What do we think that last digit is? My gut was 4. Then I thought about it and went with A. It didn't really matter because I was buying tickets to a Black Cat show that most likely won't sell out.
But when it does matter, these little pictopuzzles suck. For example, when I am in Austin in front of the lobby computer at the Rodeway Inn trying to score tickets to Arcade Fire at D.A.R. I am not a fan of the pictopuzzle. Waking up at 8:00 is hard enough after a late, late night in Austin and a not-so-comfortable sleep at aforementioned hotel. But I did it. Made sure I had the computer at 9:00 (10 EST) for Arcade Fire tix. So far so good. Then come the pictopuzzles. These little shits are getting harder and harder everytime I get on Ticketbastard.
I got rebuffed on my best efforts three or four times while scouring for tickets. I ended up getting 2, on the floor, but they weren't together. It gets to 3 past the hour and I hit the "Oh fuck I am going to miss the fucking show!" mode and it is on. 1 ticket. Best available. Go. 1 ticket. Best available. Yes! Fuck! Fine. But...we have tickets. I don't know, maybe it is my eyes going or maybe it was that the Rodeway Inn was rocking off of Internet Explorer 4.5. Whatever the case, there has to be an easier way.
Lefsetz tackled the Ticketbastard topic yesterday, in particular, the differences between the 'bastard and StubHub (where to go, when you have nowhere else to go).
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Putting the Bastard in Ticketbastard
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3 comments:
i noticed that last weekend when i was checking to see if tickets were still available. I screwed that shit up 3 times before i got the right one. I can guarantee that damn puzzle isn't slowing down the ticket 'bots.
oh and of course don't forget about how they know where the best tickets are. I was getting tickets for the last RHCP show in philly, I was on as soon as they were up for sale and ticketmaster thought the best tickets would be on the balcony, I couldn't believe this because it was seconds after they went on sale and its a arena, so i took the chance and looked again. sure as hell 10th row tickets were next, i thought if it gets this much better ill try it again but it only got worse and worse from there until about the 10th time i looked, i ended up with tickets half way back on the floor. damn you ticketmaster!!!!
Events that sell out fast are such a weird animal. As a theatre guy, our stuff rarely sells out the first week. However, last summer we had a sexy show that got a quick reputation and our extension got hammered. We sold out 10 shows (350 seats) in about 20 minutes. Our ticketing service (Brownpapertickets.com) were a little surprised - as we were, but in the end it all worked out. No graphic security, real people on the phones and real tickets in hands. When I have to work in a house with a contract with Ticketmaster, I'm totally forced into Ticketslave role-play. Printed tickets, phone scripts, service levels, payment, and their own wonderful profit-sharing - where they get a chunk of my profits. If you EVER have a choice for an event - don't sign up with them and don't use a venue stupid enough to sign a Ticketmaster contract! As for buying tickets to best selling events, let's just hope our BestBuy cool customer club card can get us a ticket. Heehee!
Clocker
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