Drop the deposit.

[Matt42]

I was lucky enough to be successful this year, but I think ending the deposit system is the best way to make it easier on T Day for the loyal crowds.
 

The festival is at a point now where I feel they could comfortably do this. We are long gone from 2008 - the festival world is different now.

Make people cough up £260 in October with no lineup and I am sure things would be easier. I know too many people who drop £50 with no intention of going / conditional intent if Fleetwood Mac play!

[maelzoid]

Yeah, but how many people have a grand and a half in their account / on credit?

I think it would skew the festival towards the wealthy

[Winslow Leach]

Not sure closing down even the narrowest of avenues for the less financially secure to attend is the one, to be honest.

[Dronx]

Not so sure about that. It wouldn’t personally put me off, I think the deposit scheme has more positives than negatives. I now have about 6 months to save the money up rather then having to worry about finding £270 after holidays etc. Also makes it a lot more unrealistic to be able to buy for mates too. 

Edited October 6, 2019 by Dronx

[Matt42]

But you’re paying the exact same money at the end anyway? £50 in October is not a cheaper method - you’re still spending the same amount of money at the end of the process?

I understand it is annoying that some people might struggle with October but something has to change if 2.4 million people are genuinely trying for tickets. Especially if many of those have a spare £50 to throw at the sale when they don’t know if they can definitely attend.

[incident]

1 minute ago, Matt42 said:

But you’re paying the exact same money at the end anyway? £50 in October is not a cheaper method - you’re still spending the same amount of money at the end of the process?

Cheaper and more affordable aren't necessarily the same thing.

Aside from which, the deposit scheme reportedly is at least partly an attempt by the festival to ensure that the bulk of their income falls in the same tax quarter as the bulk of their outgoings (ie April to June).

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

It’s not in the Festival’s interest to make it harder/less attractive to buy tickets.

[maelzoid]

I think the 2.5 million number does not reflect how many people try. It's how many registrations they have, and they can go back a number of years.

[stuartbert two hats]

1 minute ago, Matt42 said:

But you’re paying the exact same money at the end anyway? £50 in October is not a cheaper method - you’re still spending the same amount of money at the end of the process?

I understand it is annoying that some people might struggle with October but something has to change if 2.4 million people are genuinely trying for tickets. Especially if many of those have a spare £50 to throw at the sale when they don’t know if they can definitely attend.

When you're poorer, it's harder to budget for these things. Those who don't want to go will lose their tickets in April putting more into the pot and those who end up going will be new blood.

Despite having been once or twice before, it's a good thing that new people attend. Loyalty shouldn't be rewarded, newbies deserve to go more than you or I do.

Keep the deposit.

[Smeble]

Just now, Deaf Nobby Burton said:

It’s not in the Festival’s interest to make it harder/less attractive to buy tickets.

Exactly, anything that may lead to not selling out is not going to happen.

[ghostdancer1]

4 minutes ago, maelzoid said:

Yeah, but how many people have a grand and a half in their account / on credit?

I think it would skew the festival towards the wealthy

they could leave it a couple of days to process payment?

i've bought plenty of things online that hve been processed, shipped and delivered before payment has even come out.

 

could probably do with dropping it to 4 tickets per person anyway, 6 seems quite arbitrary.

[incident]

Just now, ghostdancer1 said:

could probably do with dropping it to 4 tickets per person anyway, 6 seems quite arbitrary.

and 4 isn't?

[Smeble]

Just now, stuartbert two hats said:

When you're poorer, it's harder to budget for these things. Those who don't want to go will lose their tickets in April putting more into the pot and those who end up going will be new blood.

Despite having been once or twice before, it's a good thing that new people attend. Loyalty shouldn't be rewarded, newbies deserve to go more than you or I do.

Keep the deposit.

Whilst I agree mostly with you, newbies do not have more right to go, they have exactly the same right to go.

[kaytee...]

1 minute ago, Matt42 said:

But you’re paying the exact same money at the end anyway? £50 in October is not a cheaper method - you’re still spending the same amount of money at the end of the process?

I understand it is annoying that some people might struggle with October but something has to change if 2.4 million people are genuinely trying for tickets. Especially if many of those have a spare £50 to throw at the sale when they don’t know if they can definitely attend.

It gives people on a lower income more time to save for their ticket. And given that they go onsale only a couple months after the actual festival where money has already been spent, a lot of people wouldnt have the money to drop another 265 quid so soon. 

Changing the whole payment process for the sake of people who weren't lucky enough to get tickets would eliminate a large portion of people from attending. 

[Winslow Leach]

1 minute ago, stuartbert two hats said:

Despite having been once or twice before, it's a good thing that new people attend. Loyalty shouldn't be rewarded, newbies deserve to go more than you or I do.

This really isn't said enough around here to be honest.

[ghostdancer1]

2 minutes ago, incident said:

and 4 isn't?

obviously, every number other than 1 or arguably 2 is arbitrary.

[maelzoid]

1 minute ago, ghostdancer1 said:

they could leave it a couple of days to process payment?

i've bought plenty of things online that hve been processed, shipped and delivered before payment has even come out.

 

could probably do with dropping it to 4 tickets per person anyway, 6 seems quite arbitrary.

Yes, but I expect when you order these things, the company has a check on whether the credit card is valid and has sufficient funds, before the balance is settled on delivery.

[Hugh Jass]

Using words like “loyalty” is bullshit. Everyone of us was a newbie once and everyone should have exactly the same chance to go, regardless if they’ve been 20 times or never before.

The deposit scheme should stay if you ask me.

[Garrett_Salas]

no - don't make it harder for financially less secure people.

[fatyeti24]

The problem isn't the deposit scheme, or the online buying process, the problem is that fucking great fence around the site.

[FuzzyDunlop]

As someone who has to work overtime in order to pay for tickets,  the deposit scheme helps me greatly.

Next year will be my 9th Glastonbury, but in 2009 I was a "newbie". I don't deserve to go now any more than I did then.

 

[Matt42]

I do understand that it’s a sensitive issue as some may be priced out - but most other festivals ask for full ticket price upfront so it’s not abhorrent for Glastonbury to ask that.

If the process is going to be easier something has got to give. I don’t really see it happening but any move to make the festival rush easier won’t be universally accepted.

[Matt42]

Also there is no deposit with the resale - so it wouldn’t be “Unglastonbury like” for it not to exist

[dotdash79]

The deposit scheme is great allows people to know that they have a ticket and can plan over a number of months. It's a bit like saying when booking a holiday you have to pay it all up front.

[dentalplan]

On this, the day of bad ideas on how to change an incredibly efficient system, I think we have found the worst one yet.