Showmasters Admin showmasters Posted February 23, 2011 Showmasters Admin Share Posted February 23, 2011 (edited) we are fair people and we are here to run the best events we can for all of you not just the few this weekend we saw things that we feel are very unfair to the good people that play by the rules and because of them we will be changing the way some things are done to stop some selfish people out there from cheating the decent fair fans that attend these events . we run these event so that they are fair and as cheap as possible so that all the fans get the chance to attend and meet the guests that attend . now if we see people cheating and doing things to get away from not paying we will act to stop this , we do not want to have to waste our time on this but we now have no choice on this and its going to stop as one or two of you are not being nice and are being really unfair . things we know a small group of you are doing is as follows 1 buying a silver pass and copying the photo op ticket and going into the photo ops for free and getting all your photos with the guests for nothing . we know this by the amount of photos that were taken and the amount of people that went though the photo ops , next event we will have something in play that will stop you from doing this also we will catch the people doing this and we will also be able to find out the person that let you copy their slip and we will ban you from the event and from the hotel and from booking tickets ever again and that will go for your group , we also know who some of you are from this time , we have let it go this weekend but this will not happen again . 2 another small group did not buy tickets at all walked into the parties and also bought up grades to the executive rooms to get access to the executive lounge , and then one person gets 5 or 6 of there friends into the executive lounge , well this is going to stop , 1 we have talked to the hotel to enforce this and not to sell up grades access to the lounge . also if you keep trying this we will just buy a suite and make this into a room for the guests to get away from it all and now one will get to chill with them , the guests do need to chill out , and its not for people that have not even bought tickets for the con . 3 we had people come up and say they lost their photo ops or autograph con book , when we know that they did not lose it , they were just trying to get another one for one for their friends that did not have a ticket in the first place , this is so unfair as fans that really have lost their ticket will now have to really prove to us so much harder now because of these selfish fans , its so wrong , we want to help people that really have lost something , we do care and we do want to help but these people damage it for everyone , we have worked out ways to stop this it will waste also or our time on this but we do know how to stop this for the people trying to do this at the next event will find out that it will no longer work , and when we catch these people and their friends we will ban the non ticket holders and the people that did buy tickets will also be banned with out a refund which we will be within our rights to do as you are taking part in counterfeiting and fraud and we could even go legal if we wanted to , we do not plan to do this but we will be banning you for life and your friends too . 4 thank you to a few of you that have copied us in on twitter feed and facebook messages that explain what is going on here and how one or two fans are working out how to cheat the event , you have been so helpful and for the two girls that were involved this time we forgive you and thank you for now helping us you know who you are , i know at the time you did not know how damaging it is to the event . one last thing on this matter , people that do this are stealing , thats the end of it , you are stealing from the guests for a start as we pay them for every photo and every autograph , so if you do not pay us it just comes out of the events money and leave less for us to run the parties or pay for freebees or put it towards more guests or flights , ether way you are just stealing and thats very low , people that are doing this are just cheats and we will not tolerate this anymore , our job is to look after the fans that support us and that what we will do and stopping people from doing this is part of that job . it really saddens me to have to come on here and say all this , and for the fans that play fair and help us by playing by the rules thank you for being good people, we will stop this unfair and nasty attitude these few people have we also know of some other things that happened like this over the weekend and we will also be dealing with this to if you want to let us know of anything more that you know of like this that you saw over the weekend we would really like to hear from you , also if you yourself are one of these 10 or so people that we know are involved if you contact us and admit to what you have done , we will let it go this time and you will get off with a warning , if you do not contact us you may not be able to book tickets next time , we have a list of names and we do not plan to just leave this at that , we know who is booking the tickets and we think we know most of the people copying the photo ops and in one or two cases we have a photo of you ? YES think about it you had your photo taken , so if you come clean and contact us we will forgive you , so we are trying to be fair let see if you are going to play fair now ? i will leave this thread open but if you know some of these people please do not post their names on here but it would help us a lot if you could just email us on info@showmastersonline.com thank you for your help on this matter jason Edited February 23, 2011 by Rhianydd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 (edited) Wow if someone got away with getting a new silver photo pass I will be so pissed, I lost mine and had to buy all my shoots again I hate that some people think they can behave like this It's good to know you guys are working on it! Edited February 23, 2011 by Holly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xlorix Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 How disgusting!!! Hope you catch the people that are trying to ruin everything for everyone else!