world cup tickets? are they actually checking names?

[Substance]

heya

ive got a quick question about world cup tickets....

weve got tst 3 tickets for france...
one of my mates cant go any more due to work reasons...and another friend is joining and wants to take his tickets.

weve applied for the transfer of tickets into our friends name, but they rejected them....

my question is.....does anybody have any idea how strict they are going to be in checking ID's and tickets?

i mean 50-70k fans per game...are they going to be checking everybodies ID?
how is going to work?

can anybody give me any insight into this?

thanks :)

[MarNic]

What if someone get's sick the day before a game and can't go?
The whole name on ticket issue is petty and futile and there will be thousands with tickets that do not match their names.
If the Germans want a peaceful world cup they will honor anyone with a ticket. I believe that the German authorities know this and will oblige unless there is a suspicious reason to check a ticket with an ID.
There is scaremongering everywhere. Even of these boards aarhus said that passport # will be printed on tickets which is nonsense.
I am in a similar postion to you and have to think that common sense will prevail.
All FIFA has said on the issue is that checks will be random and may cause delays or refused admission.

[dacad]

If history teaches us anything, then it is unlikely they will be verifying names to tickets. They've used these same scare tactics for the World Cups in Japan, France, and the USA. Not once was I ever asked for ID at any one of these previous World Cups. Also note that prices from scalpers on game day will be significantly less than those offered on ebay or razorgator. I scalped a ticket to the France v Italy quarterfinal in Paris back in 98 for just over face value. Also, realize that there is every opportunity at a World Cup to meet new people from around the world, many of whom have an extra ticket that they are willing to sell to a new friend for a reasonable price. I became friends with a couple of Englishmen in Japan at the England v Denmark match who sold me a ticket to the England v Brazil match for face value. What I'm trying to say is this; try as hard as you can to get tickets from the FIFA site or for a reasonable price from someone on these boards. But if you aren't successful, you've still got a really good chance of getting somewhat reasonably priced tickets on game day.

My two cents.

[RichardL]

There is scaremongering everywhere. Even of these boards aarhus said that passport # will be printed on tickets which is nonsense..
If FIFA say they will print names and passport numbers on tickets then they will. There is no reason for them not to do so.

I'm sure there will be some checking, but the odds of everyone being checked are negligible. They will care far more about people bringing in banned objects.

[MarNic]

That's the thing though Richard, nowhere has FIFA said that they will print passport/ID # on tickets.

[AGF Aarhus]

MarNic, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from making personal attacks on me. I also find it fairly pathetic that you have copied and pasted the same post in multiple threads. Oh, and if I'm wrong, so is the Mayor of Frankfurt:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/23032006/325/frankfurt-ready-world-cup-party.html

As for the question Substance posed. None of us knows how strict FIFA will be. What we do know is that they have told us that they will check ID randomly, and that if you don't produce the correct passport, one of the possible consequences is the invalidation of your ticket.

[famdawg]

the Mayor of Frankfurt:

Vandreike also told fans they would need to enter the stadium two hours before kick-off to allow officials to search them and check their tickets.

Fans with a ticket must carry an identity card or passport and their name and passport number must be printed on the ticket or they will be refused entry, he said.

So according to the Mayor of Frankfurt, anyone trying to enter with a sponsor ticket (ie: no name or pp#) will be refused as well. The Mayor might want to update his resume soon....

[generals soccer]

The most frustrating thing is the uncertainty. I do not doubt there will be many people with tickets with different people's names. The question is how many people they check, do they cut you a break and let you in or just reject you, or do they take your ticket to invalidate it. There has been some other debate about whether catching you using a ticket like this would invalidate all the tickets under that name. All this is guess work.

Personally, I expect there to be some checking. I am only concerned about the one game in which my tickets will no match up. I am also hoping that if I am caught they would still let me in. We will not really know until June 9.

[generals soccer]

So according to the Mayor of Frankfurt, anyone trying to enter with a sponsor ticket (ie: no name or pp#) will be refused as well. The Mayor might want to update his resume soon....

