FrightFest ticketing 2015

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

Post by The Soapmaker »

benj wrote:Depressing to think I'll have to go through this all again next year :(
Glad to see I'm not the only one already looking ahead! :lol: Based on this thread I feel I've been pretty lucky getting through unscathed this year... but I'm already thinking that means I'm bound to have a total disaster next year. Karma....

Oh well, hopefully this is a learning process and there'll be some improvements next year. When they first introduced online booking for the London Film Festival it was an utter shambles but it has improved (albeit ever so slightly) each year since.
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by Commodore »

After another hour+ queue, I managed to get a ticket. Not the aisle up the back I originally had, but one in from the aisle a few rows forward.

If you are in the Arrow screen, I'm in H17 (so apologies in advance to H18 if I'm too much of a fidget).

After a 2 year break, looks like I'm back.

However, my rant about the ticketing system still stands - this is another online ticketing platform that is not fit for purpose in this scenario. Surely the organisers can partner with something better (Ticketline jumps to mind, coped brilliantly with Henley Regatta ticket sales, similar kind of stampede at sale time, and even greater numbers).

We choose Advanced Ticketing because of the straight forward fees. Just one 5% fee rather that all the nonsense add-ons that may other ticket agencies tend to add.
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by DJBenz »

Creepshow11 wrote:*********************UNWANTED TICKETS FOR SALE********************

Due to the complete fiasco this afternoon I have ended up buying 6 tickets instead of 3. As such I now have 2 tickets for sale which I would preferably like to sell as a job lot. The seats are in Film 4 Screen Row B seats 5 and 6.
Please can you let me know if you are interested.

Thanks


Jason
bloodlustbarbie wrote:I knew this would happen, the first attempt had gone through (despite saying it was the wrong visa password and giving me a 'time out' message) so I now have a very sick feeling and an unwanted second ticket. If anyone wants C20 in the Horror Channel screen please let me know, I really can't afford to pay for an extra ticket I won't use (though think that goes without saying cos who could?!). Thanks xxx
If it's anything like last year, please don't panic as mistakenly bought tickets were refunded without issue.
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by therockstar »

therockstar wrote:So last year was our first Frightfest including the full sleepy queue experience. I've already booked up hotels, childcare, travel etc for both Frightfest this year and the sleepy queue night.

Given the problems faced by others using the online ticketing option last year, the thought of missing out on tickets this year, or even not sitting with those I'm travelling and staying with is concerning.

With only a few months to go I hope this gets resolved sooner rather than later.
I hate being proven right.

So it took 3 of us, linked up on skype across the country, 5 different pc's running different browsers to get tickets. First one in got the spinning wheel of doom at the point of payment but fortunately for us the second of us secured seats. Whilst reading the problems other frightfesters were having we plumped for a bunch of seats that were not aisle seats just to ensure we got tickets in the screen we wanted.

At least we got tickets in the screen we wanted to be in.
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by SarahSmiley »

Got mine! Had a bit of trouble at first, then second time went through fine.

Yeah I was going to wait until I could get the day confirmed off, but then I heard how many were left in the screen I wanted so thought I'd better get in there.

I'm in row D of the Horror Channel screen! I'm so excited!!! And now to colour code my schedule for the weekend!!!
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Re: FrightFest ticketing whoops

Post by Nightwatchman »

I've just returned to the scene of my earlier ticketing stress and found to my horror that I've booked a ticket right at the back instead of the front! :eek:

On viewing the seating plan I hadn't zoomed all the way out to see that 'SCREEN' was actually written at the bottom of the map slightly off the screen. In my haste of getting the spinning grey wheel and seeing seats disappearing before my eyes I didn't even spot that 'Rear of cinema' was written in the bar at the top.

Just thought I'd mention it in case anyone else didn't notice.
iomega
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by iomega »

For all the bitching and moaning we processed over 600 individual purchases of festival and day passes in various combinations. Many many single pass sales plus one ten ticket sale, several for nine and heaps for fives and four fans sitting together.

Thanks to all for your patience, we got there in the end.
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by MalJutley »

iomega wrote:For all the bitching and moaning we processed over 600 individual purchases of festival and day passes in various combinations. Many many single pass sales plus one ten ticket sale, several for nine and heaps for fives and four fans sitting together.

Thanks to all for your patience, we got there in the end.

