Author Topic: SDCC 2020 Returning Registration  (Read 31944 times)

Offline dcole

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Re: SDCC 2020 Returning Registration
« Reply #195 on: October 14, 2019, 04:10:34 PM »
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So You are saying buying group does lower that 50 percent probability cause it increases the odds of people in the buying group of getting tickets?
I think it skews the odds way more in open reg, where you have people who are not buying any more days for themselves but are still buying for the group.

Also, I read somewhere recently that the Returning Reg odd are more like 30% now. Apparently there were complaints of unfairness so the number of tickets placed in the RR pot were fewer this year. At least that’s what I read.

Offline ALF

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Re: SDCC 2020 Returning Registration
« Reply #196 on: October 14, 2019, 04:12:18 PM »
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I was honestly interested in getting into a buying group this time around but they were all capped, so...

One thing that no one has ever been able to explain to me satisfactorily is how buying for others within a buying group is organized and prioritized. I’ve heard some very simplistic - sounding answers given but in my mind, it can’t possibly work unless someone is monitoring all of the buying activity real time.

Hmmm seems to be working so far...buying groups at least FOCC..cause haven't heard any horror stories of people getting burned or not getting their money back. I assume the communication probably involves a big group chat..and a checklist.. hehehe

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Re: SDCC 2020 Returning Registration
« Reply #197 on: Today at 08:24:34 AM »

Offline ALF

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Re: SDCC 2020 Returning Registration
« Reply #197 on: October 14, 2019, 04:16:03 PM »
I never been in a buying group because of trust issues.. How do I count on strangers i met on the internet to reimburse me after i purchase 500 bucks worth of tickets for them? But that's just me..hehe..Hence i understand the restrictive nature of trying to join a group.

Offline sessionka

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Re: SDCC 2020 Returning Registration
« Reply #198 on: October 14, 2019, 04:18:26 PM »
The odds are an estimate. No one knows how many badges are available during either badge sales. CCI is not talking.

As for setting priority in a buying group it depends on the group. Monitoring is done real time in our group. Props go to the FOCC person or persons who put together the google sheets we use.

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Offline ALF

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Re: SDCC 2020 Returning Registration
« Reply #199 on: October 14, 2019, 04:23:11 PM »
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The odds are an estimate. No one knows how many badges are available during either badge sales. CCI is not talking.

As for setting priority in a buying group it depends on the group. Monitoring is done real time in our group. Props go to the FOCC person or persons who put together the google sheets we use.

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That is true but if joining a group increases the odds for people in the group vice versa..it will decrease the odds for everyone else.. I am not saying being in group is good or bad...just like to analyst random stuff....by the way.. I was able to get all four days just by myself and my wife.

Offline dcole

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Re: SDCC 2020 Returning Registration
« Reply #200 on: October 14, 2019, 04:33:09 PM »
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The odds are an estimate. No one knows how many badges are available during either badge sales. CCI is not talking.

As for setting priority in a buying group it depends on the group. Monitoring is done real time in our group. Props go to the FOCC person or persons who put together the google sheets we use.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
Thanks, thats what I figured. Real time monitoring of who still needs tickets and directing those who get selected next to buy for the remaining members. And I assume returning members get priority in the “who gets bought for first” queue. You’re right - that’s a lot of work!!

Offline perc2100

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Re: SDCC 2020 Returning Registration
« Reply #201 on: October 14, 2019, 04:54:51 PM »
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I was honestly interested in getting into a buying group this time around but they were all capped, so...

One thing that no one has ever been able to explain to me satisfactorily is how buying for others within a buying group is organized and prioritized. I’ve heard some very simplistic - sounding answers given but in my mind, it can’t possibly work unless someone is monitoring all of the buying activity real time.
This was year three in a badge-buying group.  I joined the badge-buying group after joining the group for Hall H line the previous SDCCI.  At that point, I had gotten to know a good number of folks in the group, and felt comfortable trusting them.  I too have general trust issues with strangers, but after getting to know people I realized everyone in the group is generally similar to me: good-hearted, easy-going, fun to hang out with, and incredibly nice/helpful.  I witnessed that first year how everyone selflessly seemed to help everyone else with exclusives, saving seats, getting food for folks in line, etc.  I realized that I went from waiting in line roughly 36 hours for Sat. Hall H to roughly 3 or 4 in a group, and it couldn't have worked out better (all three years so far in the group have been aces)!

