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Original poster

To be outraged on friends behalf re not being able to buy Olympic tickets

134 replies

Shinyshoes1 · 28/07/2012 18:01

Ok outraged is a bit ott but...
My friend from school has just posted on her FB status that she tried to by tickets at the Olympic park for the men's gymnastics as there were loads of empty seats and was til 'no' Hmm
She tried to buy them online outside the park but because her email had already been registered she couldn't buy them that way either.
So far from what I've seen on telly , there have been plenty of empty seats on both the gymnastics and the swimming events .
Surely if she wants to buy them and there are seats left she should be able to

OP posts:
Nancy66 · 29/07/2012 12:06

olympic park only tickets were among the first to go - because they're affordable. I haven't seen any available in weeks.

There is a big screen in Hyde Park too -could you go there instead?

olympickibucket · 29/07/2012 12:11

Has anyone actually won tickets, a lot of the sponsors were using tickets as promotional prizes - you know, 'peel back this tab and enter the number you see at our website, you could have won.... blah blah blah...' and if so, are you using them?

Tallalime · 29/07/2012 15:11

We won tickets from Coke... they are for the mens weightlifting (final). Obviously they are not tickets we'd have actually paid for, but we didn't get the opportunity to buy tickets for any events we'd have loved to see. So we're absolutely trekking down there to see the menfolk lift heavy stuff (they gave us travel cards and spending money too!).

I'm guessing a lot of the sponsors will have done similar things with their tickets, and the seats we have are Band A - so right up the front, centre. It'll be a shame if lots of the seats are empty but what can the sponsors do in situations like that.

They even phoned us up at one point to say "don't you want these tickets you won?" - the e-mail was in OH's spam box - so they do try and fill the seats but they can't force people to go.

Perhaps they could sell unwanted tickets on the day, but the rigmarole we had to go to, copies of passports etc etc, to fulfill the security issues probably negates that idea.

eosmum · 29/07/2012 15:53

I posted earlier we won some from P&G, going to swimming on Friday. Our tickets are cheap seats though not like tallalimes.

Glittertwins · 29/07/2012 16:40

There were still nearly 4 rows behind us empty at the swimming and a partial row in front of us this morning. I wouldn't have thought they were corporate seats either. I'm not sure why some people bothered either, quite a few came into our section after missing the first two events and the chap directly in from of us spent practically the entire time with headphones plugged into his phone and surfing on it rather than watch the swimming which was good, even if you aren't a swimmer.

notcitrus · 29/07/2012 17:12

I think the dire warnings of delays may have put some people off. We got two lots of cheap tickets advertised as 'session 1' of the day. Turns out they start at 9am but the instructions tell you to arrive 2 hours before that to go through security, ie 7am, and then the Games journey planner claims we need 2 hours to get there across London.

No way am I leaving home with small boys and a baby at 5am! We'll set off at 8 and get there whenever as the sessions go on to 2 or to 4.30. If I'd not paid for the tickets and wasn't hugely interested, I'd be most tempted not to bother turning up!

mirry2 · 29/07/2012 17:19

We were at the fencing today and the Excel seats were full (and it isn't a partucularly popular event) so don't know what to make of the empty seat comments. I read somewhere that the empty seat on saturday wer because peple had decided to go and watch the road races.

MurielTheActor · 29/07/2012 17:23

As said earlier it's not as if the sponsors (whether you agree or not with the sponsorship issue) haven't put vast sums into the games. Yes they are courtesy tickets. Sad for the competitors not to have full crowds.
In an ideal world the sponsors would chase who was taking up their seats and pass unused ones to charities.
In an ideal world... Hmm

FrankelSaysRelax · 29/07/2012 17:26

They're also saying that some of the empty seats are for other athletes, but as so many events are still going on/yet to take place they are not being used.

WillowFae · 29/07/2012 17:53

Notcitrus - if your session is advertised as 9am then that's when you go. Your seats will have been sold to someone else for the later sessions. We were at session one of the gymnastics yesterday and that is what our tickets were for. There were two further sessions after that.

When you applied for tickets you would have chosen a session. Didn't you take account of travelling time?

