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El-Professor
03 Jan 2006, 05:11 PM
There seems to be alot of curiosity about the "chip" in the tickets and what it prevents. Here's what I gleaned from the WC website.


"2.
All persons who wish to gain access to a Stadium regardless of age must have a Ticket. Except as otherwise provided for in these GTCs, only the person indicated on the Ticket as being the holder of the Ticket shall be entitled to use the Ticket for admission to a Stadium or to benefit from the other rights a Ticket holder may receive, as specified in these GTCs. The OC shall be entitled, but not obligated, to carry out identity checks (including photograph and signature checks) upon presentation of the Ticket by a Ticket holder at a Stadium.

3.
Neither the ticket holder nor any other person is entitled to transfer or assign any rights arising from the Ticket, or the Ticket itself, to third parties without the prior written consent of the OC, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld. The OC shall be entitled to withhold its consent, in particular, if the Ticket holder, or the transferee, intend to:

* transfer such rights or a Ticket to an individual who is banned for security reasons from attending football matches; or
* resell Tickets; or
* transfer or use such rights or a Ticket for advertising, sales or promotional purposes, or as a premium, give-away, competition or sweepstake prize, or as part of an unauthorised hospitality or travel package.

4.
If such rights or a Ticket are transferred with the consent of the OC, the transferee shall request the issuance of a new Ticket. If such rights or a Ticket are transferred or used for any of the above purposes without the OCīs prior written consent, or a ticket holder is otherwise in breach of these GTCs, such Ticket shall be automatically rendered invalid and may be cancelled by electronic means or otherwise. The OC may refuse the person possessing the Ticket entrance to the Stadium or expel such person from the Stadium.

9.
For security reasons, and in order to ensure the orderly and smooth implementation of the Event, the Ticket holder must follow the orders of the OC, security staff, police, and Stadium administration where an Event match takes place. Each Ticket holder is required to cooperate with the police, the OC, Stadium administration and security staff in the event the Ticket holder is requested to provide proof of his/her identity or to consent to the confiscation of prohibited items that may be in his/her possession. Pyrotechnics, all types of weapons, glass containers, cans, intoxicants and alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs or any items that could impair the enjoyment, comfort and safety of other patrons, players or officials are all prohibited and must not be brought into the Stadium. Individuals who are under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs, or who are behaving, or appear likely to behave violently or contrary to public order, may be expelled from the Stadium.

10.
All promotional, commercial, political or religious items of whatever nature, including but not limited to, banners, signs, symbols and leaflets are prohibited and may not be brought into the Stadium if the OC reasonably believes that any such items may be used for display purposed within the Stadium.

12. Can I obtain tickets from online auctions or from a ticket exchange site?

2006 FIFA World Cup™ match tickets can only be purchased officially from www.FIFAworldcup.com. All the OC can do is warn people to steer well clear of any other offer. Fans obtaining tickets in this way may find themselves denied admission at the turnstiles. It is widely known that tickets are personalised and cannot be transferred without a genuinely pressing reason, and then only with the Organising Committee's approval. Problems may arise if the ticket and personal ID fail to match, exactly as it would be with an airline ticket.

13. Can I buy tickets in the World Cup cities, or the at the World Cup stadiums as well?

Tickets not allocated during the preceding sales stages will only become available with the start of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany (TM) at selected advance booking centers and so-called VTPCs (Venue Ticketing Processing Centers). The precise locations of the advance booking centers and the VTPCs will be announced when appropriate.

17. Are there other ways to obtain tickets for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany (TM)?

No. Tickets for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany (TM) can be obtained only by the ways described at www.fifaworldcup.com. Every official 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany (TM) ticket is issued with the applicant's name and a so-called RFID chip. This enables security services at the stadiums to adjust necessary checks to the actual security situation. To avoid delays during these security checks we recommend keeping ticket and proof of identification ready at the stadium gate.
This clear sales structure and the security measures are to prevent unauthorized ticket sales. We therefore advise against buying tickets from other sources.

