After waiting 20 minutes to get thru on the phone, the girl answering the phone, clearly not handling the number of complaints well, tells me, you'll have to collect from the ticket office on Saturday. When I said "well thats not good", she replied "what do you want me to do about it ??" The club need to sort this problem out, beggars belief that they waited so long to send them out in the first place.
It is sad that the person on the phone is getting so stressed, and it is sad she spoke in that way. If she had said 'what do you want me to do about it?' I reckon my first response, almost by default, would be to ask to speak to the person in charge, not to complain about what had been said, but to complain about the whole scenario. It is worth remembering the buck stops somewhere, and not with the fans, and the person on the top of the food chain on all this has to take both responsibility, and further action. Another response to 'what do you want me to do about it?' would be to suggest a courier brought my ticket round this afternoon.
I think the football industry is pretty unique, certainly for the average punter. You're hardly likely to take your business elsewhere are you? I doubt very much the ticket office is a great place to be at the moment and if the posts on here are to be believed, such as only 2 kiosks being manned, then the club dont seem to be doing too much about the situation. I have no idea how they got themselves in to such a mess but to be told you need to queue up, where probably 500+ people will be to get their ST is not the answer. The club need to put their hands in their pockets and offer those Season Ticketless a gesture of goodwill. But we all know that wont happen. The beginning of the season is supposed to be an enjoyable time, but I guess most being faced with having to queue up on Saturday, wont be looking forward to it!
Expect season ticket holders whose tickets haven't turned up to be offered a food voucher - the same as season ticket holders displaced at the Bournemouth game got.
If it even starts! Like others, I rang today to say mine hasn't arrived, the young lady was very pleasant, though offered no apology. I am lucky in that a fellow lifer has kindly offered to collect my "duplicate" ticket for me tomorrow. Was reminded he had to be there between 9 and 1, so even this horrendous muddle won't make anyone work on Thursday afternoon! I dread to think what it will be like on Saturday at the ground, never mind pitch side sofa, they should arrange loads of them outside the turnstiles for us poor s**ds who have to queue!
On this one, all the thanks for patience and understanding, all the bear with us stuff, all the teething problem excuses, all the new system/technological failings are not good enough. Money taken in April, cock up in August. If you want a solution here is one. Allow free entry to all fans in all home areas on Saturday 40 minutes before kick off by opening an exit gate and marshalling it well. Have a megaphone or Tannoy announcement at those free entry points saying you may sit anywhere providing the seat is empty and not already claimed. The idea is a good one providing we don't get more than our new capacity of 27,114 turning up for the game (which I don't think we will if the free entry decision is only taken at 2pm). So there you are, I have moaned a lot on this thread, but there at least is an attempt at a solution.
On this one, all the thanks for patience and understanding, all the bear with us stuff, all the teething problem excuses, all the new system/technological failings are not good enough. Money taken in April, cock up in August. If you want a solution here is one. Allow free entry to all fans in all home areas on Saturday 40 minutes before kick off by opening an exit gate and marshalling it well. Have a megaphone or Tannoy announcement at those free entry points saying you may sit anywhere providing the seat is empty and not already claimed. The idea is a good one providing we don't get more than our new capacity of 27,114 turning up for the game (which I don't think we will if the free entry decision is only taken at 2pm). So there you are, I have moaned a lot on this thread, but there at least is an attempt at a solution.
If we were at home to (say) Bolton or Blackburn, this might work, but with QPR selling out their end it's too risky...
Update on my situation, after twice being told that the lines were busy please try later, on the third try I waited for 40mins listening to music (which is still going around in my head) a young man answered and took my details and said a duplicate ticket could be picked up at the Valley between now and the match, I asked if it would be ok if picked it up on Thursday afternoon, he answered no we are closed, he then amended his answer to ticket office opening times. The actual transaction took less than 1 minute, I feel sorry for the people manning the phones but although sounded stressed was polite and efficient.
The staff do work on Thursday afternoons already. They just don't interact with supporters.
I would have more confidence in the crowd getting in on Saturday than some, because Mick Everett and John Little will have contingency plans and they know what they are doing. I very much doubt if it would get to this, but they do have legal authority to overrule the chief executive on safety grounds, if they feel it is necessary.
From 1pm seems a little late to me. There will be a large queue formed at 1pm I reckon. The should be open from 10am to collect then people can go collect their tickets then go off for lunch/pub or whatever.
Agree, 2 hours before kick off is silly - I thought the ticket office was
Club are a shambles. I want to buy a match ticket for Saturday for a mate, I've tried calling them three times today and it just rings out. Game is also not available to purchase online. Do they want my bloody money or what? Pitiful.
Anyone got any ideas how I can get through to the club? Don't have time to go to box office before, or before the game on Sat - wanted to make sure I got ticket today so they could post it out to me. Blatently won't bloody happen now.
I was on hold for 40 minutes, then gave up. I went to the box office on my way home from work, and got all mine reprinted. There was quite a bit of a queue there though, all with the same problem.
