Ticketmaster cancels general public sale for Taylor Swift concert tickets

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - A Ticketmaster ticket debacle has some Taylor Swift fans singing the blues after pulling the plug a day before the 11-time Grammy winner’s concert tickets were set to go on sale to the general public.

Ticket sales were canceled due to high demand, lack of ticket availability, and system failure, according to a Nov. 17 tweet by the company.

Some fans were left feeling some bad blood when the ticket promoter’s website crashed due to overwhelming Taylor Swift ticket demand. It’s the first time in five years that the singer and songwriter will return to the live stage, which is likely why fans can’t so easily shake it off.

Swift’s legion of fans have nothing but love for the songbird.

“Ticketmaster takes the $490 out of my account, but it like crashed,” one social media user said.

“There has been historically unprecedented demand with millions showing up to buy tickets for Swift’s tour,” Ticketmaster said in a statement.

Swift, the first artist ever to have 10 songs in the top 10 spots on the Hot 100 at the same time, is a gem in the music industry. With the ticket problems, many are still hoping to land concert tickets.

But, at what cost?

19 News found Taylor Swift concert tickets for her Las Vegas stop on StubHub, a direct competitor of Ticketmaster. The tickets range from $324 to $245,000. Experts say the resale of tickets is a likely cause of the limited availability.

Ericka Dilworth with the Better Business Bureau of Greater Cleveland says buyer beware, especially if you are not familiar with who you are buying from, “It’s going to happen on Facebook, it’s going to happen on text messages, it’s going to happen on social media where someone is going to try and sell tickets that they claim they have.”

Ticketmaster’s debacle is striking a chord with some lawmakers questioning the dominance of Ticketmaster as the country’s largest concert promoter.

Ohio does not have a price-gouging law, according to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, whose office told 19 News they are examining the state’s consumer practice statute to determine if there is a legal theory available under Ohio law.

Yost’s office also told 19 News they are accepting complaints on ticketing problems.

Those affected have been asked to call their hotline at 800-282-0515.

This is a developing story. Return to 19 News for updates.

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