Taylor Swift is playing just four shows next year in support of her latest record, and when tickets went on sale yesterday, fans were left empty-handed after hours waiting in the queue line due to problems with Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program.
Lover, Swift’s seventh studio album, dropped last month. The record, which is bubbly and love-driven, differs from 2017’s Reputation, a vengeful and darker album. Rather than play stadiums like on the Reputation Tour, Swift decided to switch things up a bit in 2020 with festival-inspired shows. She announced two “Lover Fests” which will take place over two days in Boston and Los Angeles. Thus, millions of fans were left vying for tickets to just four shows across the U.S.
Fans had to sign up for presale tickets using Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program and those that were lucky enough to receive a code had the chance to try and purchase tickets yesterday. A virtual queue opened at 4 p.m. EST, but thousands of people left without tickets. Some took to Twitter to share their experience, noting that the queue line was a “joke” filled with thousands of people. Fans complained that the line never moved, the website faced technical difficulties, and the process was a “disaster.”
Mine has been stuck at 2000+ for 24 minutes. What’s going on?
— nat (@tweetsdaswift) October 14, 2019
What do you suggest for people who got kicked out after making it through the queue? The process would be great if it worked, but I made it all the way through the queue and then wasn’t able to purchase tickets because of an error
— Calie Giangi (@cmgiraffe11) October 14, 2019
Six hours in a queue only to be met with this. What’s the point of pre-registering if people can’t even get a chance to buy? pic.twitter.com/p2VWWAH8TN
— Kat Bee (@katbeee) October 15, 2019
What do you do when it says you are already in the queue but you’re not. I accidentally exited out of the browser so it won’t let be back in pic.twitter.com/HRIgrYgQtc
— Danielle DeTeresa (@ddeteresa13) October 14, 2019
For those in the queue for Taylor Swift tickets please continue to wait. There are a variety of seats to select throughout the venue. If you were removed from the queue, please rejoin. Thank you for your patience and we’ll continue to get everyone in as quickly as we can.
— Ticketmaster Fan Support (@TMFanSupport) October 14, 2019
Ticketmaster assured fans that they would get tickets if they just waited in line, but this wasn’t the case.
What a joke. 45 min in waiting room, then 90 min. In line with 2000+ in front of me. Line never moved, tickets are gone. Pre register, passwords and all this nonsense and scalpers still end up with the seats. @taylorswift13 needs a better system. #TaylorSwifttickets
— Jim Cardillo (@CardilloJim) October 14, 2019
I’m so sad. I wait for 4+ hours to buy @taylorswift13 tickets to get told there are only overpriced “platinum” tickets left. My husband and I just got married and all we wanted was to go ?? pic.twitter.com/PhD7t4NUIs
— RandyD778 (@D778Randy) October 15, 2019
Luv it’s been almost an hour and i’m still begins 2000+ people, ur system is flawed
— angelina (@SlGNOFTlMES) October 14, 2019
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME. FIRST, I waited for 900 people to buy their tickets. Cool. When it got to 1 person, it lagged for a LONG time. FINALLY I GET IN. I go to purchase tickets. ERROR. this is a complete joke. I’m literally sobbing. @Ticketmaster @taylorswift13 @taylornation13 pic.twitter.com/ldQHxB0GJ7
— ????, miranda (@redheadlovesRED) October 14, 2019
Waited for 3+ hours through the @Ticketmaster process only to have my heart broken at the last second??? @TMFanSupport @taylornation13 that was just cruel to make me think I actually had a chance to get @taylorswift13 tickets as a verified fan ??????? pic.twitter.com/9fJ4oUs3Sh
— Madi loves Tay? (@swift_life_babe) October 14, 2019
To make matters worse, superfans who had “boosts” from previous ticket and merchandise sales on the previous tour that were supposed to have first access to tickets still faced difficulties. Even as a “top tier” Verified Fan, it was still impossible for some to score seats.
Glad to know Lover Fest East tickets are already sold out even though I was a top tier verified fan and have been waiting on a queue of more than 2,000 people for almost a half hour now? I love you @taylorswift13 but pissing off some of your most dedicated fans is NOT the move
— Melanie Quick (@melquicker13) October 14, 2019
What??? I had highest priority with 1 person in front of me. It automatically refreshed & then I had 2000 + pic.twitter.com/akywHse6iE
— Sherry Never Met Taylor?❤️??? (@SherryPoniewaz) October 14, 2019
There is no way this is based on boosts because people are tweeting that they just got tickets to their first Taylor Swift tour, but lifelong fans like me have been waiting in line for over an hour??? Please understand how frustrating this is.
— Sabrina (@beanieee22) October 14, 2019
Look @Ticketmaster I had a CRAZY amount of boosts for rep & was priority for those tickets but waited for HOURS tonight only to get stuck with $100 nosebleed seats for LoverFest West. I am SO DISAPPOINTED! This is not the experience or service I expected. @taylornation13
— ????, Nikki ? (@Ding_Gorgeous) October 15, 2019
So boosts counted for nothing? I was the first batch for rep tour and yet here I am over half an hour waiting in this queue and there’s STILL 2000+ in front of me
— “Hi Adammm!!!” LOVER SECRET SESSIONS – NASHVILLE (@TheAdamReeves) October 14, 2019
Can you all just admit the boosts meant nothing and go?
— J? (@jackief_13) October 14, 2019
I’ve been to every single concert since fearless, I had a ton of boosts from reputation and qualified for presale then, I logged on at 3:30 for the waiting room, I love u @taylorswift13 but I can not believe I just waisted 5 hours for nothing I’ve never been so angry and upset.
— julia (@philly_swiftie) October 15, 2019
What happened to our boosts counting? I had 3,000 – 4,000 boosts and now I can’t get in and was kicked out of the queue? This is unfair.
— “Christina? It’s been a while!” (@caa1317) October 14, 2019
@Ticketmaster is a fucking shitshow! Legit been waiting in the @taylorswift13 queue for over an HOUR and I’m no where close to being able to get tickets…this sucks. I did all those boosts to be top tier for what…how else you want me to prove I’m one of her biggest fans
— Hayley McManus (@hayleymcmanus53) October 14, 2019
Fans were so upset with Ticketmaster and its Verified Fan system that a Change.org petition was created to stop the pop star from using Ticketmaster, calling the customer service “horrendous.”
This is starkly similar to the difficulties Billie Eilish fans faced while trying to purchase tickets to her Where Do We Go? Tour earlier this month. The rising pop star, who is touring in support of her debut album, rose to fame in such a short amount of time, and when her tickets went on sale through the Verified Fan program, thousands of fans were left in the dust. Eilish’s fans noted that they were kicked out of the queue, received error messages, or were “wait-listed.”
Swifties have the chance to try and purchase tickets when Lover Fests head on general sale this Thursday, but likely, they’ll face the same issues that arose during the presale until the Verified Fan system makes some serious changes.
