Pilchard Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Hi General, I just thought I'd give my feedback on the Wembley ticketing as it may be usual, as it's always the case that the unhappy people make their complaint know but the happy ones tend not to say anything. I joined the queue to buy my ticket online about 840 and was into the site by 940. Once I had got to the main ticket office screen it was quick and easy to do. The load balancing that caused the queue may have been an incovience, but it meant the site stayed up. I was expecting it to be pretty difficult to make the transaction but it wasn't at all, so thanks. Lets go on an win the bloody thing now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lion-heart Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Post deleted Get well soon, you really do not want to miss the occasion, win or lose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LancsVillan Posted January 27, 2010 Author Moderator Share Posted January 27, 2010 OK there have been issues with the eticketing service, today, however we all know that EVERY STer will get a ticket and that the suggestion from the club was to wait for your window. This suggestion does not seem to have been heeded by all and there are many frustrated fans. If you want to voice your issue / concern / complaint then please use the tickets thread and The General can look in there, as we do not want to clog up this thread with one issue. Thanks MODS Tickets Thread starting at page 44 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-krulak Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 General Krulak here: 1. I know that there is some frustration over the eticketing today. Simply put, the site has settled over 5000 sales today...all jumping on the site at 0800-0830. PATIENCE is what is asked for at this time. ST-holders are going to get their tickets...do not worry. Anger and frustration at the system or the Club is not going to help...we are working this the best we can. Remember, we are also dealing with the Arsenal game and games in the future. We ask for patience...simple as that. 2. Nice article in the Guardian today about Randy and the Club. 3. Today's game should be a sell out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ricardomeister Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 General/Mods, I know my query is on the ticketing issue but as it is to do with seating for ambulant disabled (a very specific and separate issue) I hope this can be treated on its own merits. As an ambulant disabled season ticket holder of many years I am very much limited as to where I can sit as my knees will not allow me to go up stairs. For England game that I have attended not only do they have a designated row of seats just one row above the wheelchair seats, but they allow all disabled fans to book their tickets a day before anybody else. As I am in C1, I have to wait until next Wednesday before I can even try to obtain a seat. I have, after several hundred attempts, managed to speak to Sheila Maybury (who is always helpful though often not easy to track down!) and I was eventually given a not very convincing promise that seats would be reserved for ambulant disabled season ticket holders. My worry is still that other fans will have already booked spots and I will get to the ground and find that my seat is up several steps. The only way I could reach that seat would be to crawl up the steps and then ask anybody already sat in that row to move as there would be no room for me to get past them to my seat. That would clearly be highly embarrassing and upsetting for me (and any other ambulant disabled fan) and would also have implications under the Disability Discrimination Act. In the future I think that firstly Sheila Maybury should have her own direct line so we don't waste days trying to get through on the normal ticket office number and secondly that all disabled fans should be given their seat before anybody else as England do for their games at Wembley. All I can do is hope that seats are now reserved for us on row 31 (I was told row 30 but that must be the wheelchair row!) and that everything is ok when I finally get a chance to book next Wednesday (assuming I can actually get through on the phone as I am not able to queue). If the ambulant disabled fans are not able to go in this row due to other fans booking there first then I think the bad publicity and ill-feeling will not be very good for the club. Sorry for the long-winded post and thanks for listening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulanddonya Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Gen Can I ask you a question to ask the Ticket office (as it is just engaged constantly). I have my tickets so it is more for others, as it is totally confusing. The official site says you can no longer purchase cat.2 tickets online. Therefore a) Have they totally sold out If there are some on sale in your "window" , how many are on sale. As if it is, say , 2000 , then people haven't got an issue. However, if it's 200 - then people will have to make arrangements to queue up etc., as if you desperately want Cat 2 tickets, you are going to have to get there very early. c) When will people know what seat they have been allocated ?. Will this be done via email, or is it a case of waiting until you get your ticket. d) One away from the tickets. When will we confirm what kit we are wearing, as this will influence what kit people buy. Cheers I know most of them are Ticket questions, but everyone is really confused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam_k_17 Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 General.. along the same lines as ricardomesiter.. my dad is an ambulant disabled fan and season ticket holder with me his carer. We have been told by people at the club disabled fans could by tickets for wembley yesterday however apparently not. Having left several messages with sheila maybury, we get told (after getting through) that we need to wait until saturday. NOw this is fine, as tickets are allocated by areas, however the people on our row tell us they have there tickets already. Because they ordered online. Having just found out if your disabled you are not allowed to order online. Now i know this