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenjen23 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 It winds me up that people even think about doing this, we work long and hard to be able to afford to go to these events nad then there's people just doing that and as jason said it IS stealing. Good Luck with the hunt for these fraudsters, hope they get their comeuppance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sci-fi Jules Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 People that do things like that make me sick! They're obviously not genuine Twilight fans if they're doing stuff like that...I hope they all get caught and banned! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Showmasters Admin showmasters Posted February 23, 2011 Author Showmasters Admin Share Posted February 23, 2011 we all feel the same here , these people contribute nothing to the event in anyway they just steel from us all the fans the guest and the con , so if they do not come clean and own up and contact us we will not let them be apart of what we do in the future . we all feel the same but this is the end of it it will not happen again thanks for your help and i have had two emails in the last few moments already so i know this will all end very soon thank you for helping jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayray_x Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 buying a silver pass and copying the photo op ticket and going into the photo ops for free and getting all your photos with the guests for nothing . Now this, this is a really clever idea, and it's horrid how people actually thought to do it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleanor Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 (edited) this is really disappointing. I'm not impressed with the exec lounge behaviour, since I played by the rules, got my room upgraded and didn't pester guests if I happened to see them in there. A few people have spoilt it for everyone now. I don't think stopping upgrades should be the answer as people will just resort to buying an exec room at full price without the convention code if they want it that much. *just thought I'd edit to say that I won't be doing this as I can't afford it!* Goodbye muffins & cookies, au revoir internet access *sings* We'll meet again... xD Edited February 23, 2011 by Eleanor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiZcheef Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 It's bad when people resort to this kind of behaviour. At the end of the day the guests are people too and the behaviour described her is very stalkerish!!! I'd be really worried. Legally... Can they be done for fraud? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gillianre Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 It's a very sad day for Eternal Twilight when "fans" do this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwilightMum Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I am totally disgusted about this, it's shocking! These people aren't fans atall. Myself and my daughter always stay in the lounge floors and book this at full price, as we like treating ourself for our weekend away, we have never ever approached a guest in the exec lounge and never would. We have stayed in this part of the hotel 3 times and I spoke to the lounge staff to say the lounge has never been so busy with Twilight fans, I did find that very strange indeed. It's now clear that many of these people should not have been in there. It makes for an uncomfortable situation for the guests. I can't believe that some people have taken advantage of the system, they should be banned from any further events without question. What about a system where the crew member ticks of your ticket number on a sheet of paper as you use your photo shoot voucher, that way you would know if someone had already been through. Not sure how practical this would be, just throwing a suggestion out there. The behaviour of some individuals are not going to ruin these fantastic events for everyone so if anyone knows more info then please contact the office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfman Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 it really sadness me that people is trying to do a stunt like this...comé on people, these guys do a hard work to make this happen...i know a little about whats going on behind the scenes as i have been sniffing to do a convention as well. it takes a hard job to get everything done in time. Its really sad that there are people that will ruin everything for all us other fans. I truly enjoyed my time there at the convention, you guys did a really good job putting all this toghether..it was just over all to fast, i could have spend a week there if i had enought money to food and so on :) i DO admit at the night at the slumberparty me and my date went into the party room through one og the closed doors instead of the main entrance, and talked to Jason about it, but we had our tickets and they were legal and paid for, and he said it was okay. i would newer cheat you guys and i would newer buy a fake ticket or copy some pictures. i wodnt feel good about this at all. hope you catch the guilty that did this, they deserves to get banned from atending to an event like this again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andylein2001 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 it is disgusting!!! ME try so had to give us good and absolutly fair prices!!! 