Advice from the ACO

[geoffd]

Then put your phone on the dash i supose ? !

Not being silly are you Max??? Quite obviously it is for visual proof for the guys at the gate!!! 

Now you have got me at it 

I hate to point out the obvious, but the fact that you have a picture of a pass on your phone proves exactly nothing other than the fact you've taken a picture of one!  Same with a photocopy.

RLM were reporting the same problem with the ones for the test day too.

[termietermite]

A message received from them today says there will be extra staff about and booths by all the entrances to reprint damaged tickets as e-tickets on plain paper!  This will be fun.

[smokie]

...and here is the email I've received on the subject..

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest has found a quality problem on the thermal paper used for all the access tickets to the Le Mans 24-Hours test day.
 
The tickets become black when exposed to the heat or the sun for extended periods, so they cannot be checked (visual or scan).
 
This problem has arisen because our supplier has used defective paper.
 
All the tickets - pedestrians, car parks camp sites and traffic are concerned.

To be able to continue to use your tickets please respect the following instructions:
-  Do not expose your tickets to the light or heat.
- Do not use the plastic pouch that enables you to show the car park, welcome area or traffic circulation pass behind your windscreen.
- Only take out the ticket for checks. 
-  Do not leave them in your vehicle.

However, the print from the thermal printers is stronger so it is possible read the bar code numbers as well as the transaction numbers to find these tickets in the ticket computer programme and to reprint them if necessary.

Additional personnel will be entrusted with the job of replacing the tickets by E-tickets printed on ordinary paper. 
Seven places for reprinting the defective tickets will be available from Monday 11th June 2012 open from 08h00 to 18h00. They will stay open all week until Sunday 17th June at 14h00.
- The General Welcome (ticket office) at the Rotonde, in the Parc des Expositions,
- North entrance,
- South entrance,
- East entrance
- Annex entrance
- Beauséjour entrance
- The sporting module (main building in front of the pits)

Outside these times, a single withdrawal point will be available at the ‘Plis en attente’ in the Rotonde in the Le Mans Parc des Expositions.

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest would like to present its excuses to the spectators, partners, team members, suppliers and media representatives for this inconvenience that is outside its responsibility and caused by the use of unsuitable paper by one of its suppliers.

We remain at your disposal for further information on 33 (0) 2 43 40 2012 (between 09h00 and 18h00).

[Nordic]

Loads of potential agro because of this.

Can see some chancers turning up sans ticket hoping bluff there way in.

I would imagine if your ticket goes go black then at least you have what's left of it and assuming your already on site you should be ok.

Maybe take a picture of it with your photo drivers lience may help.

But make a note of your plot number!

Hopefully the site will take a note of your reg and plot number when you arrive as well. That would be simple solution.

Is it only camping and parking that's affected?

[termietermite]

Is it only camping and parking that's affected?

Well, I guess only because you tend to leave these in your car.  But they say it's all the tickets so I guess that if it gets very hot and you left them in your glove box etc that any of the tickets could get damaged?  Personally, I'll bring my order letter with me just in case but my tickets from this weekend still look normal!

[Snoring Rhino]

Typical ACO arrogance, they cock up and blame the supplier - easy cop out, more likely the Digital Thermo printing (so each ticket has unique detials) was CHEAPER to produce than other digital ink printing processes and a lower price tendered. I guess none of them ever left a cash Till reciept on their dash, it's OK though, they will just make the poor unfortunates go to the specific places to rectify the problem (and if it does manifest itself into a problem, there will be many, we at CA and maybe on PH are in the minority of people attending the majority simply will not know there is a problem) i.e. wait in line for a good while as they verify the validity of the ticket and rectify their problem. Great.

[Brad Zarse]

Well...that's the last straw.  Because of this ticket Fiasco, I am not attending Le-Mans this year.....

[LangTall]

OW f*ck *ff Brad.

[Lawnmower Man]

Typical ACO arrogance, they cock up and blame the supplier - easy cop out, more likely the Digital Thermo printing (so each ticket has unique detials) was CHEAPER to produce than other digital ink printing processes and a lower price tendered. I guess none of them ever left a cash Till reciept on their dash, it's OK though, they will just make the poor unfortunates go to the specific places to rectify the problem (and if it does manifest itself into a problem, there will be many, we at CA and maybe on PH are in the minority of people attending the majority simply will not know there is a problem) i.e. wait in line for a good while as they verify the validity of the ticket and rectify their problem. Great.

In fairness, if you pre ordered tickets and they have your email address then you will get an email to inform you of the issue.  So it's not just CA & PH that know about it.

They have taken steps to provide a number of places where you can exchange your ticket.
They have been using heat/light sensitive ink/paper for a while  I seen some of my tickets loose colour or go dark in the past.

Of course we won't know till the day how bad it will be but I recall the doubts we had about scanning the tickets on entry and exit but that all seemed to go well.


T

[monkey]

How very amusing of them. A little inconvenient but I am happy to say that having checked , my pants are still dry. I am sure we will manage. Monkey

[Lazy B'stard]

An annual ACO cock up is all part of the events charm. The year they don't f**k something up will be the year you need to worry. I'm sure it will be fine.

[Martini...LB]

Then put your phone on the dash i supose ? !

Not being silly are you Max??? Quite obviously it is for visual proof for the guys at the gate!!! 

Now you have got me at it 

I hate to point out the obvious,

Why bother then? 

[mgmark]

You just couldn't make this up could you......

MG Mark

[jaguarman22]

i suppose as we opted to collect the Tickets instead of posting them (saves Money)
that these Tickets will be OK

[Lawnmower Man]

i suppose as we opted to collect the Tickets instead of posting them (saves Money)
that these Tickets will be OK

Well I would ask when I picked the tickets up.  But I would never assume anything about the ACO.  After all one would assume that they would provide tickets capable of lasting the whole weekend. 

t.