An Open Letter To Paul Tollet

[TomAz]

This?
According to the book of Brokendollesque, that means she thinks that people who aren't as elite as you think you are should get first dibs, (priority) and that people like you and I would then get ours. Nowhere was it mentioned that we would be refused passes altogether, Einstein.

Jesus mother fucking christ it's like trying to reason with a bowl of oatmeal.

Coachella sells out in 2 hours. Do you really think there'd be any left for the vets?

[BROKENDOLL]

Season tickets would be a lovely idea, I was really excited to do a 10th year in a row, but the tickets sold out so fast... And I was online on a fucking phone at 1015am (driving to fantastifest since midnight) - for about 45 minutes I watched this fucker refresh over and over. Till it said - sorry sold out!

Perhaps only a certain allotment were available, but I feel like they might as well have just offered all the tickets available. If it sells out in the presale, it sells out. Not leaving those without tickets to fret for the next few months and risk getting scalped or having another heartbreak in January when it sells out instantly.

Now some folks who say, "Hey Mugwog, you've been the last 9 years...You should let someone else go to Coachella..."

Hey person: Shoosh! It's folks like myself who told everyone about how amazing and fun this festival was, and we kept going, bringing more friends and family to witness this event. Although in the recent years as they've improved their logistics, it seems we lost a little bit of the soul of the event. That happens with everything in LA (and the surrounding areas) so its not too much of a loss.

Perhaps the next year they will consider a loyalty program, for at least one of the weeks. That would be fair IMO, and hopefully it could be a weekend 1 thing, most of us at weekend 1 didn't mind Rainchella. The weather wasn't an overbearing heat for once.

Also, it would be nice if they waited till June/July so at least we could possibly save/enjoy other festivals. Also - bring back the 8 payments you greedy mcgreedsters. It's amazing how much of a difference 20-30 dollars will make a monthly bill seem less imposing.

See? It's all our own fault! Had you elitists just kept your all knowing mouths shut, and those facebooking fingers at bay, we wouldn't be in this mess, God dammit! I remember when the only way you got any heads up on the dates or pre-sales was to come to the message board, and let's be honest here, this ain't the friendliest place in town. But those that braved the insults and stuck it out to witness the greatness for themselves then joined the ranks of advertising and Coachella has become one in it's own with a shit ton of help from facebook, etc...

[RotationSlimWang]

Tom, I beg of you not to quote her. I'm actually sticking to my "avoid the view post" button rule.

[BROKENDOLL]

Jesus mother fucking christ it's like trying to reason with a bowl of oatmeal.

Coachella sells out in 2 hours. Do you really think there'd be any left for the vets?

Maybe if you thought of me as a bowl of Wheaties or Cheerios instead of the shit old people regulate themselves with, you'd realize that you'd just have to be quicker on the mark in getting those tickets. Now I'd like to hear your proposal for how to figure out who is and who isn't what you'd consider a vet...

[BROKENDOLL]

Tom, I beg of you not to quote her. I'm actually sticking to my "avoid the view post" button rule.

Just think...Had you stuck to being banned you wouldn't be suffering these traumatic social issues now, would you, fuckhead?

[TheMadeleine]

^^^^^ this!

...and this...

I'm going to go ahead and play devil's advocate:

How about we assume that the people who have attended Coachella 5+ times have clearly experienced their fill of the festival, and perhaps it's time for them to step aside and for folks who haven't had as many chances, whether it's because they've previously been too young or too poor or too ignorant, to attend? Maybe if you've been to Coachella 10 times, and there are people who have never attended, or who have attended, say, 3 times (like me for example), the less experienced people should get priority. That sounds closer to the power of the 99% than the 1% to me, if we're getting all Occupy Coachella or whatever.

Somehow I doubt this viewpoint will be popular here.

It won't be popular because it's stupid. What don't you get? The people that were loyal and have been going since the festival was small and virtually unknown and unprofitable are the reason it exists now. Idiot.

There is a lot of stupidity on this board, but this might just be the all time champ right here.

I am not the stupid idiot who did not read the part about me playing devil's advocate, i.e. introducing a theoretical alternative to what the OP suggested. My actual opinion is that Coachella should continue to be first come, first serve. Dedicated veterans who are determined to go attend will always find a way.

[captncrzy]

Your theoretic scenario is retarded. Better?

[RotationSlimWang]

Just because you claim Devil's Advocate ahead of time doesn't absolve you of all responsibility for proposing something stupid.

I'm just going to play Devil's Advocate here for a second and suggest that you not reproduce.

[TheMadeleine]

Your theoretic scenario is retarded. Better?

Yes I will accept that.

[Bumblebee]

That's certainly a unique business strategy: refuse to sell to your best, most loyal customers.

There is a lot of stupidity on this board, but this might just be the all time champ right here.

NetFlix got sued for give new customers preference over established customers.

Blockbusters use to profit the most from thier worst customers via late fees(pre lawsuit and pre bankruptcy).

Credit Card companies hate loyal customers and love ones that don't pay on time.

[the walrus]

i like this idea...
this + 500 acres and a 3rd outdoor stage

[seitron]

NetFlix got sued for give new customers preference over established customers.

Blockbusters use to profit the most from thier worst customers via late fees(pre lawsuit and pre bankruptcy).

Credit Card companies hate loyal customers and love ones that don't pay on time.

These are terrible examples. These companies do not have a cap on how many customers they can have. Blockbuster is bankrupt so their policies clearly didn't work. Credit card companies get more money from customers who don't pay on time. Coachella makes no more or less money if newcomers or old-timers go.

