Ways to improve ticket system

[sam123]

* I am all for making life difficult for touts. I think Fifa have allowed people to buy too many tickets in the various phases. What % of fans do you think are going to watch more than half a dozen games? I reckon it's a small minority. How many fans can take the best part of a month off work to watch loads of games in Germany?! I guess that many of those buying a lot of tickets are simply touts ripping off the genuine fans.
* Most agree it is daft to have people buying tickets (1st phase) before the draw, not knowing who is playing who.
* Most agree the small allocation to fans compared with sponsors is outrageous
* Priority for specific matches in subsequent phases for people who lost out earlier
* Daily bulletins from Fifa on the ticket situation, game by game.
* Tickets being sold at present should be put online in larger batches at advertised times.
!

[jorge805]

I love the idea, but remember, it's FIFA we're talking about. They are incompetent and probably are not open to suggestions, as they are the be all and end all of soccer.

The only way to improve it is to fire FIFA :)

[paterfiets]

The fifa should set up some team that will go after the (internet) touts. If I look at the dutch ebay there are soooo many Holland tix for sale and all for big money. These people are so easy to track down. They are there with their phone numbers, name and adress. Hunt them down and NEVER supply them any tickets for any game anymore...

[Timanfaya]

sam123, I'm not disagreeing with your intentions, but some of the points you listed.

I'm going to 7 games (the max allowed) but I'm doing it in 8 days. Like you say, we can't all have a month off work.

I first applied in phase 1, before the draw. And before it was known which teams would be in the competition. And I then reapplied in every phase after that, and finally ended up (except with one different game) with the tickets I originally applied for. I'm going there to watch some good football and soak up the atmosphere, not just follow a certain team or the glamour teams.

I think you're making the mistake of assuming that everybody has the same approach to the World Cup as you do.

[RichardL]

One thing FIFA could have done is be more open about how many tickets were available per game/category. It does seem that proportionally there were far more Cat 1 tickets floating about.

Personally I'd have rather seen weekly ticket draws (or similar) than the first come first served phase, even though I did manage to pick up two tickets (from a very limited number that fitted my schedule).

I think sponsors should not only have got far less tickets, they should also have been forced to allocate them far earlier, or lose them. It's pretty stupid that 2000 or so Iran v Angola tickets will probably be returned 2 days before the match, when if they gone on sale a month or two earlier, then all who would happily see anyone play if they could, could have bought them.


The other alternative is to hold the event in somewhere like south africa, which will be a real bugger to get to for almost every single supporter outside the host nation, and where the locals won't be able to afford to buy tickets. Getting in should be rather easier in 4 years time.

[abalada]

Best would be if the tickets would be only available from ticket centers.
Just a confirmation e-mail that "Mr. John Doe" with passport #123 can collect his tickets from a ticket center. They would have to set up more ticket centers (e.g at the airports) - but on the other side they save the shipping costs of the tickets. Everybody would have to collect the ticket in person - only exception should be family with minors where one of the adults should be able to collect all.
What I've seen so far is that many touts use slightly altered names or the ones of friends to get tickets. With the "collecting only" method, this won't work as the buyer has to be in person at the ticket center. And it makes not much sense to travel to the host country just to get the tickets there and resell them. Esp. not in the case of South Africa.

Also nice and possible with this method: there could be a deadline for collecting the tickets - e.g. 1 hour before the match starts. And to resell/distribute these tickets - kind of "last minute tickets". Thus avoiding that stadiums are sold out, but a large number of seats remain empty.

[sam123]

sam123, I'm going there to watch some good football and soak up the atmosphere, not just follow a certain team or the glamour teams. I think you're making the mistake of assuming that everybody has the same approach to the World Cup as you do.

I can only go for 4 days cos of the nature of my work. Naturally I prefer to see my country (England) play. I asked my wife which city she would like to visit, Cologne, Frankfurt or Nuremburg. She chose Cologne as the best for a long weekend given that we might not get tickets. So I got flights and a hotel booked. Unfortunately Sweden is one of the hardest games to get tickets for. I have been trying for months (don't ask me how many hours in total I have spent clicking 'next try' or seeing 'someone was faster than you') to get 2 tickets for this one match, all eggs in one basket so to speak. I would like to watch 7 games and spend longer over there, as then I wouldn't mind missing out on one game so much, but it's not possible to do that this summer. Life is cruel! Enjoy the world cup.

[Kalifornia]

I think the two main reasons why we're where we're at now are:

1 - Bad, extremely bad planning
For God's sake, they had more than 4 years to prepare for this! And then two weeks before tournament begins, they're surprised that throngs of people assault the ticketing centers when they sell some tickets there. What the hell are they thinking?
Obviously the ticket sale system and web site stuff has been vaguely thought off in the past 6 to 9 months, even less for the Resale and Transfer system. I am sure there were some meetings between the FIFA big wigs and the company's CEO and CFO who are developping the application, but not of these guys had any clue of what is possible in our world today technologically. For this they should be fired!

