Taylor Swift Fans Are Demanding Justice After Ticketmaster Presale Meltdown

Taylor Swift fans are beyond pissed after Ticketmaster websites across the nation “broke” this week, causing delays and disappointment for those desperate for coveted tickets to see Swift live for the first time in five years at her upcoming Eras tour.

As many predicted, the process of obtaining tickets to the multi-city tour was… challenging, to put it lightly. Really, the experience has evolved into a complete dumpster fire, with some even seeking legal action against the ticket sale websites that failed them — and that’s just for the presale tickets.

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Fans got a preview of the issues to come on Nov. 15 when credit card company Capital One sponsored the official Eras TaylorSwiftTix presale. Within seconds of the release, major ticket-purchasing sites like Live Nation froze and crashed. Gone was the hope of obtaining an early ticket at a normal price.

“Waited in line for @taylorswift13 tickets for 8 hours today,” tweeted @SydneySarah1 on Nov. 15. “And @SeatGeek charged me 14+ times for tickets I was never able to purchase. So now my bank accounts (happened on multiple cards) are frozen, I’m broke, it overdrafted my accounts, and I did NOT get tickets 😭😭” 

Waited in line for @taylorswift13 tickets for 8 hours today. And @SeatGeek charged me 14+ times for tickets I was never able to purchase. So now my bank accounts (happened on multiple cards) are frozen, I’m broke, it overdrafted my accounts, and I did NOT get tickets 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/OlbDiwPVr2

— Sydney Wallace (@SydneySarah1) November 16, 2022

Swift herself, who was almost overly active on social media during her Midnights album campaign, has been noticeably quiet on the subject.

“I would like taylor swift herself to try to get tickets to her own show,” Twitter user @bettykissitbttr simply put as well.

i would like taylor swift herself to try to get tickets to her own show

— brie 🌈🍇🌙✨ (@bettykissitbttr) November 15, 2022

Ticketmaster issued a very basic response to the disgruntled fans, blaming the issues on the “historically unprecedented demand” and a few attempts to redo the presale the following day. 

The outcries have been so loud, however, that now, local politicians are even getting involved. Many are calling Ticketmaster a monopoly in the event industry and claiming that consumer antitrust could go as far as a criminal offense.

TMZ reported that Tennessee’s Attorney General, “questions Ticketmaster’s lack of preparation…given the company’s size, it should’ve been ready.”

Senator Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut agrees and has been suspicious of the Live Nation/Ticketmaster merger for quite some time.

“I’ve long urged DOJ to investigate the state of competition in the ticketing industry,” he tweeted on Nov. 16. “Consumers deserve better than this anti-hero behavior.”

Ticketmaster—I knew you were trouble way back in 2009 when I asked questions about your ticketing practices as AG. Long story short, your anti-competitive behavior has been no love story for Taylor Swift concertgoers. pic.twitter.com/Be9Q1u3NSB

— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) November 17, 2022

The general public has a chance to score some additional tickets on Friday, Nov. 18, but little is known as to whether the Ticketmaster issues will be resolved by then. 

It’s unlikely Ticketmaster will do much to ensure fans get a better experience this time around; if anything, issues may be even worse based on the amount of folks who don’t have a Capital One card.

Is there any hope for a ticketless Swiftie? Resales are already underway on StubHub, but prices are outrageous as one can imagine. If you’re hoping to see one of the first shows in Glendale, Arizona for example, expect to pay at least $350 per ticket for seats allllll the way in the back row.

A small glimmer of hope exists in additional tour dates that have been added since the presale, and will likely continue to be added as the year goes on.