Real fans thoughts on this its a new problem that we have to solve

[ziggy31]

There are photo ID cards that cost about £15. http://validateuk.co.uk/for example.

Edited July 8, 2015 by ziggy31

[OurDek]

Just been checking up online and one of the biggest problems for anyone buying these tickets is identity theft. Obviously when purchasing these tickets from Eventbrite we all have to register a lot of personal information, this can be found on the ticket sales site with the relevant ticket number.

 

There are three possible ways of making sure no-one profits which are all quite simple in theory. Firstly make sure that the person who purchased the tickets has visible ID IE passport or driver's license which can be checked against a database of ticket purchasers, and then make sure that any people in their party are known to them. Another way is to send out the etickets at the last possible moment to stop them being sold or transferred. The most obvious way, seeing as how it states in the terms and conditions that tickets cannot be transferred, is to make the tickets that are on sale void. Again I would assume that there is some sort of database of ticket buyer's details that can be accessed, if so then the fact that this person has violated the terms and conditions would immediately make their ticket void.

 

Of course it's easy for me to sit here and suggest things, but this does need to be stopped. Later this month the consumer act is being updated and will cover ticket resales on auction sites. Once this is in effect it should make things easier.

[misskitten]

There are photo ID cards that cost about £15. http://validateuk.co.uk/for example.

 

Plenty of international fans attend as well, so this would be no go for us.

[BeatrixKiddo88]

As this discussion is for next year, not this year, buying a photo ID is totally a legitimate idea. And I'm sure a lot of countries have their own version of it. If not...well then how do you handle other times when you need ID for something?

 

And am I the only one who has a passport as his only photo ID and has never had an issue just taking it places that I know I'll need an ID?

 

 

I think ID is a good idea, but as stated earlier in the thread, pre-registration only really works at events where you are definitely going for multiple days, or can make it on a friday/thursday. Which most won't be able to due to work/school/kids/whatever. It's great for weekend cons in hotels though, as 95% of the attendees will be going to the first day.

 

 

An official non-forum buy-back system would be great though.

Edited July 8, 2015 by BeatrixKiddo88

[buffy2k]

When you have thousands of people trying to get into the venue the last thing you need is an ID check its not going to be viable and quite honestly a lot of people don't have photo id or wish to carry it to these events I know I wouldn't.

 

So if we are looking at ID/Passports names etc what happens if someone buys you tickets in their name and you turn up and cant get in as your name isn't on the ticket - it wont work and this is going too far. You'll never eradicate people selling things on for profit A point to remember is that dealers attend these shows with the intention of collecting autos and reselling for big profit should this be frowned on as well?

 

At the end of the day people should not be silly enough to pay for these tickets but everything has a market look at how much people pay for football tickets etc, equally the sellers ( if they genuinely cannot attend) should be selling at cost. Personally I have given away tickets free to friends for events I cannot attend in the past, & its not illegal on ebay to resell tickets.Not sure you'll ever stop it totally this is a problem that's been unsold for decades . Look at concerts, sporting events & certainly Wimbledon etc all being resold at inflated prices you cant stop them either and how many of us have bought from Ticketmaster or complained about the fee charges from Eventbrite this year?.

 

I don't think we need to go over the top with this though or this will equally put people off coming if its going to be too draconian in future for the sake of a few individuals . We need a buy back system simple, a lot of people cannot afford to lose money if they cannot go and this would stop a lot of this reselling going on but not sure we need a witch hunt here.

Edited July 10, 2015 by buffy2k

[misskitten]

And am I the only one who has a passport as his only photo ID and has never had an issue just taking it places that I know I'll need an ID?

 

Just because you haven't had an issue, doesn't mean you never will. I've thankfully never had my passport lost or stolen, but it can happen. And while it's enough of an inconvenience for natives who will have to replace their passports if it comes to it, for international fans it would be a downright nightmare as without one you cannot get back home and you might end up not just shelling out money for a last minute replacement but potentially also extra lodging and last minute airfare (which is extremely expensive).

[redjohn]

going a little off track,but LFCC is becoming victim of its own successes.
I know a lot of people won't like it but I think its will be when! ..not if LFCC will become an registered or members only event.
maybe next year, maybe 3 years from now but following suits of other big company's.

its enviable like on site printers and e-tickets which other company's had for years before S.M.
Show master will have to follow their examples as safety & securtiy become a number one priority.
and police & security just like at football and other large events will need as much information and help as possible(how many people, names, home address and maybe photo of all attendees)
for security its better to have as much information as possible as early as possible to prevent not react to situations

maybe smaller events like Milton Keynes,Sheffield, Cardiff etc can stay the same but if LFCC keeps growing(specially since more people are getting interested with bigger guests) and it becomes massive then something will change for sure.

could you imagine if San Diego comic con was not a registered/members event and people could walk in with just a ticket!!
not only would ticket touts would flourish, but theft & pick pockets , people physically attacking people for tickets at pubs/bars and god forbid if a madman or terrorist intent on harm got in!

[celine]

Should we report those ads? Is it illegal to resell the tickets?

