Whitby

[mrph]

So, today I got home to find a letter had arrived. Royal Mail postage paid. Handwritten address on the front. "WGW HQ" sticker on the back.

Unlike many people I know, I'm not actually in Whitby yet. So I danced the happy dance of joy - hurrah, my tickets have actually arrived! No messing about with the 'missing ticket procedure' - no need to take utility bills and photo ID to the Info Stall.

Then I opened the envelope...

Your order has been selected to take part in our ticketless trial

Please take the enclosed signed copy of your order to the Info Stall at the Spa to collect your wristbands in the usual manner.

A weekend itinerary will be available on the Info Stall at the Spa

Wristbands can be collected from The Spa on West Cliff between 10am and 7pm on Friday 26th October

We look forward to seeing you there

Which is still a little awkward when three people are arriving at three different times. Hmm. Oh well...

Comments

[deborah_c]

i.e. We have decided to cut out the middleman and lose your ticket for you before it goes in the post...

[ragnvaeig.livejournal.com]

Oh, what a bother!

[mrph.livejournal.com]

That would be one way to read it, yes.

I'm also intrigued by the CH23.10.07 stamp on the envelope. I don't claim to understand the strange and convoluted ways of the Royal Mail... but it would be interesting to know whether that's a "just been posted" date or an "sorted and about to be delivered" date.

Hmm. Wouldn't be quite so annoyed about this if I'd ordered tickets at the last minute... but the order was placed on May 6th.

Actually...

[mrph.livejournal.com]

I've just spoken to a lady on the Royal Mail complaints team, who was very stressed but very helpful.

She's confirmed that if the envelope is stamped CH23.10.07, that's the (working) day it was sent. It wouldn't have been stamped with that date if it was posted during the dispute.

...so, they posted 'tickets' for Whitby out to me on Tues or Weds this week? Right. Hmm.

Re: Actually...

[the-lady-lily.livejournal.com]

I wonder whether they might try to excuse this on the grounds of the postal strike. Who knows.

[lougarry.livejournal.com]

or alternatively 'We can't be bothered with printing costs this year'

[kneeshooter]

Makes me laugh.

Re: Actually...

[mrph.livejournal.com]

Well, if they do, I now have an answer for them.

Re: Actually...

[mrph.livejournal.com]

Even so, surely you'd want to post it a little earlier in that case...?

[dakiara.livejournal.com]

Course, you have to wonder why the ticketless trial ones were posted out so late in a postal strike if they weren't being held up by the horribly inept printers that keep getting repeat ticket printing business...

Hope you get the tickets sorted out with the minimum of stress!

[hex61.livejournal.com]

Ah. Well at least they didn't make you go through the usual lost ticket process. I mean. This is a **NEW** process which is nothing like showing up without a ticket and having to stamp your feet in line for endless hours while trying to get all your mates in queue with you while one texts you obscenities.

:)