Iwillorderthefood · 29/07/2012 18:14

We tried to get gymnastics tickets but could not. I am outraged since so many people who wanted the opportunity were denied it. We managed to get some tickets and am excited, but seriously the ones we were really aiming for were the gymnastics.

Glittertwins · 29/07/2012 18:24

We left the house at 5am to get the first park and ride bus. We got there so early, the gates weren't even open. Had a nice leisurely tea, smash and grab in the shop with no queue and then mooched to the pool. No rush, no fuss even with a pair of 4 year olds.

londonmackem · 29/07/2012 18:33

If there is space at tonight's volleyball then blame edf-powering the games supposedly!

MissBeehivingUnderTheMistletoe · 29/07/2012 18:41

I was at the gymnastics this morning and the upper tiers of the O2 were packed however the seats in the lower arena were about only 60-70% full including whole blocks that were unoccupied Shock Angry

About half way through the morning they filled some of the seats up but only a relatively small number. When I think about how many people wanted tickets and how few people were able to get them (certainly initially anyway) it is really sad and disappointing especially since it was so brilliant.

PuffPants · 29/07/2012 18:50

You can still get gymnastics tickets - the areas you can see only half-filled were priced at £450 - that may explain it. Seats at that price are still available on certain days.

MissBeehivingUnderTheMistletoe · 29/07/2012 19:00

Whole blocks empty though Puff? Confused

OhYouGreatGreatBritain · 29/07/2012 19:43

I estimated around 600 empty seats at Greenwich today in blocks. Utterly outrageous especially after mners here have been saying how they've been desperate to see the events local to them.

Dreamgirl1111 · 29/07/2012 20:16

Is there a chance to get last minute tickets if you turn up at one of the ticket desks?

Pedallleur · 29/07/2012 21:09

Why are people annoyed? They are corporate seats/sponsors/competition prizes and they just get binned or unused. A colleague of mine was given a pair of VIP tickets for the cycling that were an unwanted competition prize. Those empty seats at sold-out concerts/sporting events? unused corporate/publicity stuff. Coe will do nothing because he can't do anything. The seats will be traceable since whole blocks are empty which tells you they are guest seats but Coke etc will say 'so what' they are ours to do with as we want. People have debentures for Wimbledon or boxes at the RAH and sell the space on or don't use them. That's how it is.

notcitrus · 29/07/2012 22:48

willowfae - yes, our fencing session is 9am to 4.30. Much longer than I expected, as the athletics we're seeing is until lunchtime. Session 2 is from 5pm I think.
And I took account of travelling time, which is usually an hour from my house, plus an extra bit for the crowds - but being told to arrive at the venue two hours before the event starts was a surprise. Apparently though the security is very smooth and doesn't take long at all.

JugglingWithTangentialOranges · 29/07/2012 22:56

I don't care what system they decided on ... surely the result should be one seat = one bottom on it Grin
(Anything else I rate as a failure - though of course still wish all the best to our Olympics Smile)

But - get on the case Coe !

Such a shame to have empty seats when every one could be filled by someone as excited as my DS to be there - luckily we got tickets and are going soon !

bonkersLFDT20 · 29/07/2012 22:57

So, if you spot an empty seat much nearer the action are you allowed to clamber over and nab them? We are in row 50 for an evening athletics session next week (I was a third round tickets sales "lucky loser"). Would it be OK to sort of pole vault myself down to the front row if there's an empty seat? [ponders whether one can buy a telescopic pole vault].

OhYouGreatGreatBritain · 29/07/2012 23:02

Bonkers, at Greenwich then by the afternoon quite probably. We we're. Dry happy with our view but in the afternoon there was no ticket checking and people did sit in odd spots and move when the seat owners turned up.

mirry2 · 29/07/2012 23:06

It's no excuse but I think this happens at every Olympic Games. I remember people complaining about all the empty seats at Bejing (sp?)

happyAvocado · 29/07/2012 23:11

Lots and lots of tickets on sale tonight - I think someone cocked up royally by not doing it properly, so the info was available somewhere they just werent bothered to do the checkup!

not everyone can take a day off at drop of a hat!

but hope some will be able to go and experience what we did

we went to see mens handball - middle session
I can't recommend it enough! fast game, very competitive and high in adrenaline :)