My understanding was that sponsors were being asked for names and passports as well. I thought someone was saying thye had to submit their info to razorgator and the like. I could be very wrong though.

[MarNic]

MarNic, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from making personal attacks on me. I also find it fairly pathetic that you have copied and pasted the same post in multiple threads. Oh, and if I'm wrong, so is the Mayor of Frankfurt:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/23032006/325/frankfurt-ready-world-cup-party.html

As for the question Substance posed. None of us knows how strict FIFA will be. What we do know is that they have told us that they will check ID randomly, and that if you don't produce the correct passport, one of the possible consequences is the invalidation of your ticket.

Personal attacks? Celtic had mentioned scaremongering and I gave an example from you. For example you have said

"it is German law that you carry your passport at all times". Not true.

and;

"the plan has always been to print national ID/passport numbers on the tickets". Not true. FIFA has never said this.

As for the mayor he is also talking nonsense.

[Timanfaya]

As for the mayor he is also talking nonsense.

Yeah. But according to the article he also said "anyone would be welcome -- even those without a ticket"

That's more like it! ;)

[AGF Aarhus]

Personal attacks? Celtic had mentioned scaremongering and I gave an example from you.
But Celtic has not posted in the thread. What are you talking about? What you wrote was:
Even of these boards aarhus said that passport # will be printed on tickets which is nonsense.
This is not nonesense.

As for
"it is German law that you carry your passport at all times". Not true.
But this is true. This is what the British government has to say about it:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618387090
'You should carry your valid passport with you at all times. German police have the right to ask to see identification. For British citizens, the only acceptable form of ID is a valid passport.'

And with regards to
"the plan has always been to print national ID/passport numbers on the tickets". Not true. FIFA has never said this.

As for the mayor he is also talking nonsense.
I believe the mayor.

[MarNic]

But Celtic has not posted in the thread. What are you talking about? What you wrote was:

This is not nonesense.

As for

But this is true. This is what the British government has to say about it:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618387090
'You should carry your valid passport with you at all times. German police have the right to ask to see identification. For British citizens, the only acceptable form of ID is a valid passport.'

And with regards to

I believe the mayor.

Celtic had posted on another thread of similar relevance, my mistake.
Oh dear.
It is NOT German law for people in Germany to carry their passports at all times as you have said on a previous thread.
FIFA has NEVER said it will print passport # on tickets as you have previously said.
Simple as that.

[Fevernova99]

Lets not get into this discussion again... its up to you if you want to be safe carry a passport and go to games with only tickets with your name on it else dont carry and take a chance...

[RichardL]

That's the thing though Richard, nowhere has FIFA said that they will print passport/ID # on tickets.
they've stated that tickets will be "personalised", which is rather ambigious. It doesn't say it will for certain, nor does anywhere state it won't.

This article is complaining about FIFA's policy being too strict...
http://pdfserver.emediawire.com/pdfdownload/342706/pr.pdf
For the 2006 world cup, FIFA have tried to tackle the issue of scalpers with a policy that was doomed to fail as soon as it was scripted. Its policy, which is to print the passport number of the buyer on the ticket, stating that the “people who are not the official holders of the tickets will be refused entry”


The passport number itself may indeed not be printed on the ticket, but as it's an electronic chip, a chip reader, with access to a database, would be able to get at that info.


A passport number shouldn't be required, as the odds of a tout being able to find customers with exactly the same names as the original ticket holders are remote to say the least.


As has been said many many times, there is going to be a small risk. If you want to to that risk then that's your call.

[MarNic]

People rely on these boards for accurate info so we all need to guard against exagerations and false statements. For example FIFA itself has never said that passport numbers will be on tix and it is important for the fans on this thread to know that.
Here is what FIFA actually says; Taken from their website today.

10. Why will match tickets be personalised?
Tickets will be personalised for security reasons. This measure is intended to support the basic principle of a fair and open sales procedure. It will also serve as an effective deterrent to black market trading. However, the embedded chip will store access information only. Personal information such as names will not be stored.