[BeatrixKiddo88]

 

And am I the only one who has a passport as his only photo ID and has never had an issue just taking it places that I know I'll need an ID?

 

Just because you haven't had an issue, doesn't mean you never will. I've thankfully never had my passport lost or stolen, but it can happen. And while it's enough of an inconvenience for natives who will have to replace their passports if it comes to it, for international fans it would be a downright nightmare as without one you cannot get back home and you might end up not just shelling out money for a last minute replacement but potentially also extra lodging and last minute airfare (which is extremely expensive).

 

And as I said also, what do you use in your country for ID when asked for it? Could you not bring that? I think SM would be fine with something if it had your photo and your name on it.

 

But, I also do agree that at an event of this size, without a pre-reg day checking IDs would take way too long.

 

There just really doesn't seem to be much you can do with LFCC the way ti currently is. Lots of solutions, just would have to change LFCC in some major ways first.

[Spacecadet is here]

Hmm, Reading a lot of the comments on here and I'm thinking in future I will be going to a Night Club, not a Fun day out at Comic con?

 

I think the problem is selling your tickets on Line on Certain sites... This needs to be addressed, Not placing more Barriers in the way of ID etc. 1000's of people attend these shows. showing id will slow down the queues.. you ideally want more people in, spending money etc..

 

i like the idea on here, using eventbrite (Although I hate the System) Maybe a Cancel button can be brought in If you can't attend then you just get a Refund and the Ticket is Re sold, Maybe when Guests cancel we use the same button to collect our Refund..

 

Personally I don't like the sound of ID, People come from abroad have different ID.. and who knows what they are showing you? is it Valid? Don't forget many fans have their hands full with items to be signed. I'm sure the last thing on their mind is where is their Passport etc....

[BeatrixKiddo88]

That's why LFCC would need to change in order for IDs to be a legitimate way of solving issues.

 

At the moment, the event is still very much set up in a way of 'you can turn up to whatever days you like, whenever you like'. Even though we are now in the pre-paid only stage, it's still the same. You can do whatever day/s you want to, and arrive whenever you want to.

 

That is great, and flexible. But really doesn't help SM structure tickets in any way that would actually help them with this ticket re-sell issue.

[Poppy]

Redjohn - do you have to pay to be a member for San Diego Comic con? I have absolutely no issue being a member if its not yet another

Extra payment....I thought you had to go into a lottery to be able to buy tickets for SDCC (like you do for some England matches or like we did for the Olympics ), I didn't realise there was a fee?

 

With regards to going in direction of SDCC this is where what people had been discussing on other threads come into it, such as like some festivals do...where previous years ticket holders get an opportunity to buy them straight away for the following year before they go on general sale etc.

 

I am not sure of all the ins and outs of SDCC, but I don't think the rules of buying tickets for LFACC should be stricter than buying tickets for say the Olympics etc!

[kacule186]

I'm from abroad and ID is something I have always with me, so I don't quite understand the problem some people seem to be having. I agree that checking ID when entering the hall might be chaotic, but I really don't mind the idea of checking it while we're waiting in the queue. Introducing some kind of registration before the event also sounds good to me.

[BeatrixKiddo88]

I think we all have to accept that at some point, LFCC will change, and some of those changes might seem unfair or unsuitable for your personal situation or tastes.

 

But anything that doesn't change to adapt to new markets, customer bases or technologies dies out.

 

LFCC is at the point where it needs to be pre-sale only and e-tickets, because of the huge demand for the event. And so it brings up new ways for people to exploit the system for profit. So, SM have to change a few things here and there in order to combat this.

 

We might not all like them, but such is the nature of the world.

[Poppy]

Beatrix - I think everyone agrees things will and do need to change ....I personally have no issue with tickets only being presold or having ID (provided we can get into the venue quickly) or photos being uploaded to our tickets (think this could work really well provided you can upload your friends photos to their tickets you have brought for them etc).

 

What I am concerned about is extra 'fees' which I am sure most of us agree that fans shouldn't be penalised for ticket touts. We did have to join to get tickets for Olympics (& nothing was a bigger security alert or in higher demand than the Olympics! ) but we did not have to pay an additional fee!

 

I would also be very against it being like a proper con where you have to register on the Thursday and stay for whole weekend, I very much enjoy going for a single day and I know that there are hundreds of other people in the same boat.

 

Both of those ideas don't seem fan friendly to me but rather un-necessary money making ideas, there are plenty of other ways wround ticket touts and to increase security...many of which have already bedn suggested and are great ideas :)

[Aearin]

wow just been looking on ebay... saturdays entry is now going for £120-£135. It's just awful as people will pay it won't they

One went for nearly £150 a couple of days ago. If your prepared to pay that why not go gold

[RatedRVD]

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this or is even aware of this, but its quite a big thing.

 

With E tickets,whats stopping say person A from selling his photo ticket for say Bill Paxton for £200 to person B. Then person A at the event still going for the photo with Bill using the a print out and making sure that hes one of the first in the queues, then when person B comes along the ticket has already been used.

