Seeing a “ticket not available” message when trying to purchase tickets for an event can be frustrating. This message typically means that the tickets for the event are sold out or unavailable for purchase at that time.
Why you see “ticket not available”
There are a few main reasons you may see a “ticket not available” message when trying to buy tickets:
- The event is sold out – All tickets have been purchased and there are none left to buy.
- The ticket seller is holding back tickets – Often event organizers or ticket sellers will hold back some tickets for various reasons, making them temporarily unavailable.
- The tickets are not on sale yet – If tickets for an event go on sale at a future date, trying to buy them before the sale date will result in a “not available” message.
- The tickets are limited or restricted – Certain tickets may only be available to fan club members, residents of certain areas, or people who qualify under other limitations.
- Technical issues – Glitches with the ticketing system or website could prevent ticket purchases and cause a “not available” message incorrectly.
When you might see “ticket not available”
Timing plays a big role in whether you’ll be able to get tickets or see the “not available” message. Here are some common times you may encounter it:
- Right when tickets go on sale – Popular events often sell out very quickly. Trying to buy even just minutes after the sale starts could result in tickets already being gone.
- For high-demand events – Any very popular concerts, games, shows, etc. will have limited ticket availability and high demand, increasing chances of a sell out.
- Too far after the on-sale date – Once most tickets have already been sold, remaining ones will be very limited.
- During presales – If you try buying tickets during presales without the required access code or link, you won’t be able to access tickets.
Seeing the “unavailable” message early in the process likely means you need to act very quickly or strategically to try to still get tickets. If you see it later on, it unfortunately probably means you’ll have to look into other options like resellers.
What to do if tickets are not available
If you encounter a “ticket not available” message when trying to buy tickets, here are some things you could do:
- Wait and retry – Often more tickets will be released over time, so check back later.
- Get on a waiting list – Some ticket sellers have waiting lists you can join to be notified if tickets are released.
- Look for presales and promos – Sign up for fan clubs or promotions to get access to ticket presales.
- Remove filters – Try searching for tickets without specifying seat location, only 1 ticket instead of 2+, etc.
- Buy resale tickets – Sites like StubHub have tickets being resold by other fans at higher prices.
- Consider other dates/venues – The event may not be sold out on different days or at different locations.
Persistence and flexibility are key. With high demand events, it can take effort and luck to get tickets, so try multiple approaches.
Why do tickets sell out so quickly?
There are a few key reasons hot events sell out all their tickets quickly, sometimes within minutes or even seconds:
- High demand – When an event is very popular, huge numbers of fans are trying to buy tickets all at once.
- Bots and scalpers – Bots run by ticket brokers scoop up tickets quickly to resell at higher prices.
- Limited capacity – Most venues have a fixed number of seats, so ticket supply is constrained.
- Presales – Presales give certain groups early access before the general public sale.
- Registration queues – Having to create accounts and wait in queues slows down the ticket buying process.
Top artists, teams, and acts have enthusiastic fans willing to pay high amounts for tickets. This gives scalpers incentive to use bots to beat regular buyers.
Tips to get tickets before they sell out
Here are some smart strategies you can use to try to get your hands on tickets in high demand:
- Buy early – Be ready right when the tickets first go on sale to the public.
- Use presales – Get access codes for presales to buy tickets before the general public.
- Use fast, simple checkout – Have accounts set up on ticket sites and payment info saved for a speedy checkout.
- Only buy what you need – Don’t go for extra tickets you might have to eat the costs of.
- Use waiting room queues – Some sites put you in a waiting room queue randomly to level the playing field.
- Avoid resellers at first – Reseller prices can be very inflated right after sell outs.
Plus, join fan clubs, follow artists on social media, and sign up for pre-sale notifications to be in-the-know when tickets are released.
Are there ways around ticket unavailability?
In some cases, there may be ways you can still get tickets even if they are showing up as unavailable:
- Keep trying – Tickets may be released in batches, so keep checking back.
- Call the box office – Venues sometimes hold back tickets to sell directly.
- Wait in lines – Lines for last-minute released tickets can happen on event day.
- Buy verified resale – Resale sites let you buy from other verified ticket holders.
- Remove filters – You may have more luck finding tickets if you’re flexible on seat locations.
- Consider accessible seating – These seats must be held back by law but can sometimes be purchased.
Getting around a “ticket unavailable” situation often requires persistence, luck, and willingness to pay higher prices. But it can be worth it for hard-to-get events if you are creative and flexible.
Should you buy tickets if they become available again?
If an event showed tickets as unavailable but more tickets are suddenly released, here are a few factors to consider on if you should try to buy them:
- How quickly do you expect them to sell out again? If very fast, it’s likely worthwhile to try grabbing them.
- How important is the event to you? The more eager you are to attend, the more effort may be warranted.
- What is the new price point? Make sure the new asking price meets your budget.
- Could you get tickets below market rates? Sometimes waiting yields deals.
- Do you have time to make a quick decision? Don’t miss the chance while deliberating!
In most cases, becoming available again represents a new opportunity. Unless the tickets are outrageously priced or you only have moderate interest, it is probably smart to swoop in and purchase them before the next sell out.
Should you pay above face value for unavailable tickets?
Paying more than face value for sold out tickets on secondary markets is a personal decision. Some factors to weigh:
- How badly do you want to go, and can you afford it? Big fans may justify paying higher prices.
- Are alternate dates or venues options at face value? Sometimes other spots have availability.
- What is the event organizer’s stance? Some strictly prohibit resales above face value.
- How much are prices inflated? Minor markups may be tolerable, but high spike may not.
- Are you buying from an accredited source? Paying more is risky if seller credibility is uncertain.
Many fans are willing to pay two, three, or even ten times the original ticket price for hot events. This is especially true once an event nears selling out completely. As long as you are comfortable with the price and confident in the ticket source, paying a premium can make sense in many cases.
How can event organizers reduce ticket unavailability?
Event organizers and ticket sellers have a few options to try reducing situations where fans see annoying “tickets unavailable” messages, including:
- Increasing venue capacity for very high demand events.
- Staggering ticket sale dates and times across multiple rounds.
- Implementing waiting room queues and ticket purchase limits.
- Requiring fan club memberships or access codes to buy tickets.
- Using technology like CAPTCHA to make mass bot purchases more difficult.
- Partnering with verified resellers to provide fan-friendly resale markets.
Organizers have to balance maximizing revenue while still giving the core fan base fair access. Large public on-sales favor scalpers, so more restricted presales and limits help regular fans compete.
Conclusion
Seeing “tickets unavailable” for an event you want to attend can certainly be frustrating. But hope isn’t totally lost. With persistence, flexibility, and a bit of luck, you may still be able to get access. Understand why unavailability happens, try different purchasing approaches, and pounce if more tickets are released.