Club are a shambles. I want to buy a match ticket for Saturday for a mate, I've tried calling them three times today and it just rings out. Game is also not available to purchase online. Do they want my bloody money or what? Pitiful.
Anyone got any ideas how I can get through to the club? Don't have time to go to box office before, or before the game on Sat - wanted to make sure I got ticket today so they could post it out to me. Blatently won't bloody happen now.
keep trying.
got through just now after pressing 6, took 4 mins.
Tried 3 times today to get though now. first time i was on hold for 40mins, the second for 25mins and most recently for another 40mins. Unfortunately I'm at work so can't spend the whole day trying to sort out an issue that is a) not my fault, and b) something that I paid for way back in March (with the club very quick to take my money!).
I live a 2 hour journey from the Valley, so despite the club telling me that I should go and sort it tomorrow/Friday (!), my only option is to leave early and spend Saturday lunchtime queuing with hundreds of others to get a reprinted ticket.
Amazed that it hasn't even been considered that the club could send out reprinted tickets today?! To save the inevitable chaos on Saturday. After all we've all paid hundreds of pounds for this!
Charlton wouldn't be Charlton without some almighty cock-up to inconvenience fans just as the season starts!
There's going to be a lot of us queuing for our season tickets on Saturday if this thread is anything to go by and if we're all getting pissed off now it is only going to get worse if the queue doesn't move quickly or doesn't clear before kick off.
Tried 3 times today to get though now. first time i was on hold for 40mins, the second for 25mins and most recently for another 40mins. Unfortunately I'm at work so can't spend the whole day trying to sort out an issue that is a) not my fault, and b) something that I paid for way back in March (with the club very quick to take my money!).
I live a 2 hour journey from the Valley, so despite the club telling me that I should go and sort it tomorrow/Friday (!), my only option is to leave early and spend Saturday lunchtime queuing with hundreds of others to get a reprinted ticket.
Amazed that it hasn't even been considered that the club could send out reprinted tickets today?! To save the inevitable chaos on Saturday. After all we've all paid hundreds of pounds for this!
Charlton wouldn't be Charlton without some almighty cock-up to inconvenience fans just as the season starts!
I suspect if you asked they would have agreed but if they do have 500 to reissue at 5 minutes a ticket (to print, laminate and collate the seat etc.) it would take 41 man hours to send that many. Judging by the time on hold they probably don't have six people doing nothing (how many it would take for seven hours to produce all the tickets) and I doubt there are six there that know how to print, allocate and post out a ticket.
Also what happens if they send out 500 today and by Friday 200 have not arrived. They can't gamble on the post on Friday so they would have to make those 200 tickets again and invalidate those they'd sent out.
At least they are opening at 10am on Saturday for collections now.
The staff do work on Thursday afternoons already. They just don't interact with supporters.
I would have more confidence in the crowd getting in on Saturday than some, because Mick Everett and John Little will have contingency plans and they know what they are doing. I very much doubt if it would get to this, but they do have legal authority to overrule the chief executive on safety grounds, if they feel it is necessary.
Looking at the current predicament, would it not be sensible as an one off to open the ticket office all day tomorrow. Just to take a little bit of pressure off saturday lunchtime.
On this one, all the thanks for patience and understanding, all the bear with us stuff, all the teething problem excuses, all the new system/technological failings are not good enough. Money taken in April, cock up in August. If you want a solution here is one. Allow free entry to all fans in all home areas on Saturday 40 minutes before kick off by opening an exit gate and marshalling it well. Have a megaphone or Tannoy announcement at those free entry points saying you may sit anywhere providing the seat is empty and not already claimed. The idea is a good one providing we don't get more than our new capacity of 27,114 turning up for the game (which I don't think we will if the free entry decision is only taken at 2pm). So there you are, I have moaned a lot on this thread, but there at least is an attempt at a solution.
Well, when I get to my seat at 2.55 you'd better not be sitting in it.
The most stupid post for a long time.
There would be rows all over the place & that's putting it mildly.
Anyway, I think the Chief Superintendant at Hillsborough beat you to this idea :-(
The most stupid post for a long time? If people are heaving to get in at 2.55 after queuing for ages my post will look like the most intelligent post for a long time.
The staff do work on Thursday afternoons already. They just don't interact with supporters.
I would have more confidence in the crowd getting in on Saturday than some, because Mick Everett and John Little will have contingency plans and they know what they are doing. I very much doubt if it would get to this, but they do have legal authority to overrule the chief executive on safety grounds, if they feel it is necessary.
Looking at the current predicament, would it not be sensible as an one off to open the ticket office all day tomorrow. Just to take a little bit of pressure off saturday lunchtime.
Yes, it would be very sensible, that's why they are not doing it.
Total shambles although I did get through on the phone within a minute or so at about 10.00 this morning and the fellow did what he had to do quickly but without an apology. Will leave work early to collect on Friday as goodness know what ciaos there will be on Saturday. As this seems to have been a last minute rush job has the entry system been properly tested?
