Coachella Pass Buyers Report Empty Packages
Concerns are growing among Coachella fans after reports that some people who purchased festival passes on secondary marketplaces have received shipments with nothing inside. The claims centre on buyers expecting wristbands or pass materials, only to open delivered boxes and find them empty, sparking demands for replacements and refunds.
Ticketing industry observer Scott Friedman said buyers who purchased Coachella passes through resale exchanges have complained about empty packages arriving through major carriers, with sellers blaming the shipping companies for the missing contents. Friedman wrote that he is more inclined to suspect dishonest sellers, adding that high resale prices can attract “bad actors,” Scott Friedman reported.
The post suggests the issue has been circulating for at least a week, with some buyers describing themselves as “irate” and pushing for replacement passes. While the precise scale of the problem is unclear, the allegation highlights a common risk of last-minute festival buying on secondary markets, where proof of shipment does not always guarantee that legitimate passes were actually sent.
Similar concerns have surfaced in other high-profile ticketing situations, including incidents where fans accused major events of being tied to ticket scams amid confusion over fulfilment and authenticity.
For now, buyers are being urged to document deliveries carefully and pursue claims through the marketplace platform and payment provider, as carriers typically treat sealed-box disputes differently than clearly damaged or opened parcels. Any broader response from Coachella organisers or major resale platforms would likely depend on whether more verified complaints emerge.
🚨We are hearing and heard it last week that some buyers of @coachella passes from secondary exchanges are receiving empty packages from UPS:FedEx.
Guys selling them are blaming shipping companies.
Fans receiving them are irate and demanding replacements.
I tend to lean more…
— Scott Friedman 🎟️ (@ScottFriedman3) April 15, 2026