Key Takeaways
If your tickets don't sell on Ticketmaster before the resale deadline, the listing comes down, the tickets return to your account, and they are not refundable. Tickets often don't sell because they are priced above the market, the event is not in high demand, or they were posted too close to the event when buyers hold out. If your tickets are transferable, you can still sell them somewhere else after a Ticketmaster listing ends. The fastest option when the event is close is to submit them on XP and get real offers from interested buyers in minutes, with no seller fees and no obligation to accept.
If your tickets don't sell on Ticketmaster, the resale listing comes down at the deadline, the tickets go back to your account, and Ticketmaster does not refund you. That is not the end of the road. If your tickets can be transferred, you can still sell them on another platform, and when the event is close the fastest way to avoid getting stuck is to submit them on XP for real offers in minutes instead of waiting on a listing. If Ticketmaster never let you list the tickets in the first place, that is a different problem, and here is why Ticketmaster won't let you sell your tickets.
What happens when your tickets don't sell on Ticketmaster?
When a resale listing doesn't sell before the deadline Ticketmaster sets, the listing is removed, the tickets return to your account, and you keep them. They are not refundable, so you are not paid and the face value is not returned. Ticketmaster sends an email letting you know the listing has ended. At that point the tickets are yours again to use, transfer, or sell somewhere else.
Why don't tickets sell on Ticketmaster?
A few reasons cover most cases. The price is above what buyers are paying for comparable seats. The event is not in high enough demand to clear every listing. A lot of identical listings are competing on the same event. Or the tickets went up too close to the event, when many buyers have already bought or are holding out for a cheaper seat. Lowering your price can help, but it is a race against the resale deadline.
How long do you have to sell tickets on Ticketmaster?
Ticketmaster sets a resale deadline for each event, usually somewhere from a few days to a few hours before it starts, and it varies by event and venue. Your listing stays active until it sells or the deadline passes. You can check the deadline in My Tickets under your listing. Once it passes, the listing ends on its own and the tickets return to you.
Can you relist or lower the price?
Yes, as long as the listing is still active and the deadline has not passed. You can edit the price in My Tickets to make your seats more competitive, or cancel and relist them. Every change is still bound by the same resale deadline, so dropping the price at the last moment may not leave a buyer enough time to find and book your seats.
What to do if your tickets still haven't sold
If the event is getting close and your Ticketmaster listing still hasn't sold, waiting is the riskiest choice, because once the deadline passes the tickets are yours and not refundable. If your tickets are transferable, you have better options than waiting it out:
- Lower the price while there is still time before the deadline.
- Move them to another resale site. Our guide to how to sell tickets on StubHub walks through that, though those sites charge a seller fee.
- Submit them on XP and get real offers from interested buyers in minutes, with no listing to manage and no seller fees. You can accept, counter, decline, or wait, and your tickets don't move until the buyer's money is secured. For more on skipping the listing wait, see how to resell concert tickets without the fees.
If your tickets are non-transferable, they are locked to your account and can't be sold anywhere, so your options are to use them, bring a guest, or give them to someone who can go.
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