Ticket dilemma

[Martini...LB]

Hi All

Proposal to sort this blxxdy carve-up.

I think we should work out how many tickets we need in total for HA, MB etc plus Gen Ad tickets and even Grandstand and get in touch with the ACO and try to place an order as the agents do. At the same time sell (or invite ownership) any spares on this site or associated sites or even if left with any sell them on that other site.

There might need to be the odd legal disclaimer but I am sure if all of the 'Groups" that subscribe to the site had a word with their members there could be quite a few, we might have to guarantee payment by a certain date and buy all our GA tickets up front but that would be okay (we do that anyway) if we were guaranteed the spaces.

They would actually offer the agents a commission we could even say we would buy full price or member price which would give them more profit.

Is this something that Grand Fromage would sort?
Do we have any legal eagles on site to sort out any probs ref abta or anysuch organisation?

It would be interesting to work out how many we could pre-order.

As my wife says "it costs nothing to ask" I don't always like the answer though!

Your thoughts.

Martini...

[neilsie]

good idea - but how to sort out the finance?

i've just ordered 30 tickets - so thats a lot of cash needing organising to relative strangers, unless the organiser can take a credit card booking per group.

[Steve Pyro]

Martini,
We tried this in (if my memory serves me correctly) 2003.  Smokie placed a block booking for a vast amount of tickets and was placed on the wait list!

Sorry to piss on your parade  


(have you got your Sebring bags packed yet?   )

[Martini...LB]

Martini,
We tried this in (if my memory serves me correctly) 2003.  Smokie placed a block booking for a vast amount of tickets and was placed on the wait list!

Sorry to piss on your parade  


(have you got your Sebring bags packed yet?   )

Hi Steve

I thougt it would have been tried before but what size was the request, I am sure we could guarantee as many as some of the smaller travel companies?

It may be worth working out exactly how many we would need and asking again. Surely not all the brits that go use the agents.

As far as Sebring goes I have not given it another thought since booking...WHAT A BLXXDY LIAR...cannot stop thinking about it there has to be some escape during the day.

I am bringing a Guernsey flag, might be the first.

Martini...

[Steve Pyro]

Here's some links to the old threads - 300 camping tickets requested!
CA used to have a service called the Club Arnage Travel Service.

http://www.clubarnage.com/forum/index.php?topic=780.msg5163#msg5163

http://www.clubarnage.com/forum/index.php?topic=212.msg1825#msg1825

We were offered Beausejour in the end.

[Martini...LB]

Here's some links to the old threads - 300 camping tickets requested!
CA used to have a service called the Club Arnage Travel Service.

http://www.clubarnage.com/forum/index.php?topic=780.msg5163#msg5163

http://www.clubarnage.com/forum/index.php?topic=212.msg1825#msg1825

We were offered Beausejour in the end.

Thanks Steve

That is unbelievable, 300 and they basically said 'piss off' perhaps they think they will get the bookings anyway and the majority (although I cannot believe it) who will buy from the agents are one timers. Think how much they would save on admin!

Ok what about talking to one of the agents and offering full price, not plussed up, for a certain amount of tickets with CA doing the admin. This may potentially give them more bargaining power and they surely must have some kind of discount. If they are not doing the admin this must be worthwhile?

Who would do the admin I do not know, perhaps it could be regional...I could do it for the Channel Islands :-)

Just a thought


Martini...

[Piglet]

I think it's a great idea but I fear the practicalities of it might fall away from us.

It might be useful if someone who speaks French could have a little chat with someone at the ACO to try to establish what the feck is going on.  They are clearly trying to avoid punters selling tickets on at huge mark up on ebay yet all that seems to have happened this year is that the real regulars haven't got tickets but the "touts" still seem to be doing good business - better business than every in fact because the rest of us don't have tickets!!

There is clearly a "magic list" and once you get yourself on it you seem to be set for life.  I imagine that's how the touts have so many tickets to flog on. 

Sorry, I don't have much practical to add - I've had a couple of glasses of wine and really I'm fecked off with the whole thing!!   I'll perhaps have some more useful thoughts tomorrow!!   

[Martini...LB]

Wonder if Gilles could have a word with ACO?

