Disappointed Celine Dion fans slam Ticketmaster as tickets sell out

Celine Dion fans are livid after issues with Ticketmaster today. Photo / AP

Disappointed fans are lashing out at Ticketmaster after Celine Dion tickets sold out instantly and reappeared on Ticketmaster's resale site for more than $1000.

Tickets to the superstar's show went on sale at midday but scores of fans have reported that tickets were immediately unavailable.

At first they thought it was a glitch in the website, but then they realised tickets were sold out and popping back up on Ticketmaster Resale instead, at substantially higher prices.

One fan wrote on Facebook: "Why is it that we were on the site dead on midday and still couldn't get tickets and also through presale? Very annoying as there seems to be a lot available now through resale at 900 bucks each!"

Another added: "Looks like everyone had the same problem as us. No luck with pre sale then today no tickets available for the 11th despite being on at 12 on the dot. Yet somehow there are heaps on resale websites!?"

Ticketmaster responded to the disgruntled fans by saying: "This is a highly popular event with thousands of people trying to secure multiple tickets" and that people should "keep trying".

Promoters Frontier Touring have since confirmed the show was an immediate sell-out saying all tickets were on order as soon as the sale started at 12pm.

But the fact that tickets were immediately listed on Ticketmaster's Resale site for as much as $1150, has led some fans to label the situation a "scam".

How do you justify running a re-sale site where people can sell tickets they’ve just bought on your main site for 3 or 4x their face value??
That’s a joke. I get people might buy extras ‘just in case’ but you can control their resale price

— Dave Lloyd (@kapitidave) February 18, 2018

One fan wrote: "The usual Ticketmaster crap where the tickets only exist if you buy them from their overpriced scalping service."

Another slammed Ticketmaster for "allowing scalpers to raid the tickets then sell at 150% market while is absolutely dire hard music fans can't go to the shows even though we are online right on 12 as scalpers taken the whole lot." The fan added: "My dear 85 year old dream to go to Celine and I've missed out a second time."

And another said: "This truly has been ridiculous! Have been ready to order since just before 12 and apparently all sold out - but yet people can resale tickets at twice the price - Ticketmaster you should make those tickets invalid as when selling at twice the price they could be bought for must be scalpers at work. If genuinely a resale then they should only be able to be listed at cost."

Very disappointed, have been waiting to get Celine tickets for ages. Says we’re forbidden on every browser no matter what we do. Finally got through - went to purchase tickets at exactly 12:00pm. Not one ticket was available! Site is quick to show resale which are 5x the price!

— Sophie Alexander (@sophalexander27) February 18, 2018

This is not the first time Ticketmaster has come under fire like this; there was a similar backlash when Adele toured New Zealand early last year.

A Ticketmaster spokesperson at the time said: "Ticketmaster Resale provides a platform for fans to sell unwanted tickets and a safe purchase option for events. Ticketing marketplaces are dynamic and react to demand.

"With high-profile events, tickets are sometimes listed at prices higher than the face value, but they will often be listed at or below face value as well. Ticket holders, not Ticketmaster Resale, control the inventory and the price of the tickets."

Ticketmaster also informed fans that, "While part of the same family, Resale operate independently to Ticketmaster."