45. What are the advantages of the chip technology used at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany (TM)?

FIFA and the organising committee opted for chip-based tickets to improve customer service and to make security measures scaleable. Every ticket is unique. Lost tickets can therefore be blocked for stadium access. Chips allow precise allocation of tickets to shipments. Every customer is guaranteed their seat in the stadium as the tickets are forge proof.

46. Will private data be stored on the chip?

No private data will be stored on the chip. Only unique particulars concerning registration and tournament information are stored on the chip. The chip is your key to the stadium.

47. What happens to blocked tickets at the stadium gate?

Should anybody try to gain access to a stadium with a blocked ticket, they will be prevented from doing so. This unauthorized attempt will be investigated and may have legal consequences.

48. What are the security zones at the stadium gates at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany (TM)?

At all 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany (TM) matches there will be an outer and an inner security perimeter. At the outer perimeter there will be a visual ticket and a personal search for objects. Actual access control will take place at the inner security perimeter using electronically controlled turnstiles. The turnstiles will be released by the ticket chips to grant access. Depending on circumstances and location more personal checks may be conducted there.

49. How will ID cards and passports be checked at the gates?

Checks will be made depending on circumstances and at random. Customers should know, however, that without proof of identity due to lack of documentation, delays and refused entry to the stadium may be the consequence."

And some have asked about public transport:

"42. Can I use public transport with my ticket?

Your 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany (TM) ticket will be valid on the day of the respective match for local public transport at respective venue.

Please also note the information provided on the ticket."

dfb547490
03 Jan 2006, 06:28 PM
Excellent, thanks. I'm not too worried about being denied entry to the stadium if I have to buy scalped tickets. As someone mentioned in the other thread, if my ID gets checked I'll just shuffle around in my pockets for a bit, say "Oh ********, I left it in my car", and go to another turnstile.

El-Professor
03 Jan 2006, 07:45 PM
My guess is that any valid ticket (i.e. not a forgary and not bearing the name of a hooligan or terrorist) will get you right into the game regardless of whose name is on it. In fact, my friends and I are kind of banking on it. We ended up with 11 tickets to Match 37 in the earlier draw, and there are only five of us (we used other friend's names, addresses and phone numbers). Since the game is Argentina v. Holland (talk about the luck of the draw!) we may try to scalp some of these and give others to friends we have in Germany. Get a valid ticket and you should be ok.

nowherenova
03 Jan 2006, 07:54 PM
I wouldn't guess what is going to happen based completely on past experience. One of the reasons for changes in procedure is to IMPROVE on past World Cups.

Knowing the German pride of efficiency I would say things might be a tad different this time around.

El-Professor
03 Jan 2006, 08:06 PM
I wouldn't guess what is going to happen based completely on past experience. One of the reasons for changes in procedure is to IMPROVE on past World Cups.

Knowing the German pride of efficiency I would say things might be a tad different this time around.


I'm not sure what "past experiences" you are referring to. The Germans clearly are trying their convuluted best to keep forgeries and scalping to a minimum. Given what they say on their website, however, it seems likely that you can use a ticket with someone else's name on it provided that 1) the ticket is valid, and 2) you don't arouse suspicion.

abw
03 Jan 2006, 09:05 PM
I may be stupid here, but my bet is that they will be more strict about names on tickets for two simple reasons. First, as I understand it, Germany has been cracking down on hooligans with European bans (English, Germans, Italians). I would assume that they are concerned that someone will use a scalped ticket to gain entry given that they cannot apply for tickets directly. I'm also assuming that names on applications are being checked against centralized databases. Second, I would assume the same thing is being down for terror suspects. And I would guess that the US matches are a prime concern for this.

Does anyone know how they are handling scalping of tickets in Turin?

El-Professor
03 Jan 2006, 09:18 PM
As many have pointed out, even the Germans can't check everyone and still start the games on time. Further, read the quotes I posted above on their stated policies, they even admit they won't be checking everyone. I'd agree that there is still a non-zero probability of being denied entrance, but if you can get a ticket, use it regardless of whose name is on it.