Ticket Ordering for 2011

[Barry]

As I understand it, the ACO wholesale ticket allocations to travel operators on the understanding that they provide 'added value' for customers. That means selling you a ticket in conjunction with some other service, and not just a ticket alone.  That is the justification for the mark-up.

'Added value' ??  Your having a laugh.
By insisting that to have one camping permit you have to buy 2 GA's at grossly inflated prices?
Great for those who want to travel by bike.
I'm a member of the ACO, for the moment anyway, and they are forcing me to spend £80+ x 2 on a GA ticket?
The only added value most of the agencies provide (excluding TL) is bolsterimg their own bank balance.

[termietermite]

I am more than happy to join with you or anybody else, M Fromage, and present a case to the ACO if they wish.  Given the disaster of the committee, and the problems which it created, I am happy to put together a short paper (1 page or so) summarising what I believe to be our suggestions/gripes/proposals to publish on here and every member can make suggestions and changes until we all agree on an approach.  Then two or three of us can have a meeting with the ACO at some stage - before next year's farce is put in train - and see if we can't get our point of view across.

Hell, I'm happy to volunteer as many hours as it takes to sit with their staff/sit in on planning meetings, whatever it takes to sort this stupid system because it seems to me that somebody is completely missing the point in interpreting what it is the average visitor from outside France wants and expects.

Equally, I'm happy to support anybody else who'd rather do it in any way I can.  Let's just do something, for god's sake, if we have the opportunity.

[Barry]

Brilliant idea Deb.
Are the ACO under the misapprehension that arranging a ferry crossing (with appropiate markup) is 'added value' ?
They might regard it as a challenge as they rarely have to do it. We on the other hand, being island dwellers, are experts.
Unfortunatley, at the moment, every time I see the word ACO my blood pressure goes up, and the opening lines of Plaistow Patricia by Ian Dury & the Blockheads spring to mind. I'm humming it all the time.

[landman]

Brilliant idea Deb.
Are the ACO under the misapprehension that arranging a ferry crossing (with appropiate markup) is 'added value' ?
They might regard it as a challenge as they rarely have to do it. We on the other hand, being island dwellers, are experts.
Unfortunatley, at the moment, every time I see the word ACO my blood pressure goes up, and the opening lines of Plaistow Patricia by Ian Dury & the Blockheads spring to mind. I'm humming it all the time.

My fav album of the summer, including that one.

[nopanic - neil]

The offer of talking to the ACO is great and a first class offer.

My only question is, will they listen?

2011, is going to be tight for money everywhere, I think the ACO will notice less money in their coffers, so they may listen then (which is after the event)


Ahh, I remember when you just turn up to a field, parked you car, set tent up, and a a french guy (cigarette hang from the corner of his mouth) use to sell you a campsite ticket. Ahhh the good old and simple days 

[Grand_Fromage]

Before you blow a gasket over the ticket resellers, it is important that you know this. To be an 'official' ACO ticket reseller you first have to pay a substantial lump sum to the ACO just to join the group of official resellers. You then get to pay a wholesale rate for tickets that is not even as good as the discount offered to ACO members. Finally you have to pay the ACO a 5% royalty on your retail price. After all that, even with a decent mark-up you'll struggle to make it a sound business proposition.

I spent this afternoon talking to a major UK Le Mans travel company. As I've said before, they face the exact same set of problems dealing with the ACO as we do as individuals, only worse. Your choice is clear. You either go direct to the ACO and join as a member. get your discount and go your own way, or go to the travel operator and pay a premium to have someone else deal with the uncertainty and sleepless nights.



 

[Lawnmower Man]

I have no gripes with the prices ticket agencies sell the tickets for nor do I care what their mark-up is.

As a member of the ACO they   I can buy6 GA tickets at a discount  I can buy 6 Campsite tickets at a discount I can buy 2 Tribune 17 or 18 tickets.

The even say I get "priority" for ordering tickets.  

We can forget the GA tickets because you can buy those anytime there is absolutly no need to pre order them.

They publish an ACO price for Blue Nord tickets but don't actualy offer them for sale.   If they are giong to do that sort of thing they may as well offer the tickets for free.   In fact they could  pay members to take the Blue Nord  tickets of their hands.  It's not going to cost them as they won't actualy be any on offer.

