Why can I not buy tickets on Ticketmaster?

There are a few possible reasons why you may be having trouble purchasing tickets on Ticketmaster:

High Demand

The most common reason for not being able to buy tickets is that the event is extremely popular and tickets are selling out very quickly. Ticketmaster is one of the largest ticket vendors, so when tickets for a major concert, show, or sporting event go on sale, the Ticketmaster website and app can get overloaded with traffic. This high demand can cause error messages, glitches, or prevent users from accessing tickets before they sell out.

Solutions for High Demand

• Get online early – Be ready on the Ticketmaster website or app right when tickets go on sale to improve your chances of getting through.
• Use pre-sales – Many events have pre-sale opportunities for members of fan clubs or credit card holders which can give you early access before the general public tickets go on sale.
• Try alternative vendors – If Ticketmaster is too overloaded with traffic, see if tickets are available on other vendor sites like the box office, AXS, SeatGeek, StubHub, VividSeats, etc.

Technical Issues

With the huge volume of traffic Ticketmaster receives during busy sales, there can be technical issues on Ticketmaster’s servers that cause errors or crashes which prevent purchases from going through properly. Some common technical issues include:

Solutions for Technical Issues

• Refresh/retry – If you get an error during checkout, try refreshing the page or starting over.
• Use a different browser/device – Sometimes switching browsers or going from desktop to mobile or vice versa can help.
• Contact support – Get in touch with Ticketmaster customer service for assistance if errors persist.
• Wait and retry later – If errors are widespread, it may be an overall system problem that will clear up later.

Bots/Scalpers Buying Tickets

Due to very high demand, tickets for hot events often sell out immediately because bots and scalpers use special software to buy up huge blocks of tickets the moment they go on sale. This leaves few tickets available for regular fans to actually purchase:

Solutions for Bots/Scalpers

• Buy early – Purchase immediately once onsale begins to get in before bots can grab them all.
• Use Ticketmaster Verified Fan – Some events now use a Verified Fan system where you pre-register for a code to get verified access to a presale.
• Check other sources – If bots got all the Ticketmaster inventory, check secondary market sites for resale tickets.
• Complain to artist/venue – Ask performers to use more anti-bot measures and limit ticket amounts per buyer.

Event is Sold Out

In many cases, the reason you cannot buy tickets on Ticketmaster is simply that the event is genuinely sold out. Popular concerts, games, shows, etc. will often sell all available tickets in minutes or even seconds today. Some things that can cause fast sell outs:

• Low ticket supply – Venues have limited seating/capacity so they can only sell so many tickets.
• instant sellouts mentioned earlier from high demand.
• Lack of extra dates added – For very hot tours or events, sometimes 2-3x more dates need to added to meet demand.

Solutions for Sold Out Events

• Get access codes for future sales – Some events release more tickets over time so signup for notifications.
• Check for additional dates – Keep monitoring for added shows if it is a concert tour.
• Buy resale tickets – Use secondary market sites like StubHub to buy from other fans reselling tickets.
• Join fan clubs – Artist/team fan clubs often get ticket presale access.

Payment Issues

Sometimes there are problems or glitches processing payments that can prevent ticket purchases from completing properly. Some potential payment problems:

• Expired/declined credit card – Make sure card is valid and has funds available.
• Fraud protection hold – Large ticket charges can sometimes get flagged as potentially fraudulent by the bank.
• Incorrect billing info – Double check billing address matches bank records.
• Third party vendor problems – If using PayPal, Apple Pay, etc. issues with their system could impact purchase.

Solutions for Payment Issues

• Call bank to remove fraud hold if flagged.
• Update payment info and billing address in Ticketmaster before purchasing.
• Use another payment method – Try different card or payment service.
• Contact Ticketmaster – Their support team may be able to assist with payment issues.

Account Verification/Validation Problems

Ticketmaster may require new users to verify or validate their account before allowing ticket purchases. This is done to prevent bots and scalpers. But it can also inadvertently block real fans if there are problems with the verification process. Some potential verification issues:

• Confirming email/phone number – Making sure you can access email/texts sent during verification.
• Entering codes correctly – Mistyping sent codes can lead to errors.
• Using VPNs/third party sites – These sites are often blocked for verification.
• Names not matching records – Your account name must match the payment billing name.

