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The National Association of Ticket Brokers ("NATB") says the ticket distribution method imposed by the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games ("LOCOG") is an epic failure that has not only exposed thousands of people to nightmarish ticketing problems but has also resulted in hundreds of empty seats to what should be sold-out events.
In a nutshell -- nightmarish system, no competition, counterfeit tickets, empty seats. Absolutely no "resale" system available (say because you couldn't attend event you'd purchased tickets to). Incorrect tickets sent. Company contracted with at the heart of a number of ticket scandals in the past.
There are always numerous problems with the Olympics, Not surprising since the same city doesn't host the games less than 50 years apart. When you go to the Olympics, have to expect the unexpected. Believe me, you haven't been ripped off your entire life until you've been ripped off at the Olympics. It's in a class by itself.
There's always empty seats the beginning of the Olympics but as it's gone on more and more seats have been filled.
The ticketing system was the fairest available. People were allowed to bid for what they wanted so that no-one could theoretically overspend what they could actually end. Then, they drew lots as to what people got.
Those that didn't had more opportunities to get tickets at later dates. The only bad thing was that for the first 4-6 days a section of VIP seats in some arenas that had been given to corporate guests hadn't been used but it took ages for them to be given to the public. They should've been given straight away.
England just did at terrible job in the Olympics from the opening ceremony right to the end. Not a good showing by the English at all, and the world has noticed and rightfully criticized them.
I hope the world did take notice, because it will hopefully end the corperate ticket ******** that stops the average person getting tickets, which then results in empty seats.
I hope the world did take notice, because it will hopefully end the corperate ticket ******** that stops the average person getting tickets, which then results in empty seats.
There were almost 9 million tickets available for the London Olympics. Even poor little you can get tickets. All this class warfare ******** that rich people get everything and you get nothing is getting old. You can order Olympic tickets a year in advance and get most of what you want. Yeah, you probably won't get into the opening and closing ceremonies but you can go to 2 or 3 events each and every day if you want to. If some big event happens to develop at the last minute like the hockey games at Lake Placid everyone cries they can't get in. But Olympic tickets are sold by event and time, not who's competing. Sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes you don't. I saw Carl Lewis win all 4 gold medals in 1984. I didn't plan it that way. Luck of the draw.
There were almost 9 million tickets available for the London Olympics. Even poor little you can get tickets. All this class warfare ******** that rich people get everything and you get nothing is getting old. You can order Olympic tickets a year in advance and get most of what you want. Yeah, you probably won't get into the opening and closing ceremonies but you can go to 2 or 3 events each and every day if you want to. If some big event happens to develop at the last minute like the hockey games at Lake Placid everyone cries they can't get in. But Olympic tickets are sold by event and time, not who's competing. Sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes you don't. I saw Carl Lewis win all 4 gold medals in 1984. I didn't plan it that way. Luck of the draw.
It's like people whining about yankees ticket pricing. Yeah, OK, most people can't afford to sit behind home plate, so those seats are only for the rich. Deal with it. You probably wouldn't be sitting behind home plate even if the tickets were half the price they are now, so why ***** about the price?
Same deal here.. you want front row seats at the opening ceremony? Then pay the price for those tickets otherwise shut up. It's not like all the seats at all the events are super expensive.
Although I do have to agree with the point that the corporate ticketexchanges like ticketmaster are a giant scam.
There were almost 9 million tickets available for the London Olympics. Even poor little you can get tickets. All this class warfare ******** that rich people get everything and you get nothing is getting old.
1. People are moaning about empty seats
2. The empty seats were the one given to the corperate sponsors.
3. Average people who wanted seats couldn't get them, because they were given to people who didn't care about the early stages.
It's not *****ing about the rich getting everything and the poor getting nothing, it's *****ing about the stupidity of ticket distribution.
I'm not naive enough to think people who pay millions in sponsorship aren't going to request tickets, but if they don't want to use them for certain events they sure as hell should have to return them so people who want to go watch something actually can.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Atoz
You can order Olympic tickets a year in advance and get most of what you want.
Out of everyone I know maybe a dozen people managed to get tickets to any event at all, and even fewer to the ones they really wanted to, in the end they decided to just apply for anything so they could attend the games.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Atoz
Yeah, you probably won't get into the opening and closing ceremonies but you can go to 2 or 3 events each and every day if you want to.
9m tickets into a 63m population (ignoring tourists headed over for the games) does not divide into 2 or 3 events per day, it results in at least 54m who can not get a ticket for a single event.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Atoz
If some big event happens to develop at the last minute like the hockey games at Lake Placid everyone cries they can't get in. But Olympic tickets are sold by event and time, not who's competing. Sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes you don't. I saw Carl Lewis win all 4 gold medals in 1984. I didn't plan it that way. Luck of the draw.
Anyone who wanted a ticket to the olympics here had to get lucky, it was done on a lottery system and demand far outweighed supply.
Also those who did get tickets in the first place in many cases had no idea at all what they had tickets for. It was a complete shambles.
England just did at terrible job in the Olympics from the opening ceremony right to the end. Not a good showing by the English at all, and the world has noticed and rightfully criticized them.
Actually almost every single media outlet that covered the opening ceremoy praised it, the only complaint seems to be the lack of a moment of silence.
I don't know how they fix this ticket problem, corporate sponsors will want tickets even if they don't use them, so you can't just say they're not allowed to have them.
England just did at terrible job in the Olympics from the opening ceremony right to the end. Not a good showing by the English at all, and the world has noticed and rightfully criticized them.