In some cases the ticket agent state you must buy TWO GA with each Campsite.   As a person that normally travels as a single person that starts to make the whole thing just too expensive and it makes the ACO membership pointless.   (I know that though TL that doesn't apply).


All we ask is that they deliver what they offer.  

As for "forgetting" the english tranlation of the booking site that is just incompetence.

Sorry Dave my gasket has already blown on this.

t.

[Grand_Fromage]

We all love Le Mans. That is why we put up with all the BS.

Complaining about the ACO here on CA is certainly not going to change things. Putting a coherent set of questions, gripes and suggestions to the ACO marketing department does have a slim chance of making an improvement and educating the ACO as to the needs and priorities of the British contingent.

Please send me your experiences/problems and suggestions for improvement, either here in the forum or as private messages. I'll assemble an 'open letter to ACO marketing' for delivery in Jan 2011.

[Kpy]

My complaint is quite simple. I was promised "priorité  pour réserver les places en tribune et/ou dans l’aire d’accueil de votre choix .." as part of my Passion 24 VIP menbership. So far that promise has not been fulfilled. For 2010 I shall continue to try and get the passes I've applied for.
Unless I'm given a cast-iron assurance that the promise is fulfilled in 2011, I'm not going to renew my membership.
The conditions under which agencies are sold tickets are irrelevant, since we VIP members have been promised priority.

[termietermite]

.

Please send me your experiences/problems and suggestions for improvement, either here in the forum or as private messages. I'll assemble an 'open letter to ACO marketing' for delivery in Jan 2011.

Great, but can we make sure it's in decent French please with no assumption that they understand the nuances of English?  I am happy to get this done by a native French speaker once the thing is composed and agreed upon. 

[Grand_Fromage]

This subject is much broader than whether the ACO has delivered or not on promises to ACO members. I sympathise with your complaint, but the issue is symptomatic of wider problems of the ACO's handling of campsite allocation. That is why I'm suggesting we put down a clear message for them. We don't want to come across as just a bunch of whiners and malcontents, but we DO want them to listen. Anything we present to them will have to be carefully worded, otherwise we will be wasting our time.  It will have to be in French and delivered in person.

My complaint is quite simple. I was promised "priorité  pour réserver les places en tribune et/ou dans l’aire d’accueil de votre choix .." as part of my Passion 24 VIP menbership. So far that promise has not been fulfilled. For 2010 I shall continue to try and get the passes I've applied for.
Unless I'm given a cast-iron assurance that the promise is fulfilled in 2011, I'm not going to renew my membership.
The conditions under which agencies are sold tickets are irrelevant, since we VIP members have been promised priority.

[Bas]

Putting a coherent set of questions, gripes and suggestions to the ACO marketing department does have a slim chance of making an improvement and educating the ACO as to the needs and priorities of the British contingent.

Please send me your experiences/problems and suggestions for improvement, either here in the forum or as private messages. I'll assemble an 'open letter to ACO marketing' for delivery in Jan 2011.

Like the idea but would prefer that the ACO would be educated about the needs and priorities of the non-French contingent as many here on CA are not British but share the same problems.

[Grand_Fromage]

Good point!

Putting a coherent set of questions, gripes and suggestions to the ACO marketing department does have a slim chance of making an improvement and educating the ACO as to the needs and priorities of the British contingent.

Please send me your experiences/problems and suggestions for improvement, either here in the forum or as private messages. I'll assemble an 'open letter to ACO marketing' for delivery in Jan 2011.

Like the idea but would prefer that the ACO would be educated about the needs and priorities of the non-French contingent as many here on CA are not British but share the same problems.

[Lawnmower Man]

This subject is much broader than whether the ACO has delivered or not on promises to ACO members.

No that is exactly the point!!!   

tom.

[Kpy]

Tom is quite right.
The issue of priority booking for Passion 24 VIP members is the only issue on which the ACO can be shown to be in breach of its obligations. Sorry to sound like a lawyer, but I am one.
Widen the issue to the ACO's handling of campsite allocation, and the ACO can turn round and say that it's their business and they are doing their best under difficult circumstances.