Do you think some of these multisellers like wagsterturd are anything to do with the agents??

 There is probably no sense in having a word with ebxx as they are making money out of it, shame about the anonymity of the sellers though.

Martini...

[Robbo SPS]

Just arrangine money for a £10 shirt is hard enough...


A few years back i had lots of issues with bouncing money.

I also struggle to get money from my group, so although igts a great idea, i'll keep on struggling.

[Lawnmower Man]

My guess is the ACO are just doing good business.  The likes of the ticket agencies and tour operators do have loads of cash or at least loads of purchasing power.   Most of them will have been dealing with the ACO for 15+ years.    They go along each year and get thier €1000s of tickets. They may even have deals to buy N tickets per year for the next X years.

They are not going to PO the ticket companies for the business of some new outfit of unproven perigree.

The only way to break the "tour operator monopoly" is not to buy from them.  But that is going to take real balls.  My guess is that is no one from CA bought an MB ticket MB would still be full because they can sell the tickets several times over.

In the past I've spoken to lot of people who know they are paying over the odds by getting the tickets though an agent but they do it cos they know they will get the ticket.    I've also organised trips for friends who have insisted that they have tickets before they leave home so I paid over the odds.   (I won't do it again though once they realised what a rip off it was I was th eone that got it in the neck).  For twenty years I went along and just bought tickets on the day and managed to get on places like MB and the old Tribunes camp site.   

While people are willing to pay more than the face value for a ticket the tickets will be worth more than face value.

I'll buy MB or KN upfront for face value If I can get the number I want in one go.   If not I'll make do.

I don't think you can blame the ACO for looking after thier big customers.

I've no doubt that if you did start up a service to sell tickets you might only get BSJ next year but the following year you would prolly get some MB but doubt you will ever get 300 MB tickets.

t.

[Elvisisalive]

Hi,

I bought a pass for Le mans last year from e***.

I couldn't get one from the ACO as I left it too late.

Although I paid over the odds for it at least I got to go to Le Mans.

I know you feel that the people selling them are out of order but at least they are providing a service.

I read on this site a couple of years ago that a good way to ensure you get on the site was to colour photocopy a genuine pass.

Who is worse?  The people selling tickets or the people photocopying them?

[Robspot]

I doubt we'd get any tickets at all as the ACO don't seem very keen on people affiliated to Club Arnage due to the proliferation of "Mega-Camps". I'm sure they reason that by selling through agencies they're more likely to get ones and twos travelling instead of huge parties.

Although if that's their problem then why don't they sell camping tickets per person like nearly every other event does. I still find it strange that 1 person in a car costs the same as 17 in a minibus. Who do you think will take up more room?

[Snoring Rhino]

Hi,

I bought a pass for Le mans last year from e***.

I couldn't get one from the ACO as I left it too late.

Although I paid over the odds for it at least I got to go to Le Mans.

I know you feel that the people selling them are out of order but at least they are providing a service.

I read on this site a couple of years ago that a good way to ensure you get on the site was to colour photocopy a genuine pass.

Who is worse?  The people selling tickets or the people photocopying them?

This is the first I have herd of anybody here either proposing to or condoning the copying of camping tickets! You only have to look at the efforts people are going to legitimately buy tickets as the point in case - I think you must have dreamt it or think its a good idea yourself - bog off.

[knetter]

I doubt we'd get any tickets at all as the ACO don't seem very keen on people affiliated to Club Arnage due to the proliferation of "Mega-Camps". I'm sure they reason that by selling through agencies they're more likely to get ones and twos travelling instead of huge parties.

Although if that's their problem then why don't they sell camping tickets per person like nearly every other event does. I still find it strange that 1 person in a car costs the same as 17 in a minibus. Who do you think will take up more room?

I agree, tickets per person would be much better. Even the seller on ebay are telling everybody that it don't matter how many people you put in a minibus, one ticket is still sufficient for all of em.

This year the ACO have actually stated that you have 7 by 5 meters per camping permit in their posh pdf brochure available on their website. Now they have something to enforce when people take a minibus with 18 people on one ticket, they better bring bunk-beds!

[BigH]

I think you must have dreamt it or think its a good idea yourself

I remember that!