That's a fantastic turnaround! Most online ticket sale events have issues, i can;t think the amount of in demand concerts or events i've tried to get tickets for and failed. If it's sought after the event will come with ticketing issues...unfortunately its expected but annoying yes. Could be worse.. could all be back at the prince charles cinema trying to cram into there! ;)
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by Jon H »

iomega wrote:For all the bitching and moaning we processed over 600 individual purchases of festival and day passes in various combinations. Many many single pass sales plus one ten ticket sale, several for nine and heaps for fives and four fans sitting together.

Thanks to all for your patience, we got there in the end.
It was fine. Sure you had to wait a little but judging by comments on here , FB and Twitter the vast majority of people who wanted tickets managed to get them. Job done. I'm not sure what some people are expecting to be honest.....

Congrats to Ian and the team on a successful day and look forward to seeing you all in August
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by iomega »

The more I think about this the more I'm not going to beat myself up about the issues we had. By any stretch of anyone imagination today was the most successful ticket day we have ever had in sheer number of ticket sales.
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by therockstar »

iomega wrote:The more I think about this the more I'm not going to beat myself up about the issues we had. By any stretch of anyone imagination today was the most successful ticket day we have ever had in sheer number of ticket sales.
That's a lousy and horrendously non-customer oriented response. 'We sold loads of tickets so screw all of you lot moaning just because you had difficulty getting what you wanted and were screwed around by our system'....

I'm frankly appalled. Number of ticket sales processed is not a great measure of performance. Unless you're only interested in filling seats rather than satisfying customers.
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by Alex J »

Having read back my somewhat hurried post on page 17, apologies if it sounded patronising to anyone, while hopefully all who wanted a ticket today has now got one. Unfortunately there was a bit of pain in getting there, for some more than others, so hopefully the lessons of today will be learned for the future. My intended compliment in my earlier post also sounds a bit backhanded too, so despite the issues that have arisen today perhaps we should remember that circumstances beyond the organisers' control meant that the sleepy queue was impractical and the online solution was implemented - yes it hasn't been perfect, but it could have been worse (i.e. no tickets sold at all) and hopefully everyone who tried now has a ticket. So I think Ian and everyone else at Team FF involved in organising the ticket sales deserves a big well done for what has been achieved in less than perfect circumstances!
No tears, please. It's a waste of good suffering.
benj
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by benj »

The more I think about this the more I'm not going to beat myself up about the issues we had. By any stretch of anyone imagination today was the most successful ticket day we have ever had in sheer number of ticket sales.[/quote]

Not what I was expecting to hear. So basically no questions will be asked of the ticket booking company about why their supposedly rock solid system fell over for a good number of people as many as four times in a row?

Frankly, I was highly disappointed by the absolute lack of support for those of us who reported issues. In the past I know Ian has kicked ass behind the scenes but this year nobody was following up on any of the issues being flagged and we were left blowing in the wind, back to the end of the queue again.

Great sales do not imply a good system was in place, in fact I'd said those great sales are testament to the stubborn persistence of Frightfesters willing to sit staring at a computer screen for maybe 4 hours. But never mind, it's only our time being wasted here- nothing to beat yourself up over...

Of course questions are going to be asked. Do you think I'm going to let this go? You obviously don't know my character.

On support, I was on the end of the phone on the office number all day for anyone who wanted to call. Many did. I helped where I could. I have not spent months working on this day to let it pass. In the end by the looks of it everyone that wanted a ticket got one in the end. You got yours?

You need to put this against last year, when the VUE website fell over completely and we had to halt sales all together putting them back on sale later in the week. At no time did this happen today. Yes people had issues, yes people had to wait in some cases for some time, but fans got their tickets.
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by bacchus »

I don't get all the moaning about buying tickets? Last year if you wanted a particular seat you'd have to queue up all night to have the best chance (I know people love the Sleepy Queue but just saying..)

Did you get a ticket? Yes.

Did you have to wait all night, 14,15,16+ hours to get one? No.

I could understand if loads of people missed out etc but that doesn't seem to be the case. I think it ran as well as it could do with the demand.

Arrow screen for me.
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Re: FrightFest ticketing 2015

Post by Kris »

Seems a mixed bag of sales. We got what we want with no issues at all but it seems some have had a bad time. Hopefully everyone has now got tickets who want them.

Missed the queue and it seems weird not having a pass in my hand today :(

You will still get your pass. Bring the ticket that you got today with you when you come to the cinema and it will be exchanged.
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