Purchasing tickets through Ticketmaster can be a great way to secure seats for highly sought-after concerts, sports games, and other events. However, things don’t always go according to plan. You may have purchased your tickets well in advance, only to find the event is just days or weeks away and your Ticketmaster tickets still haven’t arrived.
This situation can cause quite a bit of anxiety and uncertainty. However, there are steps you can take to track down your tickets and get the situation resolved. Here’s what to do if your Ticketmaster tickets don’t arrive.
Confirm Your Order Details
The first step is to pull up your order confirmation and verify all the details. Log into your Ticketmaster account and find the order in your purchase history. Confirm the following:
- The event name, date, time, and location are correct.
- The quantity and type of tickets purchased are accurate.
- Your billing and shipping information is right.
If any of these details are inaccurate, you’ll want to contact Ticketmaster customer support right away to get the order corrected. But assuming everything looks good, you can move forward with tracking down the tickets.
Check Your Delivery Method
Next, you’ll want to double check your delivery method for the tickets. There are a few different ways Ticketmaster tickets can be delivered:
- Mobile Delivery – Tickets are delivered electronically to your smartphone via the Ticketmaster app. You’ll need the app installed and location services enabled to view the tickets.
- Mail – Hard copy tickets are mailed to your billing address via standard mail. This usually takes 7-10 business days in the US.
- Will Call – Tickets are held for pickup at the venue’s box office on the day of the event.
- Transfer – Tickets are electronically transferred to someone else in your Ticketmaster account.
Carefully review which delivery method was selected when you placed your order. This will provide clues on how to get your tickets or troubleshoot any delivery issues.
Check Your App for Mobile Tickets
If you chose mobile ticket delivery, the tickets should be visible in your Ticketmaster app. Open the app and tap on the “My Tickets” section. This will display a list of your upcoming events and digital tickets.
If your event is listed but you don’t see the ticket barcode, try force quitting and reopening the app. Also make sure location services are enabled for the app – the tickets are location tagged and you often have to be near the venue for the barcodes to display. If you still don’t see ticket barcodes in the app, contact Ticketmaster customer support for assistance.
Look for Your Mailed Tickets
If you selected ticket delivery by mail, your hard copy tickets should arrive within 7-10 business days in the United States. International mail can take 2-4 weeks in some cases.
Check your mail carefully during the expected delivery timeframe. Your Ticketmaster tickets will be coming in an envelope from Ticketmaster or from the event venue itself. Don’t overlook any envelopes from unfamiliar senders, as you don’t want to accidentally throw away your tickets!
If the expected delivery date has passed and your Ticketmaster tickets haven’t arrived, it’s time to take action. Contact the carrier and request they trace the delivery. If the tickets were lost in transit, Ticketmaster can reissue new tickets to you.
Pick Up Will Call Tickets
If you chose will call delivery, your Ticketmaster tickets will be waiting for you at the venue’s box office on the day of the event. Be sure to allot extra time for box office lines and ticket pickup when you arrive.
Bring your order confirmation, payment card if used, and photo ID. The name and information must match what is on the order. The box office will verify your identification and release your tickets so you can enter the event.
Get Transferred Tickets Resent
The final delivery scenario is having your Ticketmaster tickets electronically transferred to someone else. This is handy when you buy tickets as a gift or split purchases with friends.
If the recipient says they haven’t received the transferred tickets, log into your Ticketmaster account and resend the transfer. Be sure the recipient is checking their email (including spam folders) for the transfer message from Ticketmaster containing the tickets.
As the ticket purchaser, you can also cancel the transfer if needed and have the tickets resent to yourself instead. Just get in touch with Ticketmaster customer service for assistance.
Contact Ticketmaster Customer Service
If you’ve checked all potential delivery scenarios and your ordered tickets are still nowhere to be found, it’s time to get Ticketmaster customer support involved. Start by visiting the Ticketmaster Contact Us page.
You’ll be able to find phone numbers for contacting support, submit an email ticket, or start a live chat. Be ready to provide your order number, ticket details, and a brief description of the issue.
Some common reasons to contact support are:
- Tickets not received by expected delivery date
- Incorrect ticket quantity, type, or info received
- Lost or stolen tickets that need reissuing
- Trouble accessing mobile tickets in the app
- Event canceled, postponed, or rescheduled
The Ticketmaster support team can investigate what went wrong and take steps to get your situation resolved. This may involve resending digital tickets, issuing replacements for lost hard tickets, or processing refunds if needed.
