System errors left millions unable to purchase tickets in Nov
Taylor Swift is releasing additional tickets to her upcoming Eras Tour to Verified Fans who were unable to purchase them due to system errors with Ticketmaster last month. Fans who were chosen to participate in the second on-sale were notified on Monday (Dec 12th) via email.
“You were identified as a fan who received a boost during the Verified Fan presale but did not purchase tickets,” Ticketmaster says in a note on their website. “We apologize for the difficulties you may have experienced, and have been asked by Taylor’s team to create this additional opportunity for you to purchase tickets.”
Chosen fans will receive their individual invite to submit their purchase request by Friday, December 23rd. Invitations will be staggered by tour dates in each city to avoid any issues.
Ticketmaster will confirm each ticket request before charging for up to two tickets per request. Once charged, fans will be receive a notification on how to claim their tickets which are non transferrable or refundable.
It’s unclear what dates are being offered and what tickets will cost.
As previously reported, millions of fans were unable to purchase concert tickets to Taylor Swift’s The Ears Tour during the Ticketmaster Verified Fan presale. Millions waited in a digital line for hours hoping to score at least one seat to her 52 date tour next year. However, due to technical issues, many were left without a single ticket, and the company canceled the public on sale due to system issues and “insufficient remaining ticket inventory.”
Ticketmaster apologized to Swift and her fans for botching the presale and canceling the public on sale. The company also released an updated public statement (after removing an initial statement from the website a day earlier) about what went wrong during the Verified Fan presale that left millions of fans without tickets.
“We strive to make ticket buying as easy as possible for fans, but that hasn’t been the case for many people trying to buy tickets for Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour,” they write. “First, we want to apologize to Taylor and all of her fans – especially those who had a terrible experience trying to purchase tickets. Next, we feel we owe it to everyone to share some information to help explain what happened.”
The US Justice Department has opened an antitrust investigation into Live Nation over concerns the company has abused its power. The investigation focuses on whether Live Nation Entertainment maintains a monopoly over the multi-billion dollar industry, and was already in progress before the Taylor Swift ticket debacle.
The botched presale has resulted in many fans suing Ticketmaster for “allowing bots and scalpers to royally screw up the November 15 presale event.”