So the tix will be personalised but no personal info on the chip.
Further clarity of this, also on the website says;

45. 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.

As for what the personal info is on the ticket FIFA's website says;

43. Why are 2006 FIFA World Cup German (TM) tickets linked to individuals?

For security reasons the names of the persons entitled to enter the stadium are stated on the ticket, respectively the names of the ticket holders are kept in the ticketing system. This is to strengthen the principle of fair and transparent sales, and to fight black-marketing.

It also says;

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.

So NO mention of passport # on tickets from FIFA or the Germans.

This discussion is not whether you are prepared to go to a game without ID or with a ticket with someone else's name on it. The issue is that we are providing a service to each other as true fans to help each other. Therefore, we must provide accurate information.

[globalexplorer]

I don't even think they are allowed to print the passport numbers on the ticket. I read one more time the data protection rules as they call them and it says nothing about us giving them permission to use this particular piece of data in that manner.

Let's remember - why is FIFA asking for passport numbers?
1. To have a way of checking if people go above the maximum number of tickets
2. To identify hooligans planning on coming to Germany upfront
3. To minimize the opportunity of blackmarket sales by scaring blackmarket buyers

All three of these can be/have been accomplished without printing passport numbers on the ticket. As far as the chip is concerned, it has been said before that the chip contains no personal data so my understanding is that the only use that the chip has it to confirm that the ticket is still valid (e.g. no name transfer has occured or other reasons to invalidate this particular ticket). It means that if the turnstile turns green after reading your chip your are in - if it's red you will not get in and nobody will give a damn about any passport numbers.

I am going to the opening game with tickets that are not in my name (thanks to a trade on this board I might add!) and my concern about not being able to get into the stadium is about zero. I am sure somebody will post to this Board after the game but realistically it doesn't matter because we still won't know for sure. There is NO WAY that they will check everyone but there is a chance that they might do some spot checks. Even if they do that I am not conviced they will not allow entry into the game. Of course, if there are a few terrorist threats before or during the tournament then all bets might be off and we might have to get in line five hours before the game starts.

And if I am wrong? Then I'll find a pub close to the stadium and drink one extra beer in honor of the German OC and FIFA in keeping us "rogue" fans out of the game. Is that going to ruin the tournament for me? Hell no......

Let's redirect this thread to a related topic: What is FIFA going to do in South Africa in 2010?

My bet is iris scans :D

[RandyfromUS]

My understanding was that sponsors were being asked for names and passports as well. I thought someone was saying thye had to submit their info to razorgator and the like. I could be very wrong though.

I read the same thing on a board earlier about sponsors requiring ID. I have a friend that is going to one game where he got (i.e. purchased) tickets from a sponsor and last week they requested personal information, but specifically stated that it was for "stadium security purposes" and the names would not be printed on the ticket. My speculation, based on this, is that FIFA is actually matching up passport numbers with names as best they can -- and that if you purchase a ticket with an incorrect passport number, the ticket may looked into. I think they can do this because of security concerns.

Interestingly, I called the German Ticketing Center today about a payment on a ticket I purchased in Phase 4 and they were able to see much more about my account than I have in Self Service -- they were able to search by name and/or by credit card number. Incidentally, they were very helpful.

My guess is that at best the names on tickets will be random checks.

[Substance]

thanks for all the info guys...hopefully your right and it will be random checks...

i would hate my mate to get to the gate and not be allowed in.

if they did do checks on everybody, i fear that large parts of the stadium would be empty.

i dont think thats what fifa would want to see.

[ebeck88]

I think even if they would check you in a random check, as long as the other ticket matches, you's be able to explain why the other person isn't there (sick, hospital etc), they would let you go. I think the thing to remember is that they say people "may be denied entry". It serves them no purpose to not let the ticket be used (empty seats, loss of concessions etc). Hey, if worse comes to worse, flip the guy 20 euros to look the other way!