I broke into Glasto....

[Laura_Babs]

same here, asked me to remove my cap but that was it.

[scaryclaireyfairy]

the analogy of the bank doesn't make sense.

[chuckley]

Yeah, but they had a ticket. Just because they didn't have the piece of paper doesn't mean they didn't own a ticket. In every other respect, i.e. administration, electronically, on the system, paid for etc... they had a ticket.

Why don't glasto just shift to electronic tickets like a lot of gigs nowadays and pretty much all airlines ... problem solved?

[Laura_Babs]

I do also agree that they were real idiots for being rude to you. Totally uncalled for and not nice at all when you are clearly going to be distressed.

Why was it Ticketmaster, not See Tickets?

[eFestivals]

Did they really scan the tickets? I don't recall having my scanned. I was asked to remove my sunglasses though so they could confirm it was me.

the tickets are definitely NOT scanned.

I was also asked to remove my sunnies so they could check my face against the print on the ticket.

[eFestivals]

That's why i'm interested in how consumer law defines a ticket..? Is it the right of entry through payment... or is it the actual piece of paper?

I believe it's the case that the ticket itself has a nominal value, of less than 1pence, as a way to get around all sorts of issues. Doing this is pretty standard for all sorts of things, not only festivals.

[Doomz]

The T&Cs say you need the ticket. He had no ticket.

End of.

[Bluearsedfly]

in fact, why should anyone bother to buy a ticket if they let people in without tickets?

[scouseLee]

Do they not scan the barcode on the ticket upon entry? If so not that hard surely to do a re-issue and cancel the "lost" original??? click click job done

and BTW you didnt break in if you paid in full you were one of the 137,500 who were entitled to be there

Edited July 9, 2009 by scouseLee

[grandadcollective]

That's why i'm interested in how consumer law defines a ticket..? Is it the right of entry through payment... or is it the actual piece of paper?

[arteet]

Recently went to a sold out gig at Brixton Academy. Friends were coming from various places in the country for it and 2 of them realised they had left their tickets at home. This was a few hours before the doors opened so after a couple of calls to the venue and the ticket agency it was agreed that they would be able to pay for a ticket on the door and would receive a refund for the other tickets if they posted them back after the event.

I am not trying to say this should be done at Glastonbury as anyone could turn up and just pay to get in regardless of whether they had a ticket or not. They wouldnt need to claim a refund after as they never had a ticket in the first place. I just wanted to point out that at least one venue and ticket agency (I am unsure who it was) was sympathetic and helpful to a situation of lost / forgotten ticket close to the event.

no they didn't - if they had a ticket they wouldn't have had these problems.

As we're all aware, some people do sell on their tickets. This is what he might have done - no one is able to know if he did or didn't; none of the proof of purchase is proof of anything else.

cos while such systems work indoors OK for smallish numbers of people upto around 500 people, there's huge practical problems taking such a system outdoors to a venue with multiple entry points, and as the *small* festivals with just one entry point which used such a system last summer discovered to their detriment, it adds hugely to the time taken for each person to enter.

last sumdisc

Edited July 9, 2009 by arteet

[shiveringsky]

the tickets are definitely NOT scanned.

I was also asked to remove my sunnies so they could check my face against the print on the ticket.

Edited July 9, 2009 by shiveringsky

[Laura_Babs]

I don't want to answer this until I've had time to consult The Nurse really but as far as I know you have entered into a contract with the festival for entry, the ticket is just a representation of that contract for ease but not the contract itself. If you can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you are who you say you are they would have no right to deny entry or would be in breach of contract (I think). I'll get back to you with some hard fact as soon as.

[Artie Fufkin]

I believe it's the case that the ticket itself has a nominal value, of less than 1pence, as a way to get around all sorts of issues. Doing this is pretty standard for all sorts of things, not only festivals.

[Bluearsedfly]

How would they prove that he has not given the ticket to someone else and they have gone in? If there were bar codes/some kind of computer system which I am sure could be implemented although perhaps with some expense, then I can see how, but not sure if there is a way at the moment. I think that if it is possible then a system should be put in place. I lose evertything so can totally relate to how upsetting/stressful it is for something like to happen.

Edited July 9, 2009 by Bluearsedfly

[eFestivals]

u are completely missing the point.

OP just wanted to enter... they lost ticket so had ALL verification details, NO excuses for why they cant be let in. people are still able to get in without tickets so y shouldnt OP with a genuine bought ticket??

