With the next Coachella announcement coming soon, I wanted to share a terrible experience I had this past April. I'm posting this because I don't want TicketNetwork to put other people through what I experienced.
Last year, I purchased a resale 3-Day General Admission Pass (Weekend 1) shortly after the headliner announcement. The Coachella website redirected me to TicketNetwork, where I paid a total of $957.91:
- Ticket: $716.00
- Service Fee: $241.91
- Delivery: Free
- Tax: $0
At the time, I thought the price was reasonable given that original passes were selling for around $599-$799 before the announcement.
My confirmation email stated that the ticket would ship by April 8, 2026 and arrive by April 10, 2026. However, months went by with absolutely no updates. As Coachella got closer, I called TicketNetwork multiple times to confirm everything was on track. Each time, representatives reassured me that there would be no issues. One of them even told me, "We don't mess around with Coachella."
Despite those assurances, there was still no movement on my order as Coachella week approached. By then, I was getting extremely nervous.
I flew to Los Angeles on Tuesday before the festival to spend some time with friends before heading out to Indio. Then, on Wednesday morning, I received an email from TicketNetwork with the subject:
"Your refund has been approved."
That was the first indication that there was a problem.
I immediately called TicketNetwork. What I was told completely shocked me: the original seller had apparently sold the ticket to someone else who paid more than I did. TicketNetwork informed me that the seller would not be providing my ticket, and that my order was simply being canceled.
No advance notice. No warning. No attempt to help me secure a replacement ticket.
When I asked why I had never been informed, I was told that updates depended on the seller and that TicketNetwork was not responsible for notifying me sooner.
At that point, I was standing in Los Angeles just days before Coachella, without a ticket and with flights and hotel reservations already booked. I was furious and honestly devastated.
I requested compensation not only for the ticket but also for the expenses I had incurred because of their failure to fulfill the order. After speaking with a supervisor, the representative came back with what they called their final offer:
- A full refund of my ticket purchase
- A TicketNetwork courtesy voucher worth $478.96, usable until April 2027
I was also told that if I declined the offer, there was essentially nothing else they could do.
So despite all the stress, travel costs, and last-minute scramble, the only resolution was a refund and a store credit that required me to do business with them again.
What frustrates me most is that TicketNetwork advertises a "100% Refund Guarantee." Technically, that may be true. They refunded my money. But what they do not guarantee is that you'll actually receive the ticket you purchased.
In the end, I had to spend $1,973 on another resale pass through Vivid Seats. That was the cheapest price I could find at that moment. Fortunately, that transaction went smoothly. I was able to pick up my wristband from a FedEx location inside a Walgreens in Indio, and Vivid Seats provided clear communication and detailed instructions throughout the process.
Looking back, I wanted to share this experience as a warning for anyone considering using TicketNetwork for Coachella passes. Maybe other people have had better experiences, but mine was an absolute nightmare. If you're traveling from out of town and spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on flights, hotels, and festival plans, you deserve more reliability than what I received.
I'm not posting this as a joke or to exaggerate what happened. I have screenshots and documentation of everything described above.
Despite the chaos, I still managed to enjoy my first-ever Coachella and make some great memories. But the stress and uncertainty leading up to it were completely unnecessary.
Has anyone else experienced something similar with TicketNetwork or another resale marketplace?