I know you are all frustrated with the ticket system. Everyone is; I am as well even though everyone in my group got tickets. However, trying to argue that for some reason one group of people deserves preference over another is asinine. If you (general reader 'you', not Bumblebee specifically) did not classify yourself as in the group of 'veterans' then you would think a policy favoring veterans was unfair. This entire thread is a half-assed attempt at justifying why you are more worthy of something than others. You aren't, you are just like everyone else and are not any better. Everyone deserves equal opportunity to get tickets. And the notion that the veterans are the ones that made Coachella so successful is also short-sighted; Paul Tollett made Coachella successful, not you. You would not have returned to give him money if he hadn't made you want to come back, so don't think so highly of yourselves.

That being said, I think this whole presale structure is not designed well. I think they should have a single sale of tickets - either when the lineup comes out, or at least later than one month after coachella, so people know whether they got tickets or not, and less have to deal with the pain of logging in at the correct time and still failing to get tickets. I think they should also require you to register your name when you buy your wristband to stop all scalping completely. This could possibly include allowing people to 'return' their wristbands by a certain date and get a partial refund to allow goldenvoice to resell their own tickets. I worry about the future of coachella - they almost have an incentive to make the festival worse, not better, so that people who want to go are less frustrated about getting tickets.

[fatbastard]

I am not frustrated with the ticketing system.

I think the whole presale structure is well designed.

They should not require people to register their tickets.

I am not worried about the future of Coachella.

[shakermaker113]

they should eliminate the use of the terms pre-sale or advance sale. it's just a sale at this point.

[Mugwog]

I wish they would just sell all the tickets in this "presale" sale.

I fucking hate presales now, I agree completely - just say tickets are on sale, since they are on sale.

[Bumblebee]

These are terrible examples. These companies do not have a cap on how many customers they can have. Blockbuster is bankrupt so their policies clearly didn't work.

Coachella makes no more or less money if newcomers or old-timers go.

Everyone deserves equal opportunity to get tickets. And the notion that the veterans are the ones that made Coachella so successful is also short-sighted.

I think they should have a single sale of tickets - either when the lineup comes out, or at least later than one month after coachella, so people know whether they got tickets or not, and less have to deal with the pain of logging in at the correct time and still failing to get tickets. I think they should also require you to register your name when you buy your wristband to stop all scalping completely.

This could possibly include allowing people to 'return' their wristbands by a certain date and get a partial refund to allow goldenvoice to resell their own tickets.

I worry about the future of coachella - they almost have an incentive to make the festival worse, not better, so that people who want to go are less frustrated about getting tickets.

Netflix mailing/blockbuster were limited by stock at hand. Preference away from "loyal & longterm" customers hurt both companies in the long run.

I refute your claim that GV makes the same whether or not it's an older/younger demographic. GV is now in the festival hotel accomodation business via snapping up thousands of rooms for a 10 day period. Who's got the deeper pockets? Hotel packages could be upwards of 20-30% of the money they take in, so were talking about amounts easily over $10mil.

Veterans who get shut out(whether this year or 2014) might simply pick another festival and never come back. Younger fans would be more prone to be lineup dependant or cease going when "life" gets in the way.

I too think there should be a waiting list/method for passes to be sold back to GV. Craigslisting/Ebay can still be a place where fans get ripped off.

Many think the future of Coachella is a "mirror" festival the same weekend somewhere in the outskirts of LA with the same lineup.

Another topic I haven't seen addressed is if any act would avoid a festival where all tickets were pre-sold before the lineup was announced. Glastonbury is sold out before lineup but they have returned tickets and fans don't have to deal with scalpers.

[JustSteve]

Bands don't give a shit, they are too busy worrying about/enjoying touring and all that entails to worry about 1-2000 passes being scalped out of 80,000+ available.

And a festival the same weekend closer to l.a.? Who are the "many" people thinking that is likely?

[grannock]

I have 4 presale tickets for sale.

[Bumblebee]

Bands don't give a shit, they are too busy worrying about/enjoying touring and all that entails to worry about 1-2000 passes being scalped out of 80,000+ available.

And a festival the same weekend closer to l.a.? Who are the "many" people thinking that is likely?

I'm thinking of some punk leaning acts that have very close relationships with fans. Would they play a festival where you could only buy(in theory) from the secondary market?

A specific case would be Pearl Jam. I could see them turning up their nose.

[JustSteve]

pretty sure they'd have a set of tickets available through their fan club and would be happy with that, not worried about the rest of it.

[Goatchella]

If anyone is looking for tickets, I have two tickets and two car camping passes available. We can call frontgate and have them turned over to you. PM me if interested.

they are on layaway plan. Face value, presale.

[Neighborhood Creep]

If anyone is looking for tickets, I have two tickets and two car camping passes available. We can call frontgate and have them turned over to you. PM me if interested.

they are on layaway plan. Face value, presale.

Wait til the lineup drops.

[Mugwog]

^This

Then you give me the ticket(s) because you love me and it will be my birfday chella

[heart cooks brain]

If anyone is looking for tickets, I have two tickets and two car camping passes available. We can call frontgate and have them turned over to you. PM me if interested.

they are on layaway plan. Face value, presale.

wknd 1?

[Goatchella]

Yes weekend 1.

There isn't a lineup on earth that can change my mind. It has been decided. The pages in this thread alone speak volumes.
A festival is only as good as the people who attend.

[JustSteve]

a few people on a message board out of 80,000+ attendees made you puss out? pathetic.

[Mugwog]

BUT WAT IF DP OUTKAYST AND DAVID BOWEE

[Goatchella]

I'm not pussing out.


This is MY answer to freeing up one more set of tickets. Some amazing memories at Coachella. Infinite memories.
I would like to offer my place to someone else. No hard feelings or judgement. No bitter taste.

[TomAz]

This is why you will never have nice things.

[Goatchella]

I have everything nice in the world...I don't need a music festival to accentuate any of it.