No, you've missed the point.

The point is: no ticket, no entry.

The ticket is meant to be everyone's passport onto the site. If no ticket is needed, just proof of purchase, then next year we can expect to be the last Glastonbury, because if two people might be entering for any ticket sold then the festival will be exceeding it's licence conditions and will have no way of trying to abide by those licence conditions.

Just because they had proof of purchase proves nothing about what they might have done with the ticket. They might have sold it on, and the buyer might have got onto site OK with it.

the system is openly flawed, so anyone can get in on anyones ticket, even if they are completey different races.

the system is NOT flawed. The system works PERFECTLY.

Any flaws are due to individuals not doing their job in the manner they've been told to do their job.

the people OP spoke to were not just unhelpful but downright rude for no real reason. OP blatently showed they were not a scammer but still got the ridicule.

I'm not trying to justify any rudeness, but at the same time the person in the ticket office did not have to give the OP entrance - they did not have their ticket as they were required to.

The OP (or anyone else) is not able to proof that they haven't sold their ticket; this is why a ticket is required.

OP took control of their mistake by bring several different types of ID, just incase... but was still ridiculed and told 'NO'.

because they didn't have the ticket that's required for entrance.

so would u expect the OP to turn around and make the journey back home???? all over a lost ticket which they could verify was real???

only the purchase is able to be verfied, nothing more. The festival is not able to verify that it hasn't been sold on.

you holier than thou attitude calling them 'pathetic' and claiming their mother 'wipes their own arse', sums u up completely. i bet u were the TM person OP came across and are just MAD op got the better of u.

shame on u. your attitude really stinks.

Grow up eh? The attitudes that stink are the attitudes that threaten the future of the festival. Like yours.

The ticket was purchased and issued on the condition it was used for entry. No ticket, no entry.

Yes, it really is that simple.

(And as I made clear, I sympathise with the situation he found himself in. But that's his fault, not anyone elses).

[cejx]

Sorry Efestivals.... are you trying to argue that adverse weather would f**k up a lap top... when they're running a gadzillion different electrical items on site... whilst broadcasting round the world? Don't be absurd? Dedicated software? Bollocks! They have this when you've bought a ticket. Extra delays? Surely folk who have stupidly lost tickets, dogs ate them, house's burnt down with tickets in them... they go to that dedicated date... with that laptop!

f**king hell... these things happen, out of 170k folk, a couple are going to lose tix through human error, general bell endness... it seems fairly simple to implement a system.

[pedmills]

Well one way of getting round the whole issue is just to demand photo ID for everyone. Show your driving licence or passport when you go in. Wouldn't take much more time and would mean that nobody could get in with a bought ticket.

HOWEVER

Two problems:

1. Risk of lots of passports etc getting lost

2. If someone arrives without ID then more problems

[eFestivals]

So thats why I'm saying change the T&C's... "end of".

To be honest, there is no need to be that rude to me. All your comments regarding IT systems

and extra staff are redundant. Because as I said they looked up my details there, it took

them about 30 seconds. They said they could see who I was, see I had registered, see

proof I had registered and purchased a ticket and they just didn't care.

I haven't been rude, I've simply stated the facts of the matter.

And those facts of the matter include the fact that you purchasing a ticket proves zilch in regard to whether that ticket has already been used to allow someone to enter.

If they simply let in anyone who could prove purchasing a ticket then tickets come to mean f**k all for controlling the numbers entering, and a whole new system has to be implemented to control the numbers entering.

One of the first thing I said was I was a bell-end for losing it, I admit the responsability. But it *could happen to anyone* yourself included and *will continue to happen*. So you're saying you'd just shrug, sit and home and watch it on the TV? Like f**k you would, you'd have been doing everything I did in my shoes, which isn't pathetic, its human nature. This will happen next year, and you can either make some minor procedural changes (it all seemed to stem from one order from up top saying, don't let them in regardless if they've paid, we have their money already), to avoid lots of people, who aren't me going through the same thing next year. As I said I'm just trying to raise awareness of something I think is an issue, i.e the T&Cs being too tight. You disagree as I'm sure you've never lost anything in your whole life. Ever.

If I'd lost my own ticket I'd have choices to make about what I'd do as a result of that consequence.

But what I wouldn't do is expect entry anyway (that doesn't mean I maybe wouldn't try tho; I've not criticised you for trying), because I realise that the tickets are the only way within the current system that the festival is able to control the numbers entering the site.

