Ticket Agents

[Nordic]

I see from another thread that you can now buy tickets from 'team Lagoustine', they are currently able to offer over 100 Houx annexe tickets and many for other sites and grandstands.

One of their proud boasts on the web page is that they have been set up by 'fans for fans'.

Bollocks. most, if not all, fans know well enough where to get tickets from without the help of yet another agent taking a slice and hoovering up tickets and reducing supply.

A pox on them.

(I wonder if you get a poxy shrimp sticker as well)

[termietermite]

Although I agree in principal, Nordic, I did sit next to a couple of guys last year who had used them.  They did seem to have got one of the less "rip off" deals around, in fairness to the Langoustines.

[Nordic]

I don't disagree that the prices on the web page are better than some, but to say they are doing it because they are fans and want to help fans is wrong.

If they had not bualk brought the tickets in the first place, then we could get them direct from the ACO.

[Robspot]

I agree totally with Nordic.

If the ACO could actually run themselves properly there should be no need for ticket agents. That way the genuine fans could buy the allocation they actually wanted and pay the proper price for them.

It brings me back to thinking about approaching the ACO ourselves. We would buy 4-500 tickets. Why can't we gain agent status and therefore all get our tickets at face value instead of relying on other rip-off merchants or bumped allocations.

[termietermite]

Ergo the best way to combat the ticket agents is to become one!

Don't get me wrong, I wholeheartedly agree about the agents, but this particular bunch do seem to be one of the "least worst", if you see what I mean.

[Kev_mk3]

it is crap but i just bought 2 x HA tickets off them

[Paddy_NL]

This might sound funny, but I think it's wrong to slag off travel agencies. Travel agencies see a way of making money, and I would do the same if that would be my core business. It's the ACO who's at fault as far as I'm concerned, as the ACO give the travel agencies the oppurtunity to buy such amounts of tickets. The ACO probably think it's a lot easier to send 150 tickets to one address, compared to sending those same tickets to 50 individual addresses

[Robspot]

Ergo the best way to combat the ticket agents is to become one!

Sadly the truth!

But I'm not suggesting we setup a website to fleece other race goers, rather just try to ensure Club Arnage members get what they want. The ACO, being an incompetent lot, seem to prefer dealing with as few people as possible.

I'm sure they've screwed up your multiple submission because they were outraged at having to deal with so many bits of paper at once  

[termietermite]

This is not just an ACO problem, but is true for almost any event these days - sporting or otherwise and in many countries.  Agencies are the lazy option, and must save organisers a mint. Sadly, the poor punter ends up paying twice - the basic ticket prices are no smaller and the agencies add rip-off fees on top.  Humph.

[Nordic]

Needs must, I do normally use another agent myself so I am part of the problem I guess, but just think how much easier life would be if you you could pop onto the ACO site and buy what you need direct from them online.

[termietermite]

I think that about everything over here, Nordic. For reasons which passeth understanding, they seem alergic to internet sales for so many things.  Buying on line is still in its infancy in comparison with so many other countries. 
If I log into my bank account over here on line, I even have to pay a fee for each visit!   

[Piglet]

I have mixed views on all of this.   I don't entirely dislike the concept of ticket agencies but I do hate what I regard as the blatant profiteering of Just Tickets and similar who add a considerable mark up to each camping pass and then insist on you buying two GA tickets (each with mark up) per camping pass as well.     

Team Lang do have a good reputation and seem to be popular amongst "fans" and, let's face it - they've got Houx Annexe tickets and it's likely that individuals aren't going to get much of a look in so what else are fans likely to do?   

I guess the difficulty for the ACO and the like is that it IS easier to sell 200 tickets to Just Tickets and let them administer them rather than have to administer them themselves. 

What I don't understand is that (having spoken to Guy/White Rabbit Racing) if you want to book a designated chunk of space at LM the ACO want to charge considerably MORE than the face value of that space for the privilege of a designated area.  I just don't get the logic of that, they are offloading a chunk of space, without having to administer it themselves so why charge more? 

I think, no matter how much I think that the (various parts of the) ACO run the most fantastic event around, their ability to administer it is pants and illogical. 

I think to be an official ticket agency you need to be registered as such - I guess with one of the travel associations (like ABTA but different?) which requires a pretty large bond to guarantee your solvency.    Guy is hoping to get this status next year so can probably shed more light on it. 

 
 

[Dobbo]

I think that the ACO's stance on things purely comes down to money. Although sad, it is not that surprising. The established agents buy 10s of thousands of camping tickets and this makes things very easy for the ACO in terms of paperwork and postage. It is the most cost effective way of doing things. They definitely have a policy for keeping some tickets aside for general sale but this can easily go out the window. For example, this year they are loosing a lot of space in Maison Blanche but the customer they are least likely to bump is the oldest and biggest agent of them all, since they are investing the most money. This means the smaller orders get pushed out. Its sad but almost inevitable. If the good people of Club Arnage wish to become an agency it will be nigh on impossible to get onto Maison Blanche in significant numbers anyway since the big agencies have locked it out. The ACO aren't really bothered what happens to the tickets once they sell them because it never comes back to bite them. They are probably unaware of the small amount of disgruntled fans out there and if they were aware I doubt they would do anything about it because they make up such a tiny percentage of the income from the race.
Regarding agency status, this is simply an agreement with the ACO whereby the agency concerned is given preferential treatment when the tickets are allocated. Nothing to do with ABTA but it is another reason why the agents have got a lot of Maison Blanche tickets and some of you guys have been bumped.

[Bas]

I think that about everything over here, Nordic. For reasons which passeth understanding, they seem alergic to internet sales for so many things.  Buying on line is still in its infancy in comparison with so many other countries.   

Well it seems that with some products the French are leading the internet sales 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRL1SeTJ1rk

[Robbo]

Just spoke to nice lady at ACO.
My form was delivered by termietermite on June 3rd 2007.
The ACO hasn't processed it yet, but she found the form.
She couldn't tell if I will get my 4 HA tickets!
Just ordered 2 HA from Team Lang as a banker!
Used them B4 and glad they exist.
I too would like to get on my high horse, however I'd sooner get to LM2008!!