Solutions for Verification Issues

• Check spam folders for any emails or texts sent during verification in case they were missed.
• Double check entered codes match what was sent character for character.
• Make sure you are accessing Ticketmaster directly rather than through any third party sites or VPNs.
• Update account name if changed recently – it must match billing name on payment method.
• Contact Ticketmaster – they can help troubleshoot and override faulty verification attempts if necessary.

Website Glitches

With Ticketmaster handling millions of visitors at peak sales times, there can simply be minor glitches, bugs or errors that temporarily prevent purchases from going through properly. Some website issues that can happen include:

• Pages freezing or crashing
• Buttons not working properly
• Error messages appearing incorrectly
• Problems selecting or finding correct tickets

Solutions for Website Glitches

• Refresh browser page to clear any errors.
• Try another web browser if pages are freezing.
• Clear browser cookies/cache to eliminate glitches.
• Use the Ticketmaster mobile app if the desktop website has problems.
• Contact Ticketmaster support if any error messages persist.

Strict Ticket Limits

To try and give more individual fans access over scalpers, many high demand events now have very strict limits on the number of tickets each person can buy. Common limits include:

• 4-8 ticket maximum per purchaser.
• Limits on number of tickets for floor/front row seats.
• Restrictions on purchasing multiple sets of tickets if there are presales.

These limits can prevent large groups or many people buying from the same account. If you exceed stated limits, your order may get cancelled or you may not be able to complete checkout.

Solutions for Ticket Limits

• Read limit details carefully before ordering and stick within them.
• Split up ticket purchases across different accounts if your group exceeds limits.
• Prioritize most important seats first if faced with stricter limits on premium tickets.

coordinated effectively to enforce strict limits and give more individuals a fair chance at buying tickets. This may mean taking extra steps like:

• Setting up multiple user accounts ahead of time with valid payment methods entered.
• Making sure billing names match across accounts.
• Entering the onsale precisely at the specified start time across accounts.
• Quickly grabbing specific ticket blocks per account before others sell out.

While this does require more work, it allows you to maximize your chances working within the set ticket limits.

Banned or Blacklisted Account

In some cases, Ticketmaster may ban or blacklist certain accounts from purchasing tickets. This is most often done to block known scalpers or bots abusing the system, but sometimes real fans get caught up too. You may be blocked from buying tickets if:

• You exceed posted ticket limits.
• Your account is associated with scalping activities.
• Your payment information is connected to suspicious accounts.
• You violate other Terms of Use policies.

Solutions if Banned

• Appeal the ban if you feel it was in error.
• Create a new account with separate payment method not associated with previous ban.
• Use a different Ticketmaster account not linked to banned one.
• Abide carefully by all ticket limits and policies going forward.
• Contact customer support for assistance with banned account issues.

Unfortunate Timing

The timing of when you access Ticketmaster to purchase tickets can also have a big impact on whether you are successful or not:

Being on Ticketmaster precisely when tickets go on sale is the worst time as heavy traffic can prevent access. By timing your entry after the initial rush or during presales, your odds improve significantly.

Solutions for Timing Issues

• Be ready on Ticketmaster site ahead of onsale but don’t refresh right at onsale time.
• Sign up for presale codes then logon and buy as soon as received.
• Don’t delay purchasing – buy quickly once sales open before tickets disappear.

Conclusion

There are many potential reasons you may have difficulty buying tickets through Ticketmaster, ranging from high demand and technical issues to problems with your account or payment method. Carefully going through the possible causes and using solutions like updating your account information, trying during presales, or checking other vendors can greatly improve your chances of getting tickets.

The bottom line when trying to buy hot tickets on Ticketmaster is perseverance, preparation, and timing. With so much competition, it helps to be signed up and ready to go in advance across multiple devices, have backup payment methods available, and be strategic about when you enter the purchasing process. While navigating Ticketmaster sales can be frustrating, hopefully knowing the key reasons you can’t buy tickets and having the right solutions will help lead to successful ticket purchases for your desired events.