QR codes at gigs - why?
Discussion
Mrs H and sister have been queuing to get into the NEC for 45 minutes now, and are still nowhere near the front.
Ticketing is absolutely, no excuses, no alternatives "live" (apparently changing every 60 seconds) QR code only - no entry without it.
...so in their infinite wisdom to try and stop touts or fake tickets*, they've created a situation where several thousand people ALL need to get mobile phone data access from the same mast in a very short space of time. And of course the venue use mobile scanners which are also temperamental. You don't need to be an expert to spot the problem.
Anyone who's commuted into any major non-London station will know that QR codes on phones are slower than paper on average, even assuming people are clued up enough to have their phones out and ready and working before the turnstile. And that's for a few hundred people at once.
So why the f
k are all these promoters doing this now? Stupidity, ignorance, or just plain don't-give-a-fk-ness?
* Are fake tickets still a thing? And surely there are other, easier methods to stop touts?
Ticketing is absolutely, no excuses, no alternatives "live" (apparently changing every 60 seconds) QR code only - no entry without it.
...so in their infinite wisdom to try and stop touts or fake tickets*, they've created a situation where several thousand people ALL need to get mobile phone data access from the same mast in a very short space of time. And of course the venue use mobile scanners which are also temperamental. You don't need to be an expert to spot the problem.
Anyone who's commuted into any major non-London station will know that QR codes on phones are slower than paper on average, even assuming people are clued up enough to have their phones out and ready and working before the turnstile. And that's for a few hundred people at once.
So why the f
k are all these promoters doing this now? Stupidity, ignorance, or just plain don't-give-a-fk-ness?* Are fake tickets still a thing? And surely there are other, easier methods to stop touts?
I've got mobile tickets for some gigs at Co-Op live coming up soon and on Ticketmaster today they were 'available' and it says has to be the ticket on the app, can't use a screen shot etc as they won't work. It's bonkers!
Oh, especially when 3 of you are going with the tickets on the same single app, so you have to pass the phone back to the others to get in ha ha!
Oh, especially when 3 of you are going with the tickets on the same single app, so you have to pass the phone back to the others to get in ha ha!
I still think it's another example of tech for tech's sake.
I mean...if you lose your phone, or it runs out of battery (less of an issue now than before, granted), or if you're one of those rare people (an old and very successful university friend is one) who doesn't own a smartphone as they don't see the need for one, then you're stuffed. Paper doesn't run out of battery and is far less likely to be lifted by a pickpocket.
Anyway, they got in...55 minutes after joining the back of the queue.
I mean...if you lose your phone, or it runs out of battery (less of an issue now than before, granted), or if you're one of those rare people (an old and very successful university friend is one) who doesn't own a smartphone as they don't see the need for one, then you're stuffed. Paper doesn't run out of battery and is far less likely to be lifted by a pickpocket.
Anyway, they got in...55 minutes after joining the back of the queue.
towser44 said:
Oh, especially when 3 of you are going with the tickets on the same single app, so you have to pass the phone back to the others to get in ha ha!
I've already been to a couple of things where it was mandatory one device per person, each with the app loaded and their own ticket showing, no passing a single phone around. You can add Ticketmaster tickets to your phone wallet in advance & just wave your phone over the bouncer’s scanner thing. You might need to do it repeatedly for each person who needs to get in though.
You can, however, be sure that every other clown in the queue hasn’t thought of doing this, so you can wait behind them while they dig their brick out, look up the Ticketmaster website or app and then struggle to log in and locate their tickets on the 2G connection that’s available at the door.
You can, however, be sure that every other clown in the queue hasn’t thought of doing this, so you can wait behind them while they dig their brick out, look up the Ticketmaster website or app and then struggle to log in and locate their tickets on the 2G connection that’s available at the door.
havoc said:
I still think it's another example of tech for tech's sake.
I mean...if you lose your phone, or it runs out of battery (less of an issue now than before, granted), or if you're one of those rare people (an old and very successful university friend is one) who doesn't own a smartphone as they don't see the need for one, then you're stuffed.
... or if you have an old phone. I mean...if you lose your phone, or it runs out of battery (less of an issue now than before, granted), or if you're one of those rare people (an old and very successful university friend is one) who doesn't own a smartphone as they don't see the need for one, then you're stuffed.