[dodge15]

This is a situation that I find only too painful, I know it's a little off topic (although Rey and Kurt Angle count technically) but whenever I try and buy tickets to go and see WWE Raw Live in London each year every single good seat is bought up on day 1 of the sale and then onto eBay they go for like £500 so in this case a real and genuine fan who has never been able to go and see it in 15 years can't enjoy the show because someone who doesn't care at all bought them all to make profit!

 

I do think it needs to be addressed but I would also say that having name and address on the tickets is tricky because it can punish genuine fans who may be unable to make it whereby perhaps their friends and family can make it - in this case if the buyer was ill then you risk upsetting a whole host of people who they bought for!

[Rockstar6662]

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this or is even aware of this, but its quite a big thing.

 

With E tickets,whats stopping say person A from selling his photo ticket for say Bill Paxton for £200 to person B. Then person A at the event still going for the photo with Bill using the a print out and making sure that hes one of the first in the queues, then when person B comes along the ticket has already been used.

Nothing, which is why buying off someone else is a risk. But it seems there are people willing to take it.

[Kuato_Lives]

The hard truth is wherever there are tickets, there'll be touts. You might just have to grin and bear it I'm afraid. Only way to stop them is to give free entry

[Avengers7]

I'm afraid for various reasons this maybe my last LFACC event - lacks of funds, time etc. Have really enjoyed the smaller events but this is just too big and expensive. I may change my mind but am not feeling the excitement this year. As for tickets - it would help if re sales were allowed as they do at other events and that would certainly stop people selling on ebay - ticket touts I don't think you will ever stop. My biggest complaint is the extra money that is added onto each ticket starting at Winter London. If I go, I may well just buy on the day as it is cheaper and if I miss anything so be it.

[redjohn]

I think we all have to accept that at some point, LFCC will change, and some of those changes might seem unfair or unsuitable for your personal situation or tastes.

 

But anything that doesn't change to adapt to new markets, customer bases or technologies dies out.

 

LFCC is at the point where it needs to be pre-sale only and e-tickets, because of the huge demand for the event. And so it brings up new ways for people to exploit the system for profit. So, SM have to change a few things here and there in order to combat this.

 

We might not all like them, but such is the nature of the world.

your right things change and if LFCC keeps growing it will have to adapt and thats means changes that most people won't like (nobody likes change).

whats the other alternative go back to how LFCC was in the past or go forward with changes(probably copying how the big American cons do things) to enable people to meet bigger guests- S.M will still have the smaller shows Milton Keynes,sheffield,Cardiff etc to do a more old fashioned type show for people, who make up minds to go at last minute and only wanting to spend a small amount at the show. whilst LFCC would be its flagship show and main money maker, but because of huge demands, changes are needed in the way its organized in future, other wise you might as well just ignore all the problems(present & future) and let things just go on as they are -like a crack in your windscreen till something happends.

[misskitten]

 

 

And am I the only one who has a passport as his only photo ID and has never had an issue just taking it places that I know I'll need an ID?

 

Just because you haven't had an issue, doesn't mean you never will. I've thankfully never had my passport lost or stolen, but it can happen. And while it's enough of an inconvenience for natives who will have to replace their passports if it comes to it, for international fans it would be a downright nightmare as without one you cannot get back home and you might end up not just shelling out money for a last minute replacement but potentially also extra lodging and last minute airfare (which is extremely expensive).

 

And as I said also, what do you use in your country for ID when asked for it? Could you not bring that? I think SM would be fine with something if it had your photo and your name on it.

 

But, I also do agree that at an event of this size, without a pre-reg day checking IDs would take way too long.

 

There just really doesn't seem to be much you can do with LFCC the way ti currently is. Lots of solutions, just would have to change LFCC in some major ways first.

 

 

Not all ID is internationally acknowledged, hence they need to specify what is okay, what isn't. Bank cards over here is the more common ID since not everyone have a driver's license, but that isn't acknowledged internationally. I have one, though, so I'm set, but I'm thinking more generally.

[brt1919]

A while ago I had a spare ticket for a gig that was sold out, which I sold to someone who I was able to meet in the queue & went in with them, for face price + fees. I can't make the Saturday LFCC event & the problem with some of these requests on Twitter & elsewhere begging for s spare ticket, is how can I be sure they are genuine & not going to sell them on again on eBay for a quick profit? Answer is I can't be sure, & I guess until Showmasters offer in house reselling on like many festivals, that eBay is I guess the one way that is likely to ensure its not a profiteer bearing in mind the event didn't sell out last year so can't imagine too many people gambled on buying tickets expecting to sell on for a profit

[discodiva]

I'm afraid for various reasons this maybe my last LFACC event - lacks of funds, time etc. Have really enjoyed the smaller events but this is just too big and expensive. I may change my mind but am not feeling the excitement this year. As for tickets - it would help if re sales were allowed as they do at other events and that would certainly stop people selling on ebay - ticket touts I don't think you will ever stop. My biggest complaint is the extra money that is added onto each ticket starting at Winter London. If I go, I may well just buy on the day as it is cheaper and if I miss anything so be it.

Yep..I'm only coming for RDA...think I'm out of the Summer one after this....

 

Sad but it's too big and too OTT for small fry fans like me...