Lost Ticket for Photo shoot

[Last-Resort]

HI there I was wondering if someone can help me, My ticket for a photo with Robert Englund on Saturday 18th was posted out to me and it some how got mixed up amongst all my paperwork which I've binned, I still have to the receipt for the ticket with the ticket & order number on it, would it still be possible to get a photo with him if i just brung a copy of the receipt and some vailid ID, or would I have to purchase a new ticket?

 

Thanks x

[Queen_Sindel]

I'm really sorry, but you will have to buy a new one. The old tickets are basically like cash. If you lose it it's gone.

[chrisrus]

When tickets got lost in the post you didn't have to buy another.

You just took email confirmation with you.

[Queen_Sindel]

Lost in the post is a different thing. The tickets are sent recorded delivery. The non-receipt can be traced. Once the tickets are in hand and confirmed as delivered as it happened here they're the buyer's responsibility. I know this sounds harsh, but that's how it is.

[Vhiper]

Policy is policy, so l'm not critisizing, but more out of curiousity: The tickets are uniquely numbered, thus always traceable, so l don't see why they couldn't be replaced...unless of course the numbers are meaningless because they aren't being recorded and/or checked?? If that is the case, doesn't it make the tickets very easy to misuse?

[Queen_Sindel]

Policy is policy, so l'm not critisizing, but more out of curiousity: The tickets are uniquely numbered, thus always traceable, so l don't see why they couldn't be replaced...unless of course the numbers are meaningless because they aren't being recorded and/or checked?? If that is the case, doesn't it make the tickets very easy to misuse?

 

The old tickets always only have had the relevant part ripped off in the photoshoot. The numbers are not checked.

 

If replacements were done each number would have to be individually checked at the photoshoot and the photoshoot crew would have to work by the list of tickets sold. The only way to mark a ticket as invalid would be to have a list of all tickets sold and flag the numbers. "Ticket 21? That was marked as lost and has been replaced, you can't use that." That would slow down the lines insanely, especially because the lines are only in groups and not in exact number order. Checking lists isn't as fast as scanning the e-tickets, and we already had concerns that this was slowing down the lines.

[jediknight49]

I find it hard to believe that given the amount of proof the ticket holder has that SM can not assist in getting them the photoshoot without having to payout again.

It's a genuine error, something we have all been guilty of in the past. I think some common sense and flexible "can do attitude" customer service is required here by SM.

At times, it does seem and come across as a very rigid

mentality when these kind of things happen, which I find disappointing.

[collectorbob]

Its a shame, granted. I think the best thing to do is when the items arrive, put them to one side and then go back to them, as and when necessary. This year, I stupidly bought one ticket too many which I didn't need, but this is my first con, so thankfully, didn't set me back too much. Therefore, I've got a transparent friend to bring with me on Sunday, haha.

[Vhiper]

 

Policy is policy, so l'm not critisizing, but more out of curiousity: The tickets are uniquely numbered, thus always traceable, so l don't see why they couldn't be replaced...unless of course the numbers are meaningless because they aren't being recorded and/or checked?? If that is the case, doesn't it make the tickets very easy to misuse?

 

The old tickets always only have had the relevant part ripped off in the photoshoot. The numbers are not checked.

 

If replacements were done each number would have to be individually checked at the photoshoot and the photoshoot crew would have to work by the list of tickets sold. The only way to mark a ticket as invalid would be to have a list of all tickets sold and flag the numbers. "Ticket 21? That was marked as lost and has been replaced, you can't use that." That would slow down the lines insanely, especially because the lines are only in groups and not in exact number order. Checking lists isn't as fast as scanning the e-tickets, and we already had concerns that this was slowing down the lines.

 

I suspected that was the reason, but how do you prevent people from placing that ticket under a good copier with decent paper and print a few "extra" tickets for their friends if numbers aren't checked? I may have missed a security feature, but those tickets don't look that well protected to me....Anyway, I can imagine if you can't/don't want to answer that question, out of security reasons, on this rather public forum, I'm just too curious for my own good sometimes lol and of course the scanning system solves that problem if it even was one for you guys.

[Queen_Sindel]

 

I suspected that was the reason, but how do you prevent people from placing that ticket under a good copier with decent paper and print a few "extra" tickets for their friends if numbers aren't checked? I may have missed a security feature, but those tickets don't look that well protected to me....Anyway, I can imagine if you can't/don't want to answer that question, out of security reasons, on this rather public forum, I'm just too curious for my own good sometimes lol and of course the scanning system solves that problem if it even was one for you guys.

 

I didn't mean to say the crew is accepting anything with a number on it blindly. Some people have tried with fakes over the years, so there is some info about things to keep an eye open. Other things they keep an eye open for I can't go into on here, correct.

[collectorbob]

For goodness sakes, people will try fake stuff anywhere. In the autograph world especially, it is a particular problem.

[lordschweizer]

I find it hard to believe that given the amount of proof the ticket holder has that SM can not assist in getting them the photoshoot without having to payout again.

It's a genuine error, something we have all been guilty of in the past. I think some common sense and flexible "can do attitude" customer service is required here by SM.

At times, it does seem and come across as a very rigid

mentality when these kind of things happen, which I find disappointing.

The proof that the ticket holder can give is just the proof of buying, paying and receiving the ticket. Where's the proof / how can he proof that he really accidently thrashed the ticket.

Cudos to you if you can give an answer to that that'll withstand any counter or objection.

 

Don't get me wrong... I don't say that he tries to fool around with Showmasters and pointing to the good seed in mankind which says that he (and especially he) never would try to rip off Showmasters which such a lousy excuse. Who says to us that he didn't tried a Weekend to scan, print, copy etc. the ticket and gets to the point "Damn that ain't gonna work so i'll just try the smart way around and just say them... Shame on me i'm so sorry and such an idiot that i unfortunately thrashed the ticket in the paper Recycling. I have proof that i really bought the ticket sooo can i have a new one?"

 

Queen pointed out correctly that the only thing to prevent Showmaster from such try&error poeple were that they check the ticketnumbers in the Queue and had listed each and every ticket that was reported stolen, lost or damaged. How long should that take ?

 

Even if you set up a Laptop with an database and only enter those ticketnumber who were lost, stolen or damaged and have one Crew and the Queue entrance shouting ticket numbers and one Crew just typing in those numbers, pressing enter and having a message box showing "valid" or "non valid" will heavily slow down the Queue. And if one's ticket will prompt "not valid" he / she will instantly want to discuss the fact... "That can't be, why me, must be an error, etc." and so slowing down an already slowed down Queue to the worse.

 

Again don't get me wrong... i'm feeling with u pal . Can't say what it would feel for me if my MJF Tix were lost the way u lost your eglund tix.

 

But it is what it is... As hard as it sounds... when it's gone it's gone

[Zahariel]

Another good point about switching to etickets (which unfortunately doesn't help here,) you can't lose etickets... They are always available either to be printed again or shown on any device that'll run the app.