A modest proposal regarding ticket sales

[KickerConspiracy]

It almost makes too much sense...

Every attendee at Coachella (X) has the option, at the time of the festival, and on the festival grounds only, can purchase one ticket for the following year's festival and that ticket would somehow be refundable, but non-transferable (matched to your ID or something). All the remaining tickets after the festival go on sale to the public in January of the following year.

It seems like this would prevent ticket brokers from purchasing large quantities of tickets for resale because it would shrink the pool of publicly available tickets. Tickets would be refundable, up until right before the fest, so it wouldn't hose people don't like the lineup or other plans come up (but would not be transferable to prevent scalping). Also, probably a majority of the tickets will still be available to the public. This would be just like a "carpool lane" or "verified ID" programs they have at airports to zip through security lines.

Thoughts?

[bemerritt]

You have to buy your ticket for the same weekend the following year and you have to cancel before the public on sale for refund. I would personally opt in, but I can't see it ever happening.

[Bumblebee]

That won't move many $1,500 per person festival/hotel packages that some bought in a panic over wristbands and accomodation.

[Archie Bunker]

Also I don't think they will ever make it non-transferable.

There are several reasons why that would create a backlash.

[tricorne]

This isn't the modest proposal I was hoping for. What are we supposed to do with all these excess children?

[roberto73]

And when does eating the tickets enter the equation?

[wstsidela]

That won't move many $1,500 per person festival/hotel packages that some bought in a panic over wristbands and accomodation.

Shhhhh! You'll fuck up Goldenvoice's business plan.

[threeve]

No no no, we're supposed to eat the children of Indio so that there are fewer people to claim the locals' passes, right?

Tickets would be refundable, up until right before the fest, so it wouldn't hose people don't like the lineup or other plans come up (but would not be transferable to prevent scalping).

It would hose GV if they had to refund thousands of passes right before the fest.

[tigermilkboy]

Tickets would be refundable, up until right before the fest, so it wouldn't hose people don't like the lineup or other plans come up
Thoughts?

You had some good thoughts i.e. the loyalty aspects. But the above is a financial disaster in the making. What that encourages is people buying tickets with an attitude of I can cancel later. You could have potentially 5,000 tickets get returned 1-2 weeks before the festival. That is millions of $ you have to refund, it is also an administrative nightmare. Obviously you would have to charge an administrative fee of $50-100, so is there really a benefit to the consumer.

Another aspect of ID tickets, which Glastonbury uses. There are some flaws at Glastonbury because you get huge lines of ID checks that take hours, usually takes 2-3 hours to go 20 miles to the site. Glastonbury as the advantage of country roads, nearly everyone camps and arrives Weds/Thurs. If Coachella did this, they would have to check ID's everyday for people who use hotels etc. You can't underestimate the size of the task you propose.

I think you over estimate the scalping problem because even if one ticket wasn't resold, Coachella would still sell out. The way some people talk about Coachella and scalping, you would think more than half of the tickets are scalped. The real number is probably 1-2%.

[heart cooks brain]

Also I don't think they will ever make it non-transferable.

There are several reasons why that would create a backlash.

Negative Backlash?!

[baily]

doesn't matter what is proposed....someone WILL COMPLAIN...

the demand is far greater than supply....

If you made the time yest to be in front of the comp at 10am you got tickets...

some complain in this world....others do in this world.....those that complain never do anything

[nosurprises12]

This isn't the modest proposal I was hoping for. What are we supposed to do with all these excess children?

Posts like this are why you're awesome.

[KickerConspiracy]

You had some good thoughts i.e. the loyalty aspects. But the above is a financial disaster in the making. What that encourages is people buying tickets with an attitude of I can cancel later. You could have potentially 5,000 tickets get returned 1-2 weeks before the festival. That is millions of $ you have to refund, it is also an administrative nightmare. Obviously you would have to charge an administrative fee of $50-100, so is there really a benefit to the consumer.

I would imagine there would be a $50 fee (just to use a round number) and some deadline beyond which there would be no refunds.

Another aspect of ID tickets, which Glastonbury uses. There are some flaws at Glastonbury because you get huge lines of ID checks that take hours, usually takes 2-3 hours to go 20 miles to the site. Glastonbury as the advantage of country roads, nearly everyone camps and arrives Weds/Thurs. If Coachella did this, they would have to check ID's everyday for people who use hotels etc. You can't underestimate the size of the task you propose.

I think you over estimate the scalping problem because even if one ticket wasn't resold, Coachella would still sell out. The way some people talk about Coachella and scalping, you would think more than half of the tickets are scalped. The real number is probably 1-2%.

I don't see this as a big of a problem. People maybe get ticket in the mail, they arrive at the festival, their ID is checked, and if its a match they get a wristband. If it is not a match, they are denied entry. So long as it was adequately staffed and the wristband line wasn't used for any other purpose like bag checking or security, it seems like it would move smoothly.