2 - A belief that scammers can be stopped
Unfortunately that shows a poor understanding by FIFA of the "business". It's like going after the drug users to stop the dealers. Scammers WILL always make money because they profit from unsuspecting customers (who are the ones who get nailed)

It is imperative that in the future the OC should not be responsible for the ticketing.
Of course with South Africa 2010, it is probably a mute point, the stadiums will be empty, but for other reasons. From California, a trip to Germany for a week costs $1,850 today, the same dates to Johannesburg, the fllight is $3,630. No way I am going there if I don't have the tickets in my hands 6 months before the start of the competition (and I'd better know who's playing then)

[RichardL]

Also nice and possible with this method: there could be a deadline for collecting the tickets - e.g. 1 hour before the match starts. And to resell/distribute these tickets - kind of "last minute tickets". Thus avoiding that stadiums are sold out, but a large number of seats remain empty.
so if you went to a world cup match (possibly at great expense and inconvenience), and got delayed, just how thrilled would you be that they'd resold your ticket because you'd failed to turn up an hour before kick-off?

[sam123]

[I think you're making the mistake of assuming that everybody has the same approach to the World Cup as you do.[/QUOTE]


I'm up for watching any game and will enjoy the atmosphere in Koln even if we end up watching the Sweden game in the town square. But I think most people prefer to watch their country play! Perhaps if Fifa asked fans to give an order of match priority when they apply to buy tickets for various games, there would be a much better chance of getting to the game they most want to see. Would have thought such information could be input into the computer to decide ticket allocation

[gouf35]

I gave lots of thought to ways to improve ticketing :

Here's what I would have prefered :

- to allow the maximum genuine fans to attend a game, orders should have been limited to only 2 persons per order (just like the cat. 4), with the limitations of one order per name and address. What's the point of going to a game with your whole family if not all of them are huge football fans?

- for individual games, people should have been able to buy tickets for only 3 games. Personnaly, I think going to 7 games is just abuse when some people haven't been able to get one. There should not have been any distinctions between cat. 1, 2 3 and cat 4. You choose a categorie, the same for all three games.

- TST series should have been the only possibility to see more than 3 games

- sell less tickets before groups have been drawn and more after

- pay the full order in advance (or at least the most expensive game), so that people don't order too many tickets, with the possibility to cancel the ticket at any time with immediate refund, whether they have been attributed or not. Tickets, cancelled would have been given to those on the waiting list. When paying tickets in advance, I think it avoids touts from ordering too many since they would need a big load of cash.

- the first come first served should work only at venues, because otherwise it's unfair for people who can't F5 many hours a day.

- better information on how many tickets are available per game and per categorie, position on the waiting list, and when was the last time a ticket has been attributed

- less tickets to sponsors

- how many tickets have been returned from sponsors and federations


Just remember one thing : FIFA is not responsible for all this mess. It's the OC.

In 2010, I hope they will sell packages (hotel+flight+game) and that they will pick serious travel agencies to prevent abuse and over prices. It should not be possible to buy tickets without flight + hotel (or camping, or camping van). The touting problem would be almost over then. They should also sell a part of the tickets to south africans, another part to foreigners. Last minute tickets would be avaible to everyone, but only at venues.

[sam123]

Some very good ideas there, mr gouf, especially tsts having to be more than 3 games. A lot of German (and other) touts have bought the England tst3 knowing they can make big money on all 3 games

[RichardL]

- for individual games, people should have been able to buy tickets for only 3 games. Personnaly, I think going to 7 games is just abuse when some people haven't been able to get one. There should not have been any distinctions between cat. 1, 2 3 and cat 4. You choose a categorie, the same for all three games.

I suspect most people who have got six or seven games have a fair few of the less desirable games among them. It's not as if people are likely to have 2 England, 2 Brazil, 2 Italy and a Dutch game in their seven.

For two of the games I went for, there were still tickets available at the end of the third phase - they didn't sell out.



If there is one thing I'd have done, it's make the people puting tickets up for resale be the ones who lose that 15% fee. It seems a lot of people were buying tickets for games they didn't want in the hope of trading them for better tickets, knowing they could re-sell them if there were no takers. Knowing they'd lose money might have put a few off.



In 2010, I hope they will sell packages (hotel+flight+game) and that they will pick serious travel agencies to prevent abuse and over prices. It should not be possible to buy tickets without flight + hotel (or camping, or camping van). The touting problem would be almost over then. They should also sell a part of the tickets to south africans, another part to foreigners. Last minute tickets would be avaible to everyone, but only at venues.
that's a terrible idea. Not only would travel agents fleece customers mercilessly, but it'd completely remove any chance to be flexible in your trip.
Travel agents are typically appalling at any kind of bespoke trip. They just want nice simple block bookings on set dates. Nobody in their right mind who wants to travel (as opposed to just staying in a resort for 1 or 2 weeks) would book their trip through an agent - it just isn't what they are geared to do.