10 Pounds for a fotos shoot is really good if you compare prices of other conventions. so i can't understand the people who betray and do stuff like Jason wrote here. Really sad to here this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madjuliette Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 This is really, really sad - selfish people who think it's OK to steal. Why do this? Let's hope they all have the decency to own up and if not that they are all caught Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twimumkatie Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 My friend genuinely lost her whole pack or it was stolen, I hope to god you don't mean her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators DavidB Posted February 23, 2011 Moderators Share Posted February 23, 2011 It's very disappointing if this results in others missing out on certain things when they have done absolutely nothing wrong. It's such a shame that there's no consideration for the guests, organisers or fellow attendees. The success of these events is as much down to respect as it is anything else. I hope a solution can be worked out so that the majority aren't punished because of the minority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vickiveyron Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Seriously, how do people think these things up?! It's just madness. I agree with everyone else, we all work long and hard (and overtime!) to afford to come to these events and this sort of behaviour is just out of order. I'm genuinely quite sad something like this has had to be put on here. We have stayed in the "Executive" part of the hotel twice now, both on convention rate. We only realised AFTER ET4 that we even had access to the Exec Lounge, and this time when the three of us tried to use it, our card didn't work and we asked at reception if there was a reason and they explained because we were upgraded from a twin and a single to a three person Queen Room that we wasn't allowed access which we were fine with - makes total sense. We didn't pay £300 a night for a room! Those who DID should get that perk. Things like this just tars us all with the same brush....and is so unfair. 99.9% of us respect the hotel and it's facilities. I don't want the staff at the hotel dreading every February and October because "we" as a collective are going. Sorry, ramble over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaneDoe Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I tried to pay full whack to upgrade my room because I wanted to have more room space and somewhere to chill but none were available. Obviously taken up with people who shouldn't have been there. Still trying to get my head round the logisitcs involved in reproducing a photoshoot card - so devious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vickiveyron Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I tried to pay full whack to upgrade my room because I wanted to have more room space and somewhere to chill but none were available. Obviously taken up with people who shouldn't have been there. Still trying to get my head round the logisitcs involved in reproducing a photoshoot card - so devious. Totally agree...it's insane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah_Cullen Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 All of this is awful! :-( I don't know if this information is of any help to you (if you have spoken to the Hilton then you might already know anyway), but each Exec bedroom is obviously allowed access to the exec room, but you are only allowed to sign in 1 guest per each exec room. We are Hilton Honours members and have dealt with exec rooms/bedrooms from other non-con stays anyway, and have done this for every ET we have been to, and the increase in con guests in the exec room was immense. ET3 there were about 2 other couple we spotted in there, ET4 there were probably twice that, then this one was crazy, we hardly ever got a seat and the staff were running out of drinks and food so fast (we have never seen that before). Potentially, the Hilton could make sure the desk has a member of staff at the entrance desk at all times during the con weekend (we used to see one more regularly than we did this time) as it isn't just a benefit to Showmasters, it is a benefit to the Hilton as other non-con guests also experienced lack of seating therefore losing faith in the hotel, plus it would save them running out of drinks, etc. As I now know to look out for it, I will try to at ET6, but this time I just assumed a larger number of con guests had booked exec bedrooms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my*wife*says Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I don't know what to say-speechless! Oh yes I do know what to say! Not the sort of people I want to be at events with. Find them and ban them straight away. If you can't behave in a decent way then shouldn't be there. You need to be able to trust people and if they will go to such lengths to get near the guests for free are they people you want to spend a weekend with? Stealing is stealing whether it is photo shoots, exec lounge or my purse! I am really sorry this happen puts a bad air around the event! Shona Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EternallyCullen Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 That is shocking behaviour. I really hope SM/ME find out all the people who have been stealing/copying photoshoot passes, as this has to stop. It's not fair on those of us who have been honest and paid for Silver and Gold passes. £10 is VERY reasonable for the photo shoots - esp when Malcom - the little star, was giving away his "You were amazing, I was rubbish" shots as well if they were not terrible. I know many people (myself included) who walked away with more than one copy of a shoot. As for the exec room access - I would hate to be stripped of that. My friends and I upgraded from Deluxe to Executive upon check in at ET4, so when we booked for ET5, we booked an exec queen right away and were quoted £209 a night b&b which we were VERY happy with. The soft drink/cookies/muffins/fruit during the day and wine and canapés etc in the evening is wonderful. Providing you don't abuse the system. It was VERY busy, esp on the Saturday and Sunday nights - stopped in for one quick drink Sunday night, but couldn't even get a table. Saturday we just walked past and thought "Erm... perhaps another time." - it's fantastic at breakfast time though and during the day when you don't want to spend a fiver on a coffee downstairs. We were told upon check in that we were not entitled to have access - which didn't please me at all (lol) - but having worked many years in hospitality, I'd done my research and