Trying to buy tickets on Ticketmaster can be a frustrating experience. You search for an event, find tickets you want, go through the checkout process, and then right at the very end something goes wrong and you get the dreaded “Something went wrong” error message. This leaves you wondering what happened and why you couldn’t complete your ticket purchase.
What causes the “Something went wrong” error?
There are a few potential causes for this error on Ticketmaster:
High demand crashing the site
For really popular events like a Beyonce concert or the Super Bowl, the traffic and demand trying to buy tickets all at once can overwhelm Ticketmaster’s servers and cause them to crash. This leads to timeouts and error messages for fans trying to purchase.
Too many users refreshing pages
Often when an onsale starts, fans get impatient if the site is running slow and start refreshing their browser page repeatedly. This floods Ticketmaster with unnecessary additional requests and can help contribute to the site crashing.
Bots snatching up tickets
Unfortunately ticket scalpers have been known to use bots and other automated methods to try to buy up tickets quickly during an onsale. All of these bots spamming the site at once can overload the servers.
Payment systems overwhelmed
At peak times a huge number of purchases are all hitting Ticketmaster’s payment systems at the same time. All the concurrent authorization requests can sometimes cause payments to fail and purchase attempts to error out.
Buggy updates or new features
Ticketmaster is constantly updating their website with new features and designs. Sometimes bugs or issues with new releases can inadvertently cause purchasing problems for fans.
Network infrastructure problems
Server hardware failures, network outages, or other infrastructure issues with Ticketmaster or their upstream providers can also potentially lead to purchasing problems for fans.
Tips for avoiding the error
While there’s no silver bullet for always avoiding the “something went wrong” error, here are some tips that may help:
Use Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program
For very popular events, Ticketmaster runs a Verified Fan presale before the general onsale. Fans register ahead of time and are verified as real humans, which helps filter out bots and scalpers. This reduces strain on the site for the presale.
Stagger trying to enter the queue
Rather than everyone logging on right at the stroke of the onsale time, consider trying to enter the ticket queue 5-10 minutes ahead or behind the main rush. This can sometimes help you avoid peak demand.
Don’t refresh constantly
It’s easy to want to refresh your browser over and over when tickets seem stuck or the site is running slow. But this just contributes to crashing the servers further. Try to limit how often you manually reload.
Check well ahead of time that your payment info is up to date
Make sure your credit card or payment method on file with your Ticketmaster account is not expired or invalid. Updating ahead of time avoids failed purchases due to payment issues.
Use your phone instead of computer
For high demand events, sometimes mobile apps can have more success than desktop browsers. The apps may be somewhat insulated from general site traffic strain.
Try different browsers
If one browser seems stuck, try a completely different browser. Different browsers sometimes cache things differently and may have better luck accessing overloaded servers.
Use pre-sale options when available
Many events have artist or venue presales before the general onsale time. Take advantage of these whenever possible, as they usually have fewer competing fans trying to purchase.
Make sure your network connection is strong
A weak wi-fi signal or poor 4G reception could contribute to timeouts. When purchasing, try to have the best network strength possible.
Cause | Description |
---|---|
High demand | Too many fans trying to buy tickets at once overloads servers |
Refreshing pages | Fans refreshing pages floods site with unnecessary requests |
Bots/scalpers | Bots spamming the site can crash servers |
Payment systems overwhelmed | Peak times lead to high volume of concurrent authorization requests |
Buggy updates | New features sometimes have issues that affect purchasing |
Network infrastructure | Hardware failures or network outages cause problems |
What to do if you encounter the error
If you do end up seeing the dreaded “something went wrong” message, here are some tips on what to try:
Retry completing the purchase
Keep trying! Go back through the purchase process again and see if it works on another attempt.
Try different devices
As mentioned above, sometimes mobile apps can work better than desktop. Or vice versa. Bounce between devices.
Clear cookies/site data
Clear out cookies, cache, and site data for Ticketmaster. Stale data can sometimes cause issues.
Try with a different card
See if using a different credit card or payment method works. Perhaps there is an issue with your primary card.
Contact customer support
Reach out to Ticketmaster customer service if issues persist. They may be able to diagnose the problem.
Wait and try again later
For very high demand onsales, sometimes you just have to wait an hour or more for traffic to die down before trying again.
Is there a way to avoid Ticketmaster altogether?
Given the frequent technical issues and fees associated with Ticketmaster, many fans wish there was a way to avoid them completely. Here are some alternative options to consider:
Buy directly from the venue’s box office
Some venues will sell tickets directly through their own box office, either online or in-person. There is usually a limit on how many you can buy.
Use a ticket reseller like StubHub
Sites like StubHub or VividSeats resell tickets. Prices are inflated but they don’t have Ticketmaster’s technical issues.
Join fan clubs for presale access
Many bands or artists have official fan clubs that give members exclusive presale ticket access before the general public.
Get tickets through an artist auction or charity promotion
Some musicians will auction off tickets for charity, or randomly select fans who have shared social media posts to receive ticket codes.
Find a local seller or scalper
Tickets can sometimes be found through local classifieds, bulletin boards, or in-person scalpers. But lack of buyer protection is a risk.
Conclusion
Trouble buying tickets when Ticketmaster gives a vague “something went wrong” error is frustratingly common. The problem can stem from any number of technical issues on Ticketmaster’s side. While there’s no foolproof way to always avoid it, steps like staggering your logins, limiting page refreshes, and trying different devices and payment methods can help circumvent problems. Spreading out purchases across pre-sales and waiting until site demand dies down also improves your chances. When all else fails, heading to secondary resellers, fan club presales, or even local scalpers are alternatives to avoid Ticketmaster’s checkout woes.