It would also do nothing to stop touting as people without tickets wouldn't be forced to buy a package as they haven't got tickets.

[gouf35]

It would also do nothing to stop touting as people without tickets wouldn't be forced to buy a package as they haven't got tickets.

hmm, I'm not so sure about what you mean. In my opinion, it would stop touting. The problem with the 2006 world cup is that people are expecting that there won't be too many ID control at the venues. So they buy tickets from touts.
But if you buy a plane ticket at the same time you buy a match ticket, (and you put the same name on all those tickets), you just can't avoid the ID check at the airport, and believe me, if the name on the plane ticket doesn't exactly match the name on your passport, you sure won't be able to board the plane.

Of course, it works only if the package are non-transferable. If you can't go, because you broke your leg or something, well, there are always travel insurances...

About booking hotels at the same time, that might not be necessary. If you want a flexible ticket, then it's more expensive.

[RichardL]

hmm, I'm not so sure about what you mean. In my opinion, it would stop touting. The problem with the 2006 world cup is that people are expecting that there won't be too many ID control at the venues. So they buy tickets from touts.
But if you buy a plane ticket at the same time you buy a match ticket, (and you put the same name on all those tickets), you just can't avoid the ID check at the airport, and believe me, if the name on the plane ticket doesn't exactly match the name on your passport, you sure won't be able to board the plane.

Of course, it works only if the package are non-transferable. If you can't go, because you broke your leg or something, well, there are always travel insurances...

About booking hotels at the same time, that might not be necessary. If you want a flexible ticket, then it's more expensive.

unless you are planning to stop anyone from boarding a plane to South Africa without a match ticket, then it does nothing to stop ticketless fans from going over. Given that not everyone flying to South Africa will be doing so for the world cup, that would not be possible.

[gouf35]

unless you are planning to stop anyone from boarding a plane to South Africa without a match ticket, then it does nothing to stop ticketless fans from going over. Given that not everyone flying to South Africa will be doing so for the world cup, that would not be possible.

true, but how many people would take the risk to fly to South Africa without being sure to get a ticket, especially if big games are sold out before the beginning of the tournament? Not so many I think, except for fans from a few nations (or just one : England?)

Germany probably is the most accessible place in the world, that's why there is a ticketing problem. People asked tickets for themselves and their relatives, even if they are not huge football fans, and the "worst" of all, is that they got tickets. I think only those huge football fans will think it's worth the trip, so that frees lots of seats.

[Timanfaya]

I gave lots of thought to ways to improve ticketing :

Here's what I would have prefered :

Yes, but come on people, you need to remember that your preferences aren't necessarily any use to others.


- to allow the maximum genuine fans to attend a game, orders should have been limited to only 2 persons per order (just like the cat. 4), with the limitations of one order per name and address. What's the point of going to a game with your whole family if not all of them are huge football fans?


Yes, but what if your family *are* all fans?? Or if you want to go as a group of friends? I'm in a party of 3.


- for individual games, people should have been able to buy tickets for only 3 games.


If you're travelling a long way, the costs might not be worth it for just 3 games.


- TST series should have been the only possibility to see more than 3 games


Any particular reason?
Again it may not be cost-effective (or in many cases, possible) because to see 6 or 7 games you would have to be in Germany for a month.


...- the first come first served should work only at venues, because otherwise it's unfair for people who can't F5 many hours a day.


Why should it work at venues? Lots of us can't get there.


In 2010, I hope they will sell packages (hotel+flight+game) ...


I see RichardL has already dealt with this one.

[gouf35]

Yes, but come on people, you need to remember that your preferences aren't necessarily any use to others.


Yes, but as I said, that was just some thoughts.

Obviously, you don't agree with me, but instead of trying to prove that my ideas are all bad, just make some suggestions to improve the system, unless you think it is just perfect. BUT IT ISN'T or prove me that I'm wrong by purchasing that England TST-7 and that France TST-5 for me, thanks in advance.

[Rig1964]

I gave lots of thought to ways to improve ticketing :


In 2010, I hope they will sell packages (hotel+flight+game) and that they will pick serious travel agencies to prevent abuse and over prices. It should not be possible to buy tickets without flight + hotel (or camping, or camping van). The touting problem would be almost over then. They should also sell a part of the tickets to south africans, another part to foreigners. Last minute tickets would be avaible to everyone, but only at venues.

This is without doubt the single worst idea I have heard. In fact I wasn't sure at first if you were serious. Then it occured to me, are you by any chance a travel agent?

[sam123]

Yes, that was a naff idea, but most of his ideas were good