we had not been told that we were not allowed. When I booked my room, I booked it for the lounge access (for the chill out time and snacks, not to stalk the guests or anything like that. I am certain they like their space, just as much as I like mine - perhaps more-so, right? So we got access this time around, seeing as I'd booked my room back in late 2010 - when it wouldn't have been "over capacity" - also - because I'm a Hilton Honors member, I didn't use the booking code for the convention (although it's great that they are giving people discount for using the code on Exec rooms, I wasn't offered this) I think the exec lounge would work better perhaps if they actually made you sign in when you go into the lounge. There is a board to sign in on, just like at the gym etc, but it was rarely used. Anyhoo - I'm rambling - just wanted to say that I'm sorry about all the things that have happened. The whole weekend was INCREDIBLE (although not for two of my friends who were stuck, in bed, throwing up all Saturday night and Sunday) and it's such a shame that a small number of individuals can breech the trust of SM/ME and ruin things for the rest of us. Thanks once again for an amazing weekend, already have my ticket to ET6 - and I can't wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzy Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Wow. Crazy stuff. I've been doing these things for a long time now, and the things I'm hearing about some fans at these ET events is just appalling. Not just the odd one or two it seems, but a fair old whack of people. It seems people are just starting to grow up nowadays without the same morals as people even just a little bit older? I have to admit, I've been presented with a few opportunities I could have taken advantage of to get freebies, but I like to think I'm an honest person so wouldn't take such opportunities. Also, as Jason said, there is the small matter that stuff like this is ILLEGAL! It's not a question of it being a bit naughty, or a bit mean against SM, despite the fact it is. Theft, regardless of how small or what form, is the act of dishonestly appropriating (taking) property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it. Property can easily include a photograph that has been taken and produced, or even space in an executive lounge. You've not paid to access that room, but you're standing in it- therefore, you have stolen the space you're using in that room. It may sound pathetic, but it's just as illegal as going into a shop and picking something up and walking out without paying. Just because it doesn't seem obvious, doesn't mean it's not an offence. Fraud is also similar to theft- and if you're duplicating something to use for your own gain, I'm sure you see where I'm going with that. CCTV; photoshoots; written records of ticket holders with ID and addresses. Open and shut case really with the Police if SM felt the need to press charges. Pretty easy as Jason said to find out who it is. Something else for those of you who have been doing this and are now still hiding. Take a look at this :http://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/docs/web_sgc_magistrates_guidelines_including_update_1__2__3_web.pdf They are the Magistrates Sentencing Guidelines. For Theft of less than £2,000, if you are found guilty, the MINIMUM sentence is a medium level community order (think picking up litter for a fair few weeks and not being paid), and can go up to a fine and 26 weeks custody. That means prison. For possessing and making articles for use in fraud, you're looking at something very similar. For those of you that don't want to consider Jason's very kind offer or a 5 letter word (sorry), then I would refer you to the above. And also send me an email or give me a ring. I could do with the extra cash to represent you at the Police Station if you ask for me personally (I'm a criminal defence Solicitor)!! Though a bit of free advice right now would be to no comment as they'll likely have you bang to rights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerraHawk Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Fraud is also similar to theft- and if you're duplicating something to use for your own gain, I'm sure you see where I'm going with that. Plenty of people have no qualms using a cash machine that's accidentally dispensing £20s instead of £10s. But that's instinctive, rather than premeditated unlike this case. OT, but you'll know - If you are parking your car and someone leaving gives you a ticket valid for a few more hours is that fraud? The time has been paid for. I'm just surprised the system is that prone to abuse; for the photos - I'd have thought if customers have a number, if you're going to need to return photos to them, a set number of people to expect per slot, I'd have thought the admin involved in a checklist to cross off silver would more than pay for itself. Surprised things run as smoothy without one. Still better to sort all that out before the Stargate con; where such Gold/Silver privileges have even more advantages... As for prosecuting/outright banning on this occasion, nice idea in principle but the event wasn't a sell-out this time. So that's however many sales (who I'm assuming still paid regular admission) less next time. A friendly warning, letting them know not to try it again or there will be consequences isn't denying those sales. Unfortunatly though - when you have several price tiers in operation and some people having more than others - a system that open to abuse is going to be abused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa090982 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I agree with everything that has been said but the only thing I would like addressed is the exec lounge access. I have had lounge access for the past two cons and never approached a guest if I have seen them If I have an exec room, I expect to be allowed in the lounge. I like having the upgrade and getting the free drinks/food etc. If it means you guys having to put the guests in a suite for thier breakfast/downtime, i'd prefer that...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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