Shooting yourself in the foot (then reloading and shooting the other one...)

[mrph]

I've been trying to stay out of the various WGW threads on whitby and the WGW website forum. However, one thing's now cropped up on both...

WGW HQ has now sold out of tickets. Fair enough, no problem there.

But some people affected by the April admission problems are saying they haven't received their refund / discount vouchers(?) yet, and that the discount applied to tickets bought from WGW HQ (and as far as these people understand, only to tickets from WGW HQ).

As they haven't received the vouchers yet, they haven't purchased their tickets yet. They've been patiently - or in some cases, loudly and impatiently - waiting for the vouchers to arrive.

But it's now too late to purchase tickets with those vouchers, because WGW HQ doesn't have any tickets left for them to buy. And the first they knew about that was the message on the website...

That's really not a good situation. *sigh* I'm not saying it's WGW's fault - if there were delays with refunds and good sales on tickets, this is just the logical result - but someone might have seen it coming.

Now that it's happened, someone really does need to do something about it (or explain why these people have misunderstood the situation, if that's the case) though. Otherwise it's really just self-inflicted damage to the event's reputation, and it really doesn't need that right now...

Comments

[ninshubur.livejournal.com]

Sigh indeed. But as long as Whitby still sells out at an early date despite all the mishaps, questionable line-ups, price hikes and shambolic organisation nobody will see the need to seriously think about running it a bit more professionally.

[doom--kitten.livejournal.com]

Yup I have not receieved anything *sobs* And I was even patient which is hard for a Ra! ye at infest?

[goth-tart.livejournal.com]

But I wonder if those who have vouchers have actually been automatically counted in the Whitby ticket tally? That would explain how it's managed to sell out so quickly considering only Dr and the Medics have been announced to play. Surely they don't have that many fans?!

[mrph.livejournal.com]

Entirely possible. If that's the case, WGW HQ should really have pointed that out in the same announcement, though - people were naturally going to worry...

Hmm. And are D&tM officially announced, then? I know it's on their website, but I've still not seen any word on the subject from the WGW end.

[mrph.livejournal.com]

Indeedy. InFest. InFest good. Are you going, then?

[ninshubur.livejournal.com]

But I wonder if those who have vouchers have actually been automatically counted in the Whitby ticket tally?

As in "Oh sorry, we just buggered up your weekend and you'll get some money back for it... ...but only if you give us some more money and a chance to ruin your weekend again" ?

[giggly-teapot.livejournal.com]

Just back from the hairdressers, and read this post over his nibs shoulder so I thought I would whizz on line and make a comment.

My suggestion is that you drop an email to trading standards or to your local CAB for some advice, or just use the threat of going to trading standards. I cannot remember the web site but there is a government one which has lots of templates for letters of complaint and advice as to your rights, which I am sure will be worth a look.

[giggly-teapot.livejournal.com]

No, nothing has been offically annouced. Apparently RICO and Deathboy are the rest of the weekends line up. Neither of whom have been offically annouced either.

[ankaret.livejournal.com]

I agree that they've got a public relations crisis on their hands. A lot of WGW-goers have run out of benefit of the doubt to give the festival organisers at a faster rate than WGW have run out of tickets, and so far they don't seem to be buying the benefit of the doubt offered by resellers. :)

People see Whitby as their festival, that's why so many people seem to be planning to go and take part in the social aspects whether or not they buy a ticket, and why the various 'why don't you go to a different festival then if you don't like it?' lines of argument aren't having much of an effect.

I actually think it's hugely encouraging for the WGW organisers that they have this pool of people to win back if they can - if everyone was taking the 'you're not wanted' advice (which can come over as arrogant, even if the intention's only to defend Jo) the outlook would be a lot more shaky for the festival, IMO.

[doom--kitten.livejournal.com]

Yup, will try & last more than one day this year :P Sadly I'm not trade though *sobs*

[mrph.livejournal.com]

S'ok, I'm not (officially) press this time, either. That's davefish's job... :)

[jruske.livejournal.com]

Ugh. I'm so glad we never have that problem.