isnt your fault, but could someone please tell me why, now, someone may have a seat on the end of a row low down where it is essential my dad sits for his disability becasue they ordered their ticket online. Being disabled means you cant buy tickets online, other clubs manage to cater for disabled fans, yet time and time again i find that villa find it hard. How come going to every round home and away people can buy tickets online before us, having not been to any, just because they are not disabled, they can use the online ticketing system. Come saturday if we get through, I may not be able to get a seat on the end of a row, as what we were told on the phone was so vague. Please can i appeal to someone at the club to sort this out, because i find it hard to believe a premiership club can have a ticketing system that excludes disabled fans, when other clubs such as cheltenham town can. I know that this is not your fault or blaming sheila, but i just cant understand why, now other people who dont 'need' the seat can have it just beciase the online ticketing system excludes those who are disabled. Many thanks general Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villarocker Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Hi General, I just wanted to know if there is any news regarding Villa putting on trains to Wembley? Up The Villa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regular_john Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Hey general - quick question about the ticketing. Forgive my ignorance, but what's the situation with non season ticket holders getting tickets? Is it based on previous booking history? For this season alone or over many years? When do you expect tickets to go on sale for non STH? Again, sorry if this has already been asked and answered. Keep up the good work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Lions_Roar Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Hey general - quick question about the ticketing. Forgive my ignorance, but what's the situation with non season ticket holders getting tickets? Is it based on previous booking history? For this season alone or over many years? When do you expect tickets to go on sale for non STH? Again, sorry if this has already been asked and answered. Keep up the good work. This answers your questions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-krulak Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 General Krulak here: 1. I am sorry that folks think that our ticketing process is a "joke." If those who feel that way could provide us with some specifics of why it is a joke...specifics not tied to volume of sales, a stadium we don't control, people not following guidance re. times to purchase tickets, etc. etc. etc....please write the ticket office and they can incorporate the suggestions into our procedures. I can assure everyone that Nicky Keye and her team are doing EVERYTHING possible to make this Carling Cup Final as easy as possible for people seeking tickets. To denigrate their efforts is sad. 2. For those fans who are disabled or have relatives that are disabled. You have been contacting the right person. If you are not happy with her advice or have heard something different from another source, please call her back. As for being difficult to contact, she is working very hard and there are times when her job takes her out of the office. The idea of hiring another person to help is a great one but...are you offering to pay his/her salary? If I sound a wee bit frustrated I am. We are doiing our level best to provide the service the fans expect and deserve. In the case of Wembley, we are not masters of our own destiny. We must meet certain requirements laid on by Wembley. You KNOW we'd be on this disabledissue immediately if we had total control but we don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen_Evans Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Hi General Re criticisms of the club over tickets for Wembley....one of the few occasions on which I ever agreed with David O'Leary was when he joked that (apparently) there were Villa fans in 1981 who moaned because we didn't win the league championship "in style"! I am sure with your current flight ban you will be glad just to be at Wembley if that's possible. I do hope fans who are lucky enough to be there will take the same view. Up the Villa! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holte_EndL4 Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 General We got to finals in 1994, 1996 and 2000. People got tickets absolutely no problem. Designated days, you go along to the ticket office - you get your ticket - everyone is happy. This year we get to the final and inevitably everyone panics that they cant get a ticket for wembley even though it says that all season ticket holders will get a ticket. I'm sorry but despite what it says, people are going to log on at 9am Wednesday morning and try - hence the server cant handle the volume and then people get frustrated. Why not take away any criticism you still have the windows for season ticket holders but you open up the ticket office and maybe those portakabins that dot the place and you sell from there when it's peoples turn. I just dont understand the logic behind having windows but then saying 'oh but you can buy your ticket online any day you want' i'm not having a go, i merely venting mine and many other peoples frustration at the way this has been handled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam_k_17 Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 general, thanks for your reply, i appreciate that you have to take the brunt of peoples complaints, and appreciate that you listen to what people feel. However, although you say contacting sheila is the best idea, she is so hard to contact at the best of time, i just think that maybe updating the eticketing system to incorporate disabled fans would perhaps take a lot of strain of people hoping for correct and appropriate seats and may also help sheila a bit? Maybe extra staff would help, im not sure, i dont run the clubs finances, so maybe we cant afford to do this but as a general idea i think maybe incorporating the disabled fans in the eticketing may be a good idea. I also think the above post