There has to be a better way to allocate tickets

[burnageblue]

Why hasn't the festival just done a straight ballot?

The fesitval is so progressive in so many different ways but this system is as bad as it was 15 years ago.  See Tickets still seemingly unable to cope.

Yep I am a bitter about missing out 2 years in a row.

[tumbles]

There really isn't and we get this every year. 

[DeanoL]

A ballot would have lowered your chances though. 

[concerned]

How is a ballot any different to what they have now? Getting onto the site to be able to book is effectively a ballot. 

 

There are no 'tricks'. You hit the server at the exact time a slot comes free, it's the luck of the draw.

[zeppelin]

In my opinion a ballot would just encourage loads of people that don't actually care to try. I actually think the current way probably is the fairest. 

 

I have (or someone in my group) always been successful in the general sale though so I'm probably biased in that way. 

[Fast Drones]

ballots too easy to manipulate, this is the fairest way 

[DeanoL]

I think your odds at the moment are around 30-40%. That’d drop to around 15% with a ballot. Be careful what you wish for!

[adamski]

I have a better way to allocate tickets......

Same as now, but you enter your registration details at 09:00 and then go into the queue. Will mean that every registration will then have only one device/browser in the queue (multiple entries of the registration details banned).

One of the big problems is the vast majority of people will have multiple browsers/devices trying so if 600,000 people try with 5 browsers/devices each that is 3,000,000 sessions. If everyone is trying for 6 tickets, and one person enters registration details for those 6 and go through, then you only have 100,000 sessions. This would mean a better experience for all, as the servers would cope better, and the people going on their own would have the same chance as groups of 30.

Either that or just give me tickets.

[jparx]

No no no to a ballot. People would enter when they aren't actually that arsed and it would significantly lower your chances. Current way is frustrating by equal and fair to all. It also adds a bit of a barrier to entry where you have to really want tickets to stay persistent with it. Saw people moaning on twitter at 9:10 and it’s like gtfo twitter and focus on the job at hand, 

Edited October 6, 2019 by jparx

[Hotchilidog]

Given the huge demand I think they have the best system. It's a nightmare but when you are up against at least 1 million other people there are always going to be more disappointed than happy

[SloopJohnB]

A ballot means no effort and likely more would apply....keep it as it is

[Cockney_Jesus]

A random ballot would be a terrible idea imo and just lower everyone’s chances. Surely any website would struggle with millions all trying to get tickets? Don’t see how much better it could be.

And the devices/internet speed really don’t make a difference, got through on my phone with my terrible WiFi last year, pure luck.

[TheGoodWillOut]

The system worked perfectly for those who got tickets.  It’s supply and demand,  change the system and you’ll still get hundreds of thousands of people disappointed. This morning I’m one of them

[arcade fireman]

Remember if you're desperate to go there are four bites at the cherry, not one. Two sales periods (October and April) each with a coach sale and a regular sale. If you really want to go then it's worth securing a coach ticket if you can try on the Thursday with the Sunday still left if you didn't get through. 

April resale the odds aren't too bad - although there's obviously a lot fewer tickets there's also far fewer people trying, a lot of people have made their summer/festival plans by then. 

I don't understand the system though. I personally have got tickets ten times in a row (as opposed to others in my group), so I'm not sure what I'm doing that they're not! 

Edited October 6, 2019 by arcade fireman

[Crazyfool01]

there isn't ...its that simple ..... and I failed for the first time in 15 years 

 

[eFestivals]

26 minutes ago, burnageblue said:

Why hasn't the festival just done a straight ballot?

because there's no way to stop people making multiple entries for themselves.

[chazwwe]

This thread has happened once a year since I've been on this site. The same discussion is had EVERY YEAR. 

It would be an awful way to do it. There's 2.4 million people registered. Not all 2.4 million of those probably tried for tickets this morning, so you're already losing your chance on that.

Then you have the issue of confirming yourself to be going by yourself and everyone on the field pretty much by themselves too. 

It's already a ballot, its luck. Get a group together, get multiple devices (people complain that its expensive, you can get a cheap £15 laptop and everyone has a smart phone) and press f5. 

[chazwwe]

1 minute ago, crazyfool1 said:

there isn't ...its that simple ..... and I failed for the first time in 15 years 

 

Hit me up in April. I've only got 1 person to try for so I have space. 

[ghostdancer1]

ballot = tickets for people that didn't even bother to get out of bed this morning.

fuck that.

[Pinhead]

Its as fair as it can be not tbh and only playing the numbers game makes any difference as in any sort of spread betting. We should think ourselves lucky they never implemented any sort of plan to block those reg numbers that have been successful multiple years or something - they would certainly have the data to know who had been getting them year on year. Then of course, we'd all be changing our reg numbers every year...!

[majormajormajor]

10 minutes ago, adamski said:

I have a better way to allocate tickets......

Same as now, but you enter your registration details at 09:00 and then go into the queue. Will mean that every registration will then have only one device/browser in the queue (multiple entries of the registration details banned).

One of the big problems is the vast majority of people will have multiple browsers/devices trying so if 600,000 people try with 5 browsers/devices each that is 3,000,000 sessions. If everyone is trying for 6 tickets, and one person enters registration details for those 6 and go through, then you only have 100,000 sessions. This would mean a better experience for all, as the servers would cope better, and the people going on their own would have the same chance as groups of 30.

Either that or just give me tickets.

There isn't any network kit that can handle a million or more sessions at once, or near it. The servers would still crash.

[rocks1ar]

I went to every Glasto from 1996 to 2013. Since then I haven’t been able to get tickets. You can’t blame the tickets system. You have over 2 million people trying to get tickets at the same time. Of course the site will crash. It will never be fair. Over 50% of people trying every year have to miss out. That’s the nature of it. I always saw it as, the festival either wants me there or not. The past few years it just isnt meant to be. I’ll keep trying every year and maybe one day I will grace the fields of Avalon again when the fields want me back. Until then. Have fun all. 

Edited October 6, 2019 by rocks1ar

[concerned]

3 minutes ago, majormajormajor said:

There isn't any network kit that can handle a million or more sessions at once, or near it. The servers would still crash.

Websites like Facebook manage it. However that load is constant. You can't really expect seetickets to invest in that much gear for 1 or 2 days a year.

[Mash011]

This thread is great because it swings around every year with a different contingent of posters having for some reason turned passionately against the ticketing system

[Flysheet]

The ever more poppy line ups aren’t helping.

More mainstream demand...more grief