Be patient but persistent when communicating with support. Localized events like concerts will have dedicated teams who can better assist. For large multi-venue events like music festivals, the fan services department has more centralized resources to help troubleshoot any ticket issues.
Purchase Ticket Insurance
One way to protect yourself if your event tickets don’t arrive is to purchase ticket insurance. Ticketmaster partners with Allianz to offer the FanGuard Ticket Refund Protection program.
Ticket insurance provides coverage in case you can’t attend the event for covered reasons like:
- Illness or injury preventing event attendance
- Traffic accidents en route to the event
- Home emergencies like flooding or fire damage
- Severe weather events
It also offers protection if the event is canceled altogether and the organizer doesn’t provide refunds. FanGuard policies start at around $5 per ticket depending on the cost of the tickets.
Dispute With Your Credit Card
If you purchased your tickets with a credit card and still have not received them or a refund from Ticketmaster, you may need to dispute the charges with your card provider. This should be a last resort after attempting to resolve the issue directly with Ticketmaster.
To dispute a credit card charge, you’ll need to submit a claim in writing to your card issuer explaining the situation. Include copies of your ticket order, communications with Ticketmaster support, and any other relevant documentation.
The credit card company will contact Ticketmaster to investigate the dispute on your behalf and make a final determination. If the dispute is found in your favor, you’ll receive a credit for the amount of the ticket purchase.
Request a Refund
If you exhaust all options for tracking down your Ticketmaster tickets with no success, the final recourse is to ask for a full refund on the order. Start by calling or emailing Ticketmaster support – don’t simply request a chargeback on your credit card.
Ticketmaster’s policies on refunds, exchanges, and cancellations vary depending on the event. In general, refunds are provided if:
- The event is canceled with no makeup date
- The event date or venue is changed and you can no longer attend
- There is a material error in ticket details like incorrect seating
- Tickets cannot be delivered and replacements are unavailable
If your reason for wanting a refund falls within Ticketmaster’s policies, submit your request for a full refund of the ticket purchase amount. Allow some time for processing – you should receive your Ticketmaster refund within 30 days if approved.
Use Caution Buying from Third-Parties
If you didn’t buy your tickets directly through Ticketmaster’s official website or box offices, take extra precautions. Third-party sellers on sites like eBay, Craigslist, and Stubhub are risky to buy from.
Fake tickets are common when buying from resellers. You also aren’t guaranteed any buyer protection or recourse if the tickets never arrive or are fraudulent. Your best bet is to only buy through licensed Ticketmaster ticket exchanges.
To avoid fake ticket scams:
- Meet seller in person when able to physically inspect tickets
- Pay only through secure merchant services, avoid wire transfers
- Verify legitimacy by contacting the box office
- Look for ticket guarantees or insurance when provided
Buying from an unauthorized vendor makes getting help much harder if you end up empty-handed. Always search for tickets directly through Ticketmaster first to ensure authenticity.
Plan Ahead to Avoid Issues
The best way to avoid a situation where your event tickets don’t arrive is prevention. When purchasing tickets, always:
- Double check all ticket details are accurate before completing order
- Enter billing and shipping addresses correctly to avoid delivery delays
- Pay with a credit card for added fraud protection
- Opt for mobile ticket delivery to access tickets quickly
- Add extra time cushion around delivery dates in case of delays
- Buy only from official Ticketmaster sales channels
- Save order confirmation details in case you need to contact support
With mobile ticketing, many issues around lost, stolen, or forgotten tickets can now be avoided. But problems can still occur in the ticket ordering and delivery process.
By following best practices when purchasing, you’ll be well equipped to track down missing tickets or solve any other issues promptly with help from Ticketmaster’s support team.
Conclusion
Having an event rapidly approaching only to realize your Ticketmaster tickets haven’t arrived is stressful. But there are ways to remedy the situation and get your hands on those tickets in time for the big day.
Start by double checking all your order details and delivery method. See if tickets are available via your smartphone app or check incoming mail diligently. If tickets still can’t be located, reach out to Ticketmaster’s helpful customer support right away.
You may need to allow time for replacement tickets to be issued if yours were lost or stolen. Ticket insurance can provide coverage in case you need to cancel over a covered conflict. And if all other options fail, request a full refund so you aren’t out the ticket cost.
While buying event tickets third-party comes with risks, taking a few key precautions when ordering tickets directly through Ticketmaster can help ensure a smooth process from order to event entry.
