Ticketmaster is one of the largest ticket sales and distribution companies, providing ticketing services for many major entertainment events. However, users sometimes encounter errors when trying to purchase tickets on the Ticketmaster website or app. There are a few common reasons why Ticketmaster ticket purchases may result in errors.
High demand causing site traffic overload
For extremely popular events like concerts of major artists or big sporting events, the high volume of fans trying to buy tickets all at once can overload Ticketmaster’s servers. Too many requests at the same time can cause errors or prevent sales from going through properly. This tends to happen right when tickets first go on sale, especially for shows that are likely to sell out very quickly.
During high demand ticket releases, Ticketmaster attempts to stagger sales by using waiting rooms, presales, or other tools to avoid traffic surges. However, major ticket buys can still overwhelm the system at times. Fans may encounter error messages, slow loading times, or problems accessing ticket buying options. It is usually just a result of too many users accessing the site simultaneously.
System glitches
Like any website, Ticketmaster’s sales system can occasionally suffer outages or glitches that prevent purchases from working properly. Things like website coding errors, payment processing problems, or unknown internal issues can create errors for users trying to finalize ticket orders.
These system problems are usually temporary and resolved once identified by Ticketmaster’s IT department. But errors happening during the ticket buying process are disruptive and inconvenient for customers. Ticketmaster aims to minimize these types of tech issues, but the nature of online sales makes them impossible to prevent entirely.
Incorrect or expired payment information
One of the most common sources of ticket order errors is invalid payment details entered by the customer. Inputting incorrect credit card numbers or security codes typically produces an error message preventing the transaction from being completed.
Many users also receive Ticketmaster purchase errors because they are trying to use an expired credit or debit card. The system automatically declines any attempt to buy tickets with a card that is past its expiration date. Updating the payment details or entering the correct current card information will resolve such errors.
Suspected bot purchases
Ticketmaster has implemented safeguards against ticket buying bots, which are automated programs that scalpers use to quickly purchase large quantities of tickets. Bot traffic appears different from normal human website usage, so Ticketmaster’s systems will try to detect and block bot ticket orders.
This can sometimes result in false positives where real human shoppers encounter errors because they were mistaken for bots. Clearing browser cookies and data or double checking account logins may help avoid such errors. In other cases, it is just the reality of Ticketmaster trying to maintain a fair ticket buying process.
Account registration and verification issues
To finalize ticket purchases on Ticketmaster, customers usually have to create an account and then verify their identity. Errors can occur if there are problems during the account registration process or if the ticket buyer fails to properly verify their account via email, phone, or ID upload.
Account verification is important to enforce ticket limits and prevent scalping. Make sure to carefully follow Ticketmaster’s account registration steps and check for any verification emails or texts after creating an account. Confirm that all contact info in your account profile is correct before trying to buy tickets.
Timeouts during checkout process
During busy sales, Ticketmaster enforces time limits for customers to complete their transaction once tickets are in their cart. This ensures that tickets do not remain tied up in abandoned carts and provides fairness for other buyers.
If users take too long at checkout, perhaps because they are entering payment details or verifying account registrations, unavoidable timeouts may occur. This results in ticket carts emptying and purchases failing. Trying to complete the buying process more swiftly or having payment details ready ahead of time can help avoid timeouts.
Strict ticket limits
To discourage scalpers and give more fans a chance to buy tickets, Ticketmaster enforces strict limits on the number of tickets that can be purchased by a single account. Typically the limits are 4-6 tickets for general public sales.
Attempting to buy more than the established ticket limit causes errors at checkout. Even if fans spread purchases across multiple credit cards or accounts, Ticketmaster’s systems track carefully enough to enforce the caps. Abiding by advertised ticket maximums is the only way around such errors.
Issues on mobile apps
The Ticketmaster and Live Nation mobile apps allow for convenient ticket purchasing on smartphones and tablets. However, app issues like freezing, crashing, or device compatibility problems can produce errors during the ticket buying process.
Updating to the latest version of the app and restarting your mobile device can help resolve temporary glitches. For ongoing app problems, it may be better to use Ticketmaster’s full website on a desktop computer instead.
Purchasing resale tickets
Ticketmaster has a resale marketplace where verified users can resell event tickets they can no longer use. There are instances where resellers fail to transfer or deliver the tickets properly after purchase.
This can leave buyers unable to access and use tickets they believe they purchased validly on Ticketmaster. After reporting such issues, Ticketmaster will refund the purchase, but it can be a hassle for ticket buyers who thought they secured seats.
Unverified sellers on resale marketplace
While Ticketmaster tries to ensure legitimacy of sellers on its resale marketplace, some unverified or fraudulent sellers inevitably slip through. If you purchase resale tickets from an unreliable seller, errors with ticket transfers or delivery are more likely.
Sticking to resale tickets from only Platinum verified sellers maximizes the chances of having a smooth transaction. Buying from unverified sellers has risks, as Ticketmaster cannot guarantee fulfilment and support for those purchases.
Conclusion
Ticketmaster errors during ticket purchases can be incredibly frustrating, especially for hot events with great demand. But in most cases, the issues stem from understandable causes like traffic overloads, system glitches, user account problems, policy enforcement, and mobile app instability.
Carefully checking details like payment info, account registrations, ticket counts, and transaction times can help fans avoid many common Ticketmaster problems. Customer service reps can also provide support for troubleshooting specific error issues that arise during the ticket buying process.
With Ticketmaster dominating as the primary ticketing service for countless major concerts, sports games, and other events, these types of errors remain an inevitable annoyance for customers. But being aware of what causes them and why can help fans power through and complete their ticket orders successfully.
Error Type | Cause of Error | Solution |
---|---|---|
Site traffic overload | Too many users accessing site at once | Try accessing during less busy times |
System glitch | Temporary tech issue on Ticketmaster’s end | Try again later or contact support |
Invalid payment | Incorrect payment details entered | Double check card number, security code, expiration date |
Suspected bot | Your activity flagged as bot-like | Clear cookies/data, avoid rapid clicks |
Account verification | Failed to properly verify new account | Carefully re-do identity/email verification |
Checkout timeout | Took too long during checkout process | Complete transaction more swiftly |
Ticket limit reached | Tried to exceed max number of tickets | Only purchase up to 6 ticket limit |
Mobile app issue | App crashing, freezing, or compatibility problem | Update app, restart device, use website instead |
Resale ticket problem | Issue with delivery from unreliable reseller | Only buy from Platinum verified resale sellers |