[suprefan]

[KickerConspiracy]

I suppose it would be easier if instead of all the concern about scalping, that instead of a presale, there was a place where festival attendees could purchase tickets for next years fest. The limit would be one per person, and at the time of purchase, your ID was checked to make sure you couldn't go through the line multiple times.

That would serve the same purposes without a lot of bureaucracy. The remaining tickets not sold at the festival just go on public sale in January.

[baily]

yea waiting in line at the festival to buy tickets for the next festival would be AWESOME!!! I bet there'd be no line at all....just 45k or so waiting there for a full day....having to give all their info....and money would be fast....just like a supermarket....

f that...it'd take forever...

[Cheddar's Cousin]

[Larry Farnsworth]

doesn't matter what is proposed....someone WILL COMPLAIN...

the demand is far greater than supply....

If you made the time yest to be in front of the comp at 10am you got tickets...

some complain in this world....others do in this world.....those that complain never do anything

Jesus Fucking Christ.

[GuyInTucson]

Posts like this are why you're awesome.

Yet it seemed to go over many heads in this thread... Unfortunate, really.

[nosurprises12]

^ Quite.

[Bumblebee]

It's not that hard to get fake foreign passports. it's not the airport where GV can verify this information.

Plus GV would have to double the number of people checking people as the enter.

[Bonchic]

excellent suggestion. This is ridiculous

[baily]

better yet GV should call everyone who wasn't at their computers at 10 am and offer them a different way to get tickets. Maybe they could help them find a job too.
they gave plenty of notice and still many fail.....and because they fail they complain...that's the way of the world.

[eudaemonia]

Every attendee at Coachella (X) has the option, at the time of the festival, and on the festival grounds only, can purchase one ticket for the following year's festival and that ticket would somehow be refundable, but non-transferable (matched to your ID or something). All the remaining tickets after the festival go on sale to the public in January of the following year.

This sounds like San Diego's Comic-Con, which (ever since they've started selling out pass presales online) have provided the option of refunding a few weeks before the event so people who weren't able to get tickets have the option to buy them a week or two before the convention -- pretty last-minute. They got rid of purchasing a pass for the following year's event for 2012 though, because people were lining up almost half the day to secure their spot next year, which kind of ruined the experience...

Honestly, I like Comic-Con's pre-registration process (if people were going to buy for friends, they used friends' registration name to tie into the purchase; so it's not just one person limit during sales), but they still have flaws. When people can nowadays easily upload their photos online beforehand, why can't a festival pass be bound to the person via image? If the ID-tied festival passes thing is going to work, it'll have to be wristbands that scan and project the person's photo (on the scanner) immediately, which is a photo used to purchase the pass and was not able to update/change. If the photo doesn't match the wristband-wearer, s/he doesn't get in -- never mind pulling out an ID because that's what takes too much time, and fake IDs exist.

[baily]

This sounds like San Diego's Comic-Con, which (ever since they've started selling out pass presales online) have provided the option of refunding a few weeks before the event so people who weren't able to get tickets have the option to buy them a week or two before the convention -- pretty last-minute. They got rid of purchasing a pass for the following year's event for 2012 though, because people were lining up almost half the day to secure their spot next year, which kind of ruined the experience...

Honestly, I like Comic-Con's pre-registration process (if people were going to buy for friends, they used friends' registration name to tie into the purchase; so it's not just one person limit during sales), but they still have flaws. When people can nowadays easily upload their photos online beforehand, why can't a festival pass be bound to the person via image? If the ID-tied festival passes thing is going to work, it'll have to be wristbands that scan and project the person's photo (on the scanner) immediately, which is a photo used to purchase the pass and was not able to update/change. If the photo doesn't match the wristband-wearer, s/he doesn't get in -- never mind pulling out an ID because that's what takes too much time, and fake IDs exist.

what a fucking waste of time....maybe you haven't been to coachella.....there are fucking 30 people every second going through security....I'm sure the security checking everyone with photo matching wouldn't add a fucking hour or two to the lines....

why not just add a dna check...you could send in a sperm sample and when you show up do another sample....some chick could taste it and make sure it's the same guy

for girls send in a bloody tampon and bring in a recent tampon to match it up...some nasty m'fer will smell them to make sure you are the same person...process shouldn't take too long

you f'n retards...get online when they go on sale and buy your fucking ticket. If you were too lazy, too stupid or otherwise occupied...that's YOUR fault...stop your bitching about the process and buck up butter cup.

[eudaemonia]

Oh baily, go fuck yourself. I've been to Coachella in the past and got my ticket. God forbid, I try to have a rational conversation with the person trying to propose a change to prevent scalping. I'm sure this would bother you and the rest of the fucks who purchase multiples to make a buck.

[skavenbrew]

I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child, well nursed, is at a year old, a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee, or a ragout.


Sounds even better than Spicy Pie!!!!!

[SepaGroove]

^^^ Hahaha wow

[nosurprises12]

I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child, well nursed, is at a year old, a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee, or a ragout.


Sounds even better than Spicy Pie!!!!!

This guy (or gal) gets it.

[SepaGroove]

I vote Skavenbrew for board member of the year because of that genius post.