FrightFest ticketing 2015

Taking place over the Bank Holiday weekend, August 27th - 31st 2015
MarkjCollyer
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by MarkjCollyer »

Got the circle of death. System seemed to crash. Now I've been sent to the back of the line with an hour to wait. Not impressed.
idlehost
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by idlehost »

Well that's game over. Been in twice now and got the circle twice and kicked out twice. No chance of tickets now.

That 'Revenge is a B***h' helmet is taking on a new meaning for me now
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WJB
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by WJB »

First and only attempt - waited 1hr 7mins, selected an aisle seat in Horror Channel screen, "exception error", kicked out to back of queue.

After last year's hilarity (website down, went to Vue, told no tickets, gave up, tickets on sale later, missed my chance), I thought this year might be different. Nope - same sh*t, different smell.

I had a great time at my one & only Frightfest in 2013, but I think that'll have to be the extent of my FF career. I have no desire to keep wasting time dealing with technical ineptitude year after year on the off-chance I might be able to give £200 to people who don't seem to value my custom enough to ensure a smooth purchase.

To those who were lucky/patient enough to get tickets - enjoy.

Farewell!
Meanbobs
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by Meanbobs »

Be brave - If you are stuck on circle hell for 20 secs+, make sure you press the 'cancel' button by the circle before clicking your browser's back button. You may then have to press back through more than one 'server error' page. Then, when you see the seating again, make sure you press the 'refresh' button on the site (not your browser refresh button) before re-selecting your seats. I had to do this whole process 3 times before I got to the payment section. Good Luck, and make sure you complete it all within 15 minutes!
bloodlustbarbie
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by bloodlustbarbie »

Ahhhh! The circle of death got me too and the 'back' button has now put me in the queue again. Thanks to people who have posted above, does make me feel a bit better that it's not just me. There were not many seats left about 10 mins ago when this happened so I am fighting the urge to cry at the prospect of not getting a ticket! Another 26 mins to wait but I'm scared now in case it doesnt work again! I cant NOT come to frightfest!
bluegimp
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by bluegimp »

I also queued, got in, selected a great aisle seat, updated basket - got circle of death and chucked out with server error. Got back in, waited for 1 hour 20 mins and FINALLY managed to get my ticket (which was one of 20 left !) which is a pretty crap seat - certainly not the row H aisle seat I wanted and have managed to get every year regardless of cinema since 2006. Not a happy bunny.

I would hope that the Frightfest organisers do actually take note of the comments in these forums, particularly this one. This was a farce. If there is not sleepy queue next year and they persist with this online only bu****it, then they will lose a customer as I will not buy tickets online for this again.

They say this is the same server used for Liverpool FC - no wonder some football fans are violent - they're the ones that got server errors and bounced back to the end of the queue! Grrr….
Alex J
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by Alex J »

Perhaps FF should be sold as the best way to lose weight - whilst sweating in the virtual queue for my ticket I think I lost 3 stone ! Seriously though despite the wait being a bit painful and I had the blue circle issue (thankfully resolved by cancelling and pressing back a few times) the experience wasn't anywhere near as disastrous as it could have been, so well done to Ian and all! I think most people seem to be getting their tickets ok based on social media, so hopefully everyone will get there soon. Perhaps the traffic issues prove that FF is more popular than Liverpool?!!!
No tears, please. It's a waste of good suffering.
HeadOnAStick
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by HeadOnAStick »

I have now secured a pass, thanks to all who offered advice or information. This ticketing company was not up to the task, the site didn't seem to manage the queue properly, people got randomly kicked off and had to go back and queue for another hour or more and, without wishing to state the obvious, the mechanism for getting tickets shouldn't include the words 'hit cancel, then wait for the error message, click the back button on your browser a few times then choose a different seat or screen'.

I assume better sales companies are available?
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by Eddie Krueger »

Don't know if this helps anyone but:

After three queues, and multiple attempts once in, I gave up on trying to get tickets for the Film 4 screen and tried on the Arrow screen -- and it worked. I think the system can't manage people selecting the same seats at the same time.

My guess is that the circle of doom is when you've selected seats that someone has just pipped you to. When I chose what appears to be a less popular screen/seat combo I got straight to the basket.

In short, I've queued since 11:30, got in three times, sometimes got kicked out, sometimes just couldn't add seats to basket (but remained in the system) and have poorer seats in a screen I'd rather not be in - but at least I'm going!
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TheDukeAbides
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by TheDukeAbides »

Commodore wrote: I very much doubt the type of seat I was after in the Arrow screen will still be there after another hour+ wait. There wasn't much left at the back of the screen as it was, and I've got no interest in paying close to £200 to sit in the eye bleeder seats for five days. :(
Eddie Krueger wrote:
I agree with your sentiment - I'm trying to cling to it - but it's rough when you've been able to select your ideal tickets and then lose them! ;)
Its hard not to sound patronising when you're not the one suffering - apologies.

My 45 minute wait went off without a hitch, looking at twitter it seems things are falling over a tad.

Paying an additional 5% fee for the same problems people have faced each year is an extra smack in the face.
The Aylmer
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by The Aylmer »

Finally got my tickets on the third attempt. The second attempt was the most frustrating as I'd actually got brilliant seats in the Horror Channel screen only for the system to crash after I'd entered my credit card details! That was using Internet Explorer. Luckily I had a second Firefox browser running which got me back in only a few minutes later although the seats I'd originally picked had gone (and no, I'm pretty certain I haven't bought twice as many seats as I need!). Still I got 3 together and 2 together a row or so apart so at least my group can all still engage in our yearly get together pre film banter (which was the point of getting seats together in the first place). Oh, my poor heart...
DeanoG
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by DeanoG »

Eddie Krueger wrote:Don't know if this helps anyone but:

After three queues, and multiple attempts once in, I gave up on trying to get tickets for the Film 4 screen and tried on the Arrow screen -- and it worked. I think the system can't manage people selecting the same seats at the same time.

My guess is that the circle of doom is when you've selected seats that someone has just pipped you to. When I chose what appears to be a less popular screen/seat combo I got straight to the basket.

In short, I've queued since 11:30, got in three times, sometimes got kicked out, sometimes just couldn't add seats to basket (but remained in the system) and have poorer seats in a screen I'd rather not be in - but at least I'm going!
Congratulations !
benj
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by benj »

TheDukeAbides wrote:
Commodore wrote: Paying an additional 5% fee for the same problems people have faced each year is an extra smack in the face.
Not to mention the fact we're getting two less films for our money- one less on the Sunday and the one we used to get after the sleepy queue.
stshaw
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by stshaw »

As every year the ticketing system is a joke.

After waiting 45 minutes in the queue I have now been waiting 20 minutes while the system does nothing.

I guess I won"t be coming this year. Fortunately I haven't booked flights and hotel yet.

Poor show guys.

And now I have been put back in the queue.

I attend about 12 major genre film festivals a year (including events as large as Sitges, Fantasia and Fantastic Fest). The only one where I experience these ticketing difficulties is Fright Fest.
Wolfshade
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by Wolfshade »

Well that was an utter farce - after queueing for an hour and getting chucked to the back of the queue, I queued for another hour, and go the "wheel of death for 10 minutes, clicked cancel and it let me pick again (booted me to the back first time, so cancel doesn't always work!), then the wheel just whirled around again doing nothing, 1 more cancel and I finally got there...all this panic online while getting a bed, washing machine and inernet installed in my flat at the same time!!

Bring back the sleepy queue please, this online system is poo.
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