All I said was pathetic was you expecting others to take responsibility for your own error. I stand by that.

[Langdale Wolf]

Just a few questions for the OP, but before I do, I'm not having a go at you, and completely understood why you did what you did:

If the ticket office staff were sympathetic to you instead of acting like tossers, and basically said - in a respectful way - "I'm really very sorry sir, but it's out of our juristiction - no ticket no entry. Them's the rules" - would you have taken that as your final, final answer and done nothing else?

You also said you travelled down anyway, obviously knowing that you weren't 100% guaranteed to get through the gates, presumably at further expense to yourself. If you would have phoned ahead a few days before explaining your situation only to be told the same thing - "I'm really very sorry sir, but it's out of our juristiction - no ticket no entry. Them's the rules" - would you have still made the journey down?

The thing is, as genuine as you seem to be, you say you managed to get in not because of but in spite of the authorities who run the festival. If you can do it, many people who aren't genuine and who haven't paid could also do the same thing.

Yes - the staff should not act that way, but at the end of the day, they were only doing their jobs, albeit with zero customer service skills. Manners cost nothing.

At least you know to be more careful for next year though, eh? Hope you enjoyed yourself once you were in there anyway!

Edited July 9, 2009 by Langdale Wolf

[Ponyegg]

I say well done as well.

Situations like this are bound to happen with this size of crowd, it's absolutely intolerable that SeeTickets/Glastonbury are incapable of providing some sort of provisioning for such situations.

It simply is not good enough to say 'no ticket no entry' when that ticket no longer exists. We wouldn't put up with it in any other environment and just because it's Glastonbury doesn't mean you should put up with it there either. There should be in future to be a special procedure for such incidents and I urge SeeTickets/Glastonbury to pursue this avenue/option for next year.

The exact mechanism of how this would work could involve a number of proof-of-identity checks similar to how the poster acted (bills, bank statements ID, passport etc...). Just because it may be operationally difficult is no excuse to ignore those who've paid in good faith and then found themselves unable to attend because of the organisers inability to regulate ticket/entries correctly.

For those who didn't manage to get in I hope you're going to ask for your money back for their refusal to let you in and enjoy a festival that you have paid for. I certainly believe that if you provide the relevant evidence of taking all reasonable steps to prove you are the person on the lost ticket then you would have a case. IANAL, if anyone here is and knows consumer law then please enlighten us.

[scaryclaireyfairy]

if the ticket system is as perfect as e-festivals says, then there is little or no risk of the purchaser of a sold-on ticket getting onto site. so the op as a bona fide ticket buyer should be allowed in upon proof of purchase identity etc.

[eFestivals]

You are not getting the gist of this are you.

He had a ticket and anyone with a degree of common sense could have checked his authenticity if so enclined. There simply has to be a process for this other than a tough shit attitude which seems to be your spin; What would you have done, made a phone call to emily??

Is it too much to ask for the handful of people who do have such a misfortune to be subject to a little investigation in order not to ruin their Year other than sanctimonius pricks sat their getting off on other peoples misfortune?

I'm getting the gist of this to a far greater extent than the rest of you. IF NO TICKET IS REQUIRED TO ENTER THEN THERE'S NO WAY OF CONTROLING OF THE NUMBERS ON SITE.

All that people are able to check is that he's purchased a ticket. That proves nothing about what happened to the ticket he was sent. He might have sold it on - no one has any way of knowing if he has or not.

I'm not getting off on others misfortune.

I'm taking the view that the festival HAS TO HAVE, to ensure that it's able to continue.

A ticket is required to enter. That's really all there is to it. He had no ticket.

[pedmills]

Even if there was a computer system (which says which tickets have been used to gain entry) there will still potentially the following situation:

You lose the ticket.

Somebody picks it up and sells it to someone who looks like you.

The person who bought the ticket gets into the festival.

You get the festival and say you've lost the ticket and haven't sold it, the people on the gates check the system to see if that ticket has been used to get in.

It flags that the ticket has been used to get in, thus they think you've sold it and you don't get in.

Even if you just lose it and don't sell it, there's no guarantee it won't end up in the hands of someone else.

[grandadcollective]

How would they prove that he has not given the ticket to someone else and they have gone in? If there were bar codes/some kind of computer system which I am sure could be implemented although perhaps with some expense, then I can see how, but not sure if there is a way at the moment. I think that if it is possible then a system should be put in place. I lose evertything so can totally relate to how upsetting/stressful it is for something like to happen.