hits a nail on the head. why have a system where certain ticket holders get a specific day. then to go and say people can get them online (unless of course disabled). Just a simple idea that i thought i would put to you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ricardomeister Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Thanks for your response General, if you are feeling a "wee bit frustrated" then I hope you understand how we feel. My request was certainly not for an extra member of staff to help Sheila but merely for her (as someone in a specialised role dealing with people with disabilities) to have her own direct line to enable us to contact her more easily rather than have to constantly deal with the engaged tone from the main ticket office number. Where I used to work everyone had their own direct number so I don't see much of an issue....if Villa do not think the cost is worth the expense then maybe AViDS could help. As for my other suggestion that in future ambulant disabled fans are dealt with in the same way as we are when we book England tickets at Wembley, this should take very little organising as there are only 30 odd seats on the ambulant disabled row at Villa Park plus a few others dotted around the ground. Where there is a will then there should certainly be a way in my opinion. I was merely trying to offer what I thought was a constructive opinion to help in the future. At present the impression I get is that Villa see the ambulant disabled fan as a third rate fan behind both the able bodied fan and the wheelchair users (who were able to confirm their places yesterday even though there will obviously be no conflict of interest with where they go). I hope that my current impression is wrong and I guess I will just have to wait until next Wednesday (assuming I am able to get through on the phone) to see what the true position is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dn1982 Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 General Some people don't know when they are having it so good. People used to camp out for days to get wembley tickets now a computer does it for you. EVERY ST is guaranteed a seat so as long as i can see the pitch i don't care where i sit because Villa are going to Wembley for the first time in a decade. I think the way the club has tried to distribute the tickets is a good way. Computers do crash.Simple. If any ST gets a ticket in place they don't want to sit i am sure they can find someone who will willingly take it off their hands. So every stop moaning and enjoy the success we are having. God only knows the reaction of some people if we make the FA Cup Final as the allocation is even less!!!! Anyway rant over. I am personally glad we have Man Utd and not City as it would be good to see a certain ex players reaction when Stan leads the team to glory. What do you make of getting Utd or would you have preferred City? UTV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runetune Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 General, as a disabled fan, and ambulant user, I can only echo what has been said by sam_k_17 and Ricardomeister. If I could have ordered tickets online, I would know I could guarantee a space that is suitable for my needs. As it is, there might be 31,000 tickets and all season ticket holders told they will get a ticket - but not all the fans are able to look at all areas of the ground. As for trying to get hold of Shelia - I've been trying for over a week now one way or another, and it sounds as if I'm not the only one. I dread to think how many messages her answerphone now holds! I would love to book my tickets online, or have some communication about what seats are going to be available to ambulant supporters (Having been told there are ambulant seats at all levels by someone else at the ticket office last night, I was later told by another fan, who like Ricardomeister had been to Wembley and they said that simply wasn't the case as far as they knew). So what is the situation? What seats are available for Ambulant supporters? Numbers for all other seats are given - but none specific for our group of fans, just a number lumped in with the other seating area. Yet Wheelchair fans have been given their specific numbers.......... right now I am feeling totally out of the loop in regards the whole thing, and being unable to do anything about it because there seems to be no way to talk to anyone at Villa to give satisfactory answers to these questions. I appreciate the ticket office are doing the best they can, but I do feel that a real problem has been identified and does need to be looked at, because hopefully this will be only one of many visits to Wembley. I have also been told I cannot book until the 6th February........ yet other Ambulant supporters are being told this coming Wednesday. Again, a discrepancy that needs confirmation from someone, if only we could actually get through! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1968 Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 General, Wouid it not have made sense to only be able to purchase online on the same day as you are able to purchase in person? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdTeClamamus Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Dear General, I have attended each of our last 3 appearances at Wembley and would just like to say that the purchase of my ticket for the CC Final was the easiest (and warmest) of them all. Certainly the e-ticketing website was a bit of a white knuckle ride - numerous scary error messages - but for me at least it worked and I was all done in about 3 hours. Some of the posters who propose a return to the good old days of sleeping overnight outside the ticket office and collect-in-person are obviously fortunate enough to live in the vicinity of Villa Park, or at least in the Midlands. As I now live about 100 miles away, the online purchasing option was a God-send. Thanks and Keep the Faith - UTV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaldonAVFC Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Logged on last night took 10 minutes got my 4 tickets .... Easy and painless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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