My old iphone does me fine but there are some apps that require a higher version of IOS than my phone is capable of supporting.
alangla said:
You can, however, be sure that every other clown in the queue hasn’t thought of doing this, so you can wait behind them while they dig their brick out, look up the Ticketmaster website or app and then struggle to log in and locate their tickets on the 2G connection that’s available at the door.
This.GasEngineer said:
My old iphone does me fine but there are some apps that require a higher version of IOS than my phone is capable of supporting.
Also this.I'm also thoroughly fed up of every single company I deal with wanting me to download their (probably badly/cheaply designed and possibly full of bloatware or spyware) app in order to deal with them. I already have a load of apps on my phone - I don't need another 30!
alangla said:
You can add Ticketmaster tickets to your phone wallet in advance & just wave your phone over the bouncer’s scanner thing. You might need to do it repeatedly for each person who needs to get in though.
You can, however, be sure that every other clown in the queue hasn’t thought of doing this, so you can wait behind them while they dig their brick out, look up the Ticketmaster website or app and then struggle to log in and locate their tickets on the 2G connection that’s available at the door.
This is the actual answer and the cause of the problems.You can, however, be sure that every other clown in the queue hasn’t thought of doing this, so you can wait behind them while they dig their brick out, look up the Ticketmaster website or app and then struggle to log in and locate their tickets on the 2G connection that’s available at the door.
If people read their emails and the notifications they receive regarding their gig they'll know exactly how to prevent chaos, but it's easier to blame everyone else.
Baldchap said:
This is the actual answer and the cause of the problems.
If people read their emails and the notifications they receive regarding their gig they'll know exactly how to prevent chaos, but it's easier to blame everyone else.
Only if you USE your phone wallet. I don't, and have no intention of doing so - see my post above on unnecessary sIf people read their emails and the notifications they receive regarding their gig they'll know exactly how to prevent chaos, but it's easier to blame everyone else.
t on my phone.The ticketing agencies/organisers are effectively giving you one way and one way only of doing things, and if you don't like that or you actually can't comply* then tough luck. Hardly customer-centric behaviour...
havoc said:
Only if you USE your phone wallet. I don't, and have no intention of doing so - see my post above on unnecessary st on my phone.
The ticketing agencies/organisers are effectively giving you one way and one way only of doing things, and if you don't like that or you actually can't comply* then tough luck. Hardly customer-centric behaviour...
I agree in terms of silly apps etc, but you can add tickets to your wallet from email (or you certainly could) and wallet is core OS functionality that is there whether you use it or not. There is a solution that fits your requirements, you just don't like it. t on my phone.The ticketing agencies/organisers are effectively giving you one way and one way only of doing things, and if you don't like that or you actually can't comply* then tough luck. Hardly customer-centric behaviour...
Unfortunately, it is increasingly apparent (to me at least) as every year goes by that if you think large companies still give a s
t about customers or that your opinion as a customer matters then you're sadly mistaken.Baldchap said:
I agree in terms of silly apps etc, but you can add tickets to your wallet from email (or you certainly could) and wallet is core OS functionality that is there whether you use it or not. There is a solution that fits your requirements, you just don't like it.
Unfortunately, it is increasingly apparent (to me at least) as every year goes by that if you think large companies still give a st about customers or that your opinion as a customer matters then you're sadly mistaken.
Just checked the web version of Ticketmaster.co.uk on my iPhone and it’s offering to add tickets for an upcoming event to my Apple Wallet, so it certainly looks like it can be done without any apps.Unfortunately, it is increasingly apparent (to me at least) as every year goes by that if you think large companies still give a s
t about customers or that your opinion as a customer matters then you're sadly mistaken.If someone has an Android device and an upcoming event maybe they could also check?
Here's a little take on it. I totally agree with what someone mentioned – it’s poor management, not the QR codes, that’s the real issue. I’ve used QR codes at our company events and, honestly, they can work brilliantly if managed right. We’d use them for quick check-ins, and everything flowed smoothly. But when it's not set up well, it all goes downhill, and people get frustrated. At the end of the day, the tech is just a tool – it’s how you use it that counts. Plan it carefully and go for the simplest setting (we basically just follow the guidelines on how to use QR codes for events), and it'll be completely okay for this kind of stuff.
Edited by Samuel978 on Wednesday 12th March 12:36
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