Try Again When Site Traffic Dies Down
The most common reason for Ticketmaster crashing or freezing is too much traffic on their website. When a major concert or event goes on sale, millions of fans may be trying to buy tickets at the same exact time. This flood of requests can temporarily overwhelm the Ticketmaster servers and cause them to crash or freeze.
The best advice is to just keep trying. Wait a few minutes and then refresh the page or try logging in again. As some users inevitably give up or get their tickets, the traffic will die down and you should eventually get through. Sites like Downdetector.com can tell you when Ticketmaster issues have been resolved.
You may have to be patient and keep trying for 30-60 minutes, but eventually the servers should recover. Trying again later when there’s less competition for tickets also improves your chances. Just don’t give up too quickly – persist and you’ll eventually grab those tickets!
Use Your Mobile App Instead of the Website
The Ticketmaster and Live Nation mobile apps often fare better than the desktop website during peak traffic. Apps don’t have to load all the visual content, so they may crash less easily. You can quickly log in on your iPhone or Android and access the ticket queue instantly.
Make sure you have the latest version of the app, with notifications enabled so you don’t miss if tickets go on sale earlier than expected. If you encounter any error messages, try force quitting and restarting the app. Apps do still occasionally struggle with high demand, but usually have fewer issues than Ticketmaster.com.
Use Multiple Devices
For hot events, don’t rely on just one device to get tickets. Have a back-up plan like a laptop, tablet, family member’s phone, etc. Pull up Ticketmaster on multiple devices right before the tickets go on sale, then try checking out simultaneously on each one.
This duplicates your chances and ensures you don’t miss out if one device glitches or has connectivity issues. You may even end up with duplicate ticket purchases, which you can sell or give to friends.
Clear Your Browser Cache Before Buying
One common tip to avoid Ticketmaster crashes is to clear your browser history, cookies, and cache before attempting to buy high-demand tickets. Over time, unneeded data and files build up that can slow down page loading speed.
On Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Clear Browsing Data and select the time range you want erased. On Firefox, go to Options > Privacy & Security > Clear Data.
Having an empty cache forces the browser to freshly load the Ticketmaster website, which may prevent crashes versus loading cached data. After getting your tickets, you can restore your history and cookies. This is an easy trick to try out next time.
Try an Incognito or Private Browsing Window
Similarly, open an incognito or private browser window to buy tickets. These launch a fresh, isolated browser session without any existing cookies, history, or cache. Pages like Ticketmaster will load from scratch, which can avoid weird glitches.
On Google Chrome, click the 3-dot menu in the top right and select New Incognito Window. In Firefox, you can click File > New Private Window. Safari has a Private Browsing mode under File > New Private Window. It disables outside tracking and lets you start fresh.
Use a Different Web Browser
It rarely hurts to try purchasing tickets on an alternate web browser like Firefox, Safari or Edge instead of your normal Chrome or Internet Explorer. Different browsers store data differently and interact with sites uniquely, so it might prevent the Ticketmaster issues you experienced previously.
Don’t assume the problem is on your end just because one browser crashed. Switch things up and Ticketmaster may magically work fine the next time you attempt accessing it. Sometimes little tricks like this end up helping in weird ways.
Contact Ticketmaster Customer Support for Assistance
If Ticketmaster continues crashing and you’re unable to purchase tickets, contacting their customer service department should be your last resort. Especially for high-demand shows where tickets will instantly sell out, you need to be able to checkout quickly. But customer support may be able to provide useful tips or workarounds.
The best way to reach Ticketmaster support is via their online contact form at https://www.ticketmaster.com/contactus. You can select the category as Help > Purchasing > Website Issues and describe the problems you’re experiencing. There’s also a chatbot assistant that may answer simple questions.
If you need immediate live support, you can call +1 800-653-8000 or +1 514-790-1111 for Canada. The call centers can look into any technical issues on Ticketmaster’s end and hopefully resolve them promptly. Just be ready to wait on hold due to high call volumes after big on-sales.
Filing a Complaint with the Better Business Bureau
If Ticketmaster’s site continues having major technical issues that prevent fans from buying tickets, you may want to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The BBB allows consumers to file grievances and dispute resolutions against companies, requiring them to respond.
If Ticketmaster receives enough complaints about site outages through the BBB, they may prioritize fixing the problems faster. While this likely won’t help you get tickets to your desired event, it could improve Ticketmaster’s services long-term. Just make sure to politely and thoroughly describe the issues.
Use Presale Codes to Buy Tickets Early
To avoid dealing with Ticketmaster crashes during a public on-sale, take advantage of presales whenever possible. Presales allow you to purchase tickets days or weeks before the general public.
There are exclusive presales for eligible groups like American Express cardholders, fan club members, Spotify listeners, and venue mailing lists. These presales stagger high demand before tickets go live everywhere.
Signing up for an artist’s fan club, following venues on social media, and having an eligible credit card are great ways to get presale code access. Ticketmaster also has occasional presales that are open to everyone. Check band websites and Ticketmaster for presale details before the on-sale date.
Examples of Major Presale Sources
Presale Source | Details |
Artist Fan Clubs | Join mailing list for presale codes |
Venues | Follow venue social media for early access |
Spotify | Listen to artist for presale ticket link |
American Express | Cardholders get exclusive presale window |
Chase or Citi | Cardholders may have presale offers |
Local Radio Stations | Provide presales for certain shows |
VIP Packages | Bundled deals with presale tickets |
Taking advantage of any of these presales greatly improves your chances of getting seats before the general public.
Use an Automated Ticket Buying Bot Service
While often frowned upon, some high-demand concert goers turn to automated ticket bot services to gain an edge. These bots run sophisticated software that can bypass CAPTCHAs, queues, and other security on sites like Ticketmaster to instantly buy tickets.
Research shows these professional bots can gobble up a large portion of tickets before real fans get them. While bots are technically illegal and against most ticket site terms, they remain rampant in the industry. Popular services include AnthoBot, Ticket Brokers Bot and Ticket Bot Pro.
We cannot recommend automated bots as they shut average fans out of buying tickets. But those determined to see a show sometimes turn to bots out of frustration with Ticketmaster. Use at your own risk and research carefully first.
The Pros and Cons of Ticket Buying Bots
Pros | Cons |
Very high success rate | Expensive service fees |
Bypasses queues instantly | Unethical and sometimes illegal |
Works for sold-out shows | Can get accounts banned |
Cuts wait times | Promotes scalpers reselling |
Good inventory selection | Hurts average fans’ chances |
Use a Ticket Reseller as a Last Resort
If crashes or glitches prevented you from buying tickets, your final option is turning to ticket resellers like StubHub, VividSeats, SeatGeek, etc. These sites allow season ticket holders and scalpers to relist tickets, usually at inflated prices.
While often costly, this does give you access to high-demand tickets even after they initially sell out. Some reputable resellers like StubHub guarantee validity and delivery. Compare prices across a few sites as listings can vary.
Also check fan ticket exchange groups on Facebook, Reddit, etc. Real fans sometimes resell extra tickets here at fair face value prices. Just use caution to avoid scammers in informal exchanges online.
In summary, patience and persistence are key to scoring tickets if Ticketmaster crashes. Keep trying, use presales, switch devices, and you should eventually prevail and see that dream concert or show. Good luck fans!