That statement on the OS seems to be a slightly more wordy version of the response that one guy on here got from the lady in the ticket office earlier: 'what do you want us to do about it?'
Howsabout, not leave it until one week before the season starts to send tickets so that any mishaps (whether the club are at fault or not) can be rectified before the season begins without causing inconvenience (which you fail to apologise for) to hundreds if not thousands of fans.
Haven't got mine and have no time to collect it before 230pm on Saturday, there again I didn't think that I would need to, that's kind of why I bought it in the first place.
Could it be that the issue has come about due to season tickets being sent to fans old addresses that may still be in the system. I know of someone this has happened to but still has access to their old address so now has their ticket. Have any of those who have not received a ticket moved in the last few seasons?
Lived in four different places in my time as a season ticket holder, so it could have gone to any of those!
But presumably as with ALL fans buying/renewing season tkts this season, you ensure your correct details inc address are on the form you submit with your payment ?
Surely this is the way to ensure the details the database holds for you are correct !
And why a season ticket cannot be expected to be lost due to an incorrect address.....
But the worrying thing is IF so many season tickets have been sent to totally incorrect addresses, shouldn't we expect said fortuitous recipients to not look a gift horse in the mouth and USE said ticket on Saturday ?
Hope the stewards are prepared for this eventuality !
Didn't get my tickets - took 25 mins to get through to a stressed and terse person in the ticket office and was told I could collect on Saturday. I asked about what to do if the tickets arrived in the meantime but gained the distinct impression that this was not a possibility that was considered realistic.
Absolute shambles the way this has been handled - don't believe a large number of the season tickets have ever been posted. Someone has to take responsibility for this.
Comments
That worked out well.
Money taken in April, cock up in August.
If you want a solution here is one.
Allow free entry to all fans in all home areas on Saturday 40 minutes before kick off by opening an exit gate and marshalling it well.
Have a megaphone or Tannoy announcement at those free entry points saying you may sit anywhere providing the seat is empty and not already claimed.
The idea is a good one providing we don't get more than our new capacity of 27,114 turning up for the game (which I don't think we will if the free entry decision is only taken at 2pm).
So there you are, I have moaned a lot on this thread, but there at least is an attempt at a solution.
I would have more confidence in the crowd getting in on Saturday than some, because Mick Everett and John Little will have contingency plans and they know what they are doing. I very much doubt if it would get to this, but they do have legal authority to overrule the chief executive on safety grounds, if they feel it is necessary.
"your call cannot be completed at present, please try again later."
no....how about you courier my S/T to me and offer a free box* for the season to compensate me.
*the football type
proper shoddy.
Anyone got any ideas how I can get through to the club? Don't have time to go to box office before, or before the game on Sat - wanted to make sure I got ticket today so they could post it out to me. Blatently won't bloody happen now.
got through just now after pressing 6, took 4 mins.
I live a 2 hour journey from the Valley, so despite the club telling me that I should go and sort it tomorrow/Friday (!), my only option is to leave early and spend Saturday lunchtime queuing with hundreds of others to get a reprinted ticket.
Amazed that it hasn't even been considered that the club could send out reprinted tickets today?! To save the inevitable chaos on Saturday. After all we've all paid hundreds of pounds for this!
Charlton wouldn't be Charlton without some almighty cock-up to inconvenience fans just as the season starts!
Also what happens if they send out 500 today and by Friday 200 have not arrived. They can't gamble on the post on Friday so they would have to make those 200 tickets again and invalidate those they'd sent out.
At least they are opening at 10am on Saturday for collections now.
The most stupid post for a long time.
There would be rows all over the place & that's putting it mildly.
Anyway, I think the Chief Superintendant at Hillsborough beat you to this idea :-(
If people are heaving to get in at 2.55 after queuing for ages my post will look like the most intelligent post for a long time.
Well, there is either incompetence or a massive lack of support. One or t'other.
It's so amateurish, it's astounding.
Luckily we did get ours, even if they did manage to frank the bottom of the envelope, instead of the top.
I mean, if you can't even frank an envelope, the right way up ..........
As this seems to have been a last minute rush job has the entry system been properly tested?
Howsabout, not leave it until one week before the season starts to send tickets so that any mishaps (whether the club are at fault or not) can be rectified before the season begins without causing inconvenience (which you fail to apologise for) to hundreds if not thousands of fans.
Haven't got mine and have no time to collect it before 230pm on Saturday, there again I didn't think that I would need to, that's kind of why I bought it in the first place.
Surely this is the way to ensure the details the database holds for you are correct !
And why a season ticket cannot be expected to be lost due to an incorrect address.....
But the worrying thing is IF so many season tickets have been sent to totally incorrect addresses, shouldn't we expect said fortuitous recipients to not look a gift horse in the mouth and USE said ticket on Saturday ?
Hope the stewards are prepared for this eventuality !
Somehow felt as if I had done something wrong !
Saturday will be a mess....