster should aim to improve. So no, it’s not normal, but also not surprising that this global ticketing platform experiences periodic outages.
How to Avoid the “Something Went Wrong” Message
While there’s no surefire way to avoid ever seeing the “something went wrong” message on Ticketmaster, here are some helpful tips to reduce the likelihood:
- Purchase tickets when they first go on sale to have the widest inventory selection before scarcity drives errors.
- Use Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program when available to get exclusive pre-sale access before the masses.
- Pay close attention to all entry details to avoid payment failures.
- Refresh constantly if errors occur to retry as fast as possible.
- Buy on off-peak hours like weekday mornings to avoid peak loads.
- Limit your order quantity to fewer tickets if buying large volumes.
- Avoid last minute purchases right before popular events.
Careful planning and strategically choosing lower-demand times increases your odds. But for very hot events, nothing can guarantee avoiding sales glitches with so much traffic flooding the system. Persistence and patience may be required.
What to Do if You Keep Seeing the Error Message
If you continuously encounter the “something went wrong” error and cannot complete your ticket purchase on Ticketmaster, here are the next steps recommended:
- Keep trying periodically over an extended time. Many issues are temporary if you refresh and re-attempt the purchase.
- Try different devices, browsers, and networks in case the issues are environment specific.
- Clear browser cookies, history, and cache then try again.
- Use an alternative payment method if possible.
- Check for any bank holds on your card that may block transactions.
- Contact Ticketmaster Fan Support and explain you need help completing an order.
Often the problem will disappear if given enough time. But if it persists for hours, or keeps occurring repeatedly, contact Ticketmaster’s customer service team via phone, chat, or social media. They have tools to further diagnose errors and can even manually assist with ticket purchases in difficult cases.
How to Reduce Your Risk of Something Going Wrong
You can lower the chances of something going wrong during your Ticketmaster purchase by:
– Creating a Ticketmaster account ahead of time and logging in before tickets go on sale. This saves precious seconds entering info later.
– Ensuring your payment method and billing details are all correct in your account profile. Avoid entering anything last minute.
– Using a strong, high-speed internet connection on a modern device to reduce lag. Avoid public WiFi or old devices.
– Downloading the Ticketmaster app which may have better technical performance than the mobile site.
– Entering in all required information rapidly and accurately. Double check zip code, expiration, CVV, etc.
– Disabling browser extensions like ad blockers which can sometimes interfere with transactions.
– Using a mainstream credit card. Complex gift card or debit card payments are more error prone.
– Only attempting to buy a reasonable quantity of tickets. Large 10+ ticket orders are more likely to fail.
– Being patient and staying calm. Don’t panic or rush the purchase process. Carefully follow each site step.
Reducing the friction in your Ticketmaster account setup and purchase flow smooths the technical sequence behind the scenes, minimizing the risk of a glitch derailing your order.
What’s the Best Way to Handle the Error if it Happens?
Don’t panic if you encounter the dreaded “something went wrong” error on Ticketmaster. The best way to handle it is:
1. Take a deep breath and stay calm. Getting frustrated won’t help the situation.
2. Refresh the page and carefully try the transaction again. Many times simple refresh resolves temporary glitches.
3. If it fails again, try clearing browser cookies and cache and then re-attempt the purchase.
4. Try a different device and browser if still failing on your original device.
5. Use an alternate payment method if possible in case the original had issues.
6. Keep periodically retrying for up to 30 minutes in case high loads are slowing the site.
7. If error persists beyond 30 minutes, contact Ticketmaster Fan Support for assistance.
8. When contacting support, politely explain the situation and that you need help completing a ticket purchase.
9. Provide any order information or error codes to support agents for troubleshooting.
10. Remain calm and patient if contacting support, as they are there to help resolve it for you!
Avoid getting visibly angry or frustrated, as the customer service reps are just there to help fix the issues on Ticketmaster’s end. Stay cool-headed and you’ll get through it!
Key Takeaways
– The “something went wrong” error on Ticketmaster is very vague but typically indicates a technical failure during a ticket purchase.
– High site traffic, payment issues, inventory problems, and generic glitches are common causes.
– Try refreshing, changing devices, clearing browser data, and retrying multiple times.
– If error persists more than 30 minutes, contact Ticketmaster customer support for help.
– Stay calm, as getting frustrated will not help resolve the problem faster.
– While not guaranteed, there is a chance the desired tickets could be lost to another buyer if inventory was involved.
– Reduce risks by using strong internet, entering info quickly and accurately, and not waiting until the last minute.
Though frustrating, “something went wrong” errors on Ticketmaster are generally temporary if you are persistent. With the right troubleshooting and patience, you can usually complete your ticket purchase successfully!