2. The empty seats were the one given to the corperate sponsors.
3. Average people who wanted seats couldn't get them, because they were given to people who didn't care about the early stages.
It's not *****ing about the rich getting everything and the poor getting nothing, it's *****ing about the stupidity of ticket distribution.
I'm not naive enough to think people who pay millions in sponsorship aren't going to request tickets, but if they don't want to use them for certain events they sure as hell should have to return them so people who want to go watch something actually can.
I still remember the Penguins' botched NHL Draft ticket distribution. They were "free," so of course scalpers logged on, snagged most of them and charged an exorbitant second-hand rate that was beyond demand. And then because they were for a free event, they were consistently revoked from eBay (TOS violation), which made purchasing them a hassle if you were looking for them.
England just did at terrible job in the Olympics from the opening ceremony right to the end. Not a good showing by the English at all, and the world has noticed and rightfully criticized them.
England just did at terrible job in the Olympics from the opening ceremony right to the end. Not a good showing by the English at all, and the world has noticed and rightfully criticized them.
Mitt Romney is that you?
The ticket situation was a joke. I worked for the PR agency contracted by LOCOG and nobody on staff got tickets in the original draw - 30 people and not a single one got a ticket, from the chief executive to the interns. As they re-drew and re-drew tickets stuff started to become available, but they completely mismanaged the situation with people not being able to buy tickets that were available for no other reason than bureaucratic wrangling.
Actually almost every single media outlet that covered the opening ceremoy praised it, the only complaint seems to be the lack of a moment of silence.
I don't know how they fix this ticket problem, corporate sponsors will want tickets even if they don't use them, so you can't just say they're not allowed to have them.
It's actually easy to fix the ticket problem -- just allow scalpers to do their work.
If you allow ticket resale the tickets will magically find their way to somebody who actually wants to go. The corporate people given the free tickets will sell them to a scalper, who will then sell them to somebody who actually wants to go.
It was the ban on scalping that caused the empty seats.
It's like people whining about yankees ticket pricing. Yeah, OK, most people can't afford to sit behind home plate, so those seats are only for the rich. Deal with it. You probably wouldn't be sitting behind home plate even if the tickets were half the price they are now, so why ***** about the price?
Same deal here.. you want front row seats at the opening ceremony? Then pay the price for those tickets otherwise shut up. It's not like all the seats at all the events are super expensive.
Although I do have to agree with the point that the corporate ticketexchanges like ticketmaster are a giant scam.
It's actually easy to fix the ticket problem -- just allow scalpers to do their work.
If you allow ticket resale the tickets will magically find their way to somebody who actually wants to go. The corporate people given the free tickets will sell them to a scalper, who will then sell them to somebody who actually wants to go.
It was the ban on scalping that caused the empty seats.
I like this idea, the bottom line is that a person willing to shell out 3k for tickets (for example) shouldnt have to 'fight' for tickets in some random lottery system with someone who only wants to pay 300. The tickets need to get out to the masses and then let the market take over.
I like this idea, the bottom line is that a person willing to shell out 3k for tickets (for example) shouldnt have to 'fight' for tickets in some random lottery system with someone who only wants to pay 300. The tickets need to get out to the masses and then let the market take over.
They should have done a system where the tickets are a bit more and it's first come first serve and you have to bring an ID with the name that bought the tickets
2. The empty seats were the one given to the corperate sponsors.
Really? You must be a real clever guy to look at your TV picture and figure out who every empty seat belongs to.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlanHUK
Out of everyone I know maybe a dozen people managed to get tickets to any event at all, and even fewer to the ones they really wanted to, in the end they decided to just apply for anything so they could attend the games.
I've been to five Olympics and I've never had a problem getting tickets for every day and time I applied for. Sometimes you don't get your first choice, but suggesting that you know hundreds of people that legitimately tried to get tickets during the original sale and only 12 could is a crock of ****. If you waited until the last minute to try because you just found out Michael Phelps is going for the record setting gold medal Tuesday morning then of course you're not getting in.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlanHUK
9m tickets into a 63m population (ignoring tourists headed over for the games) does not divide into 2 or 3 events per day, it results in at least 54m who can not get a ticket for a single event.
You're assuming everyone is trying. Most people don't want to bother going. There are 250 million+ in the US and somehow I managed to get tickets every day every time I went. If 9 million tickets aren't good enough for you I suppose you've never done anything.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlanHUK
Anyone who wanted a ticket to the olympics here had to get lucky, it was done on a lottery system and demand far outweighed supply.
Yes, it's a lottery for each individual event. But you have to give second and third choices. If you wanted the gold medal soccer game and didn't get in, tough luck.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlanHUK
Also those who did get tickets in the first place in many cases had no idea at all what they had tickets for. It was a complete shambles.
When you select tickets, you select events at a date and time. You don't select track and field and get stuck with synchronized swimming. The events might be 200 miles apart. There are morning, afternoon, and evening events and you have to select events where you have enough time to travel from one to the other.
You sound like the typical person that's never been to the Olympics and had no interest in it until it dropped into your lap. Then you wonder why you don't get first crack at choice seats and complain because all the "rich" people get it.
Really? You must be a real clever guy to look at your TV picture and figure out who every empty seat belongs to.
Actually, the sponsors not reselling the tickets was a big deal. Closer to the end of the olympics, they started taking back tickets from sponsors to put on sale for the general public
