Couldn't Buy Ravinia Tickets Online? Venue Blames Payment Processing Firm

HIGHLAND PARK, IL―A glitch with a national credit card processing firm caused problems for fans trying to buy tickets online for Ravinia's 2016 season early Tuesday morning, the first day seats could go on sale.

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Tickets went on sale at 5 a.m. at Ravinia's website, but many customers were unable to complete their orders.

"[T]he national credit card processing firm Authorize.net is experiencing processing errors," Ravinia posted to its Facebook page at about 5:50 a.m. "We are investigating the issue. Please do not log off; you will be served in the order you arrived at Ravinia.org."

Service from Authorize.net resumed at about 6:46 a.m., according to the processing firm's website.

"We understand your frustration," Ravinia posted on Facebook after the ticket processing issues were resolved. "Our systems are working, but the national credit card processing firm Authorize.net is experiencing processing errors. They have been investigating the issue. We are starting to get reports that transactions are starting to go through now, please try your order again. Thank you for your patience."

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Empathy from festival organizers, however, didn't lessen the anger of some customers who were shut out of buying tickets for Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Dolly Parton, Diana Ross and the other acts on this year's bill.

"A friend waited 45 minutes in the que [sic] this morning then got a message Paul Simon was completely sold out," Carol Crow Dorcey wrote on Ravinia's Facebook page. "It's just insane! It's just not proper way to do business."

"You wasted a large number of your customers time this morning with an early morning debacle," Scott Miller wrote on the venue's social media page. "Many walked away with an early wake up, frustration and no tickets."