Would ditching the deposit scheme make it easier/better?

[ten2doc]

Surely if Eavis dropped the ticket deposit scheme with no refunds it would make it easier for the die-hards to get their tickets year in year out?

How many folk buy them with the intention of 'maybe' going?

If the £200 was required instantly then it would square away a lot of folk who weren't as commited as others.

I know people can have a sincere change of circumstances but as a someone who wants to go to Glastonbury each year I wouldn't be too concerned about making such a large financial commitment so early.

[keeno]

There is some financial benefit to them by delaying taking the payment, I believe it's tax related. In turn, lower overheads result in more money for charity. It has not got much to do with helping us out at all.

Edited October 7, 2013 by keeno

[UEF]

There is some financial benefit to them by delaying taking the payment, I believe it's tax related. In turn, lower overheads result in more money for charity. It has not got much to do with helping us out at all.

[nowyouregideon]

And what about the die-hards who know they want to go who can't afford £200+ in one go? If it weren't for the deposit scheme I'd never have been able to go.

[dingbat2]

Other festivals have early bird ticket sales shortly after the end of that years festival - I am not sure how many each festival sells of these

I often wonder what would happen if Glasto did the same, so in July you could buy your ticket for the following year.

I suspect they would still sell all 138000 tickets (if they put them all up for sale) in a couple of hours in the early bird sale as well!

[UEF]

And what about the die-hards who know they want to go who can't afford £200+ in one go? If it weren't for the deposit scheme I'd never have been able to go.

[UEF]

Other festivals have early bird ticket sales shortly after the end of that years festival - I am not sure how many each festival sells of these

I often wonder what would happen if Glasto did the same, so in July you could buy your ticket for the following year.

I suspect they would still sell all 138000 tickets (if they put them all up for sale) in a couple of hours in the early bird sale as well!

[mazola]

Other festivals have early bird ticket sales shortly after the end of that years festival - I am not sure how many each festival sells of these

I often wonder what would happen if Glasto did the same, so in July you could buy your ticket for the following year.

I suspect they would still sell all 138000 tickets (if they put them all up for sale) in a couple of hours in the early bird sale as well!

[dingbat2]

It's incredible to imagine now, but only as recent as 2008 Glastonbury didn't sell out until a few days before the festival started

[wirralchris]

Any money taken by gfl after april 5/6 next year will not be taxable until the next tax year! I reckon seetickets take the money between the 1-7 april then forward it to glastonbury after the beginning of the 14/15 tax year!

Thats my philosophy on why its done this way!

[Lexbank]

It's incredible to imagine now, but only as recent as 2008 Glastonbury didn't sell out until a few days before the festival started

[bombfrog]

Tis true, bought mine on the Thursday after i cleared a few things at work and rolled up the following day.

Only 5 years ago!! Times change quickly with a few good weather years

[gmb1992]

Wish there was no deposit scheme, but atleast it gives me a chance when people don't pay the rest in April!!

[bigjontour]

2009 i got tickets about 5-6 pm im sure , about 30 mins before they sold out! so nothing like the panic rush of last few years

[5co77ie]

I'd be against removing the deposit scheme - it currently allows people of financial backgrounds to be able to go, and i think it's important festivals remain as accessible to all as possible, something that I've noticed a few other older festivals have lost sight of.

[jono_01]

I'd like to say that I do find the deposit scheme handy but only for knowing that I have secured a ticket early. I wasn't fortunate enough to get one secured this year so will have to wait until April now and that's what really bugs me. Last time I didn't get tickets was years ago when both the sale and resale(s) were in April. At least then you only had to wait a few weeks and from the end of the festival to T-day everyone was in the same boat which made it easier!

They should do away with the online hitting F5 system altogether. Everyone who is registered and wants to get a ticket should (over a period of time) be able to pay their deposit at £51 per head and put 6 names in to a syndicate with a unique group reference. On a given date, GFL could do a raffle and pull out x number of group references. (ok, they would have to work a method as not every syndicate will have 6 members).

The lucky ones are going and pay balances in April as normal. The unlucky ones get £50 back and as an extra kick in the teeth the £1 goes to charity and helps cover costs to GFL. I am guessing they would also at least make some money in interest too to go towards festival overheads

[pie_and_a_pint]

I'd be against removing the deposit scheme - it currently allows people of financial backgrounds to be able to go, and i think it's important festivals remain as accessible to all as possible, something that I've noticed a few other older festivals have lost sight of.

[budvar]

Key issue is that demand for tickets is currently so great (massively outweighing supply) that they would almost certainly sell out whenever they were sold i.e. a deposit scheme would only be replaced by paying the full whack almost a year ahead.

Personally I think the current system works well.

[johnmcga]

The Jay-z year was a one-off after the constant rain of 2007. I've been going since 2004 and it's been difficult to get tickets every year since then.

[JoBalls]

I heard an interesting issue with the process at the weekend. My sister and her friends tried to get tickets and one member of her group couldn't help with the buying because she is a devout Christian and they go on sale on a Sunday morning when she is at church. Had never thought of that before... is Glasto disadvantaging the religious?

[UEF]

I heard an interesting issue with the process at the weekend. My sister and her friends tried to get tickets and one member of her group couldn't help with the buying because she is a devout Christian and they go on sale on a Sunday morning when she is at church. Had never thought of that before... is Glasto disadvantaging the religious?

[HoTWire]

Every year since then I think it's sold out on the first day. But I do think 2008 highlights how quickly things can change.

[ten2doc]

I heard an interesting issue with the process at the weekend. My sister and her friends tried to get tickets and one member of her group couldn't help with the buying because she is a devout Christian and they go on sale on a Sunday morning when she is at church. Had never thought of that before... is Glasto disadvantaging the religious?

[Andy0808 v3.0]

I honestly think next year won't be as hectic when getting tickets, can't see as much hype surrounding next years festival. But then again what do i know!

[ten2doc]

I have a theory on this. The non-sell out years scared the Eavi, so being the hard nosed business people they are ("I'm just a simple farmer..." .. yeah right) they realised that they needed to generate scarcity. So you do what certain phone manufacturers and video games console companies do, you do a launch that sells out, you do this with artificial scarcity. It means that you generate lots of free press and you generate a situation that your second round of selling is almost guaranteed to sell out.

So my theory is this whilst a lot of the genuine allocation is sold in the first round of sales, the "resale" isn't just a resale, it is the returned deposits AND the remainder of the tickets taking them up to capacity.

At least that is what I'd do in order to generate massive amount of hype, press and make sure it sells out every year.