If you managed to snag tickets to Olivia Rodrigo’s “Sour” tour, then good for you.
Many of Rodrigo’s fans ended up disappointed and frustrated on Friday after they said Ticketmaster’s technical difficulties kept them from buying the coveted tickets when they went on sale.
Fans said they were siphoned into digital queues just to get into the online waiting room to purchase tickets, which sold out in minutes and are now being sold on third-party sites for upwards of $9,000 each.
Rodrigo, who is nominated for seven Grammy awards including “Album of the Year,” announced her 2022 tour for her debut album “Sour” earlier this month.
She’ll perform in 41 cities in the United States, Canada, and Europe, and in venues that some fans online say are too small.
For a better chance at securing such high-demand tickets, North American fans had the option of registering as “Verified Fans” to enter a lottery to buy tickets.
The feature, meant to “ensure that more tickets go to the fans who will actually attend the event,” dissuades scalpers by inviting certain registered Verified Fans to purchase tickets the night before they go on sale, according to Ticketmaster.
Ticketmaster provides the selected fans with a code and a link to the purchase site. When tickets go on sale, the selected fans can use the link provided in the invitation, which places them in a “Smart Queue” that “keeps ticket bots out.” Once they reach the end of the queue, the selected fans may enter the access code, which will allow them to browse and purchase tickets.
July 16, 202101:10
But even some fans who were selected as Verified Fans said they had trouble accessing Ticketmaster’s site, and many online complained that they received error messages when they tried to sign in.
A spokesperson for Ticketmaster did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment.
However, the ticketing site tweeted that it was aware the site was “experiencing intermittent issues.” In a later update, Ticketmaster said the issue had been resolved.
“We thank you for your patience,” the tweet read.
Fans who couldn’t get tickets commiserated with each other on Twitter.
Some fans complained that counter to its design, the Verified Fan feature still allowed scalpers to snag tickets and then resell them.
Others also claimed that Ticketmaster failed to send access codes to selected Verified Fans who were trying to purchase tickets for the tour’s venue in Austin, Texas.
Those who were able to make it through the queue and browse general admission tickets shared screenshots of the astronomical prices, which Ticketmaster adjusts according to demand under its “Official Platinum” service.
Ticketmaster also allows for buyers to resell tickets on its site, where current ticket prices for Rodrigo’s Los Angeles show range from $460 to $4,090. Screenshots posted on Twitter show ticket resales for other venues around the country priced at thousands of dollars. Scalpers in San Francisco are selling tickets for Rodrigo’s show for a staggering $9,000.
For fans still disgruntled by the exorbitant ticket resale prices, the feeling appeared unanimous: it’s brutal out here.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
