Did Ticketmaster Crash Taylor Swift?
Recently, Taylor Swift announced her “Reputation” stadium tour, which guarantees to be one of the greatest musical events of the year. Swift, who is a multi-award winning musician and has millions of fans all over the globe, began ticket sale of her upcoming concert tour via Ticketmaster, the online ticket platform giant. However, some fans complained that Ticketmaster crashed during the ticket sale process, leading to outrage and frustration among those who were unable to purchase tickets. The question on everyone’s lips is, did Ticketmaster crash Taylor Swift?
What happened?
On December 1st, 2017, Taylor Swift announced her first tour dates for her upcoming Reputation world stadium tour. Tickets were made available for purchase by online ticket vendors, such as Ticketmaster, on December 13th, 2017. As expected, the demand for tickets was high, and fans were ready to snap up tickets as soon as they went on sale. But fans eagerly anticipating to purchase tickets ran into several problems during the ticket sale process. Ticketmaster’s websites, both its desktop and mobile application, began to experience delays and glitches, and fans struggled to access the site.Despite the initial hiccups, the tickets sold out in just a matter of minutes, reassuring fans that the tour will, without a doubt, be a huge hit. However, what happened during the ticketing process? Was it Ticketmaster’s fault?
Did Ticketmaster crash the sale?
The answer is no. Ticketmaster did not crash the ticket sale of Taylor Swift’s “Reputation” stadium tour. The company used a Queue-it system, a virtual waiting room, for fans to access the page and conduct their transactions. The virtual waiting room meant that fans waited for up to 20 minutes, depending on when they accessed the site. What this meant was that those who were at the back of the queue experienced a delay in acquiring tickets. Those who accessed the platform early had a better chance of obtaining tickets. Additionally, Ticketmaster employed a Verified Fan program that allowed fans to register and receive unique codes via text message. The program aimed to block ticket scalpers and bots from buying up vast quantities of tickets, ultimately allowing true fans who registered to receive early access to the sale.
What went wrong?
Despite Ticketmaster’s efforts, there were still problems with the ticket sale process. Many fans reported server errors, which prevented them from accessing Ticketmaster’s website altogether. Fans were unable to access the purchasing platform, resulting in frustration and disappointment.But why did these errors occur? One reason for the server error was due to the sheer number of fans trying to access the Ticketmaster websites all at once. The demand for Taylor Swift tickets was high and by far exceeded what was anticipated. Ticketmaster’s technical infrastructure struggled to cope with the traffic, resulting in some fans being locked out of the system.
Conclusion
In summary, did Ticketmaster crash Taylor Swift’s “Reputation” stadium tour? No, it did not. Ticketmaster did create a virtual waiting room and Verified Fan program, thereby helping to curb ticket scalpers from buying up vast quantities of tickets. However, the unexpected high demand for tickets meant that Ticketmaster’s systems struggled under the pressure, which caused frustration and disappointment for fans who wanted to buy tickets. While Ticketmaster has made efforts to improve its infrastructure, it is recommended that fans use multiple browser windows or devices to secure their ticket purchase. Additionally, fans should try accessing the site early to ensure that they can acquire tickets when they go on sale. Ultimately, to avoid frustration, it is essential to plan ahead and be prepared before the ticket sale day.