So I decided to join the badge-buying group, even though I felt OK with five folks in my family/close friends to buy with codes.  I figured the odds were improved with more people helping out.  Holy cow, have I seen that concept work out splendidly!

Our group uses a messaging app during the sales to communicate in real-time: there were probably several folks physically taking via the voice option, but I didn't partake in that (I was at a HS band rehearsal).  There's a good spreadsheet that we all must sign in before 9 or else no one buys a badge for you.  As people are selected, the buyer immediately logs whom they're buying a badge for (there's an "in progress" signal that shows which group member is getting a badge purchased for them live), then when the process of buying the badge is complete the buyer logs whom they bought badges for.  It's obviously the 'honor system' when it comes to paying up, but I don't think there've been any problems.  If someone screws someone over, the badge is canceled, the person is kicked out of the group (it's a FOCC group so I assume they'd be black-listed from all groups here) and probably shunned pretty hard-corps.  There are relatively a lot of group members so I suspect the black-listing would run deep.

For me personally, I had multiple screens open as well as the spread sheet, so I saw my blue spinning wheel on Epic's waiting room page as well as the constant "flickering" of action on the group's spreadsheet.  Before all badges sold-out everyone in our group this year got at least a Day's badge, with most getting multiple days IIRC.  My codes never hit, but someone in the group got me 4-Days.  Last year my codes didn't hit but someone bought me 4-Days w/PN.  The first year I participated I got my own badge and was able to help someone else get 4-Day w/PN.  Last year, even though I live in SD, I jumped into the Hotel fun to try to help the group, got a great hotel, and was able to help a group member with that.  In turn, several people were able to help me get Group 1 parking.

Of course, the helping each other out is only part of the Group benefits.  Our group did a pre-Con Disneyland trip the days before PN this past summer and we had a blast together!  There were plenty of after-hours hangs as well (that I missed out on mostly because 1) I have my 17 year old with me most days/nights of SDCCI and 2) I always feel so exhausted - I'm hoping to participate more with the group in 2020).  The person that was able to buy me a badge this year is a real great gal that I've done a line-shift with in year's past and the fact that I feel relatively close to her makes it all the more rewarding, I think.

This will be my Fourth Comic-Con with the group, and each year I've gotten to know more and more people and it has really changed my enjoying myself even more.  2020 will be my 21st SD Comic-Con, and I was kind of in a funk where I really wondered if it was worth the $$ for my family and I to go if it meant spending literally 2/4 days either in a line or in Hall H.  Not only has being in a group changed that significantly (again, I think shift-wise I was only in line maybe 4 hours last year, though I helped a few people cover parts of their shift at times), but I've gotten to know a ton of great people from all over the world via the Group.

Sorry for the rambling.  I've seen the fruits of the Group-mentality many times over: from helping with lines, to helping with badge-buying, helping w/exclusives, helping with signings, to just having people to hang out with and chat throughout the Con. 

Offline dcole

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Re: SDCC 2020 Returning Registration
« Reply #202 on: October 14, 2019, 05:05:28 PM »
[member=380]perc2100[/member] thank you, that was a great explanation! So I’m assuming it’s built into the spreadsheet’s algorithm who a person is to buy for once their code hits? Or is it just “buy for the next two ahead of you who still need tickets”? In any case I can definitely see the benefit in working with a large group. Hopefully some spaces open up next year. And if I get lucky and get a four day ticket during open reg AND get a downtown hotel, I will definitely look into joining a line group, as well!

Offline RighteousRita

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Re: SDCC 2020 Returning Registration
« Reply #203 on: October 14, 2019, 05:49:29 PM »
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I never been in a buying group because of trust issues.. How do I count on strangers i met on the internet to reimburse me after i purchase 500 bucks worth of tickets for them? But that's just me..hehe..Hence i understand the restrictive nature of trying to join a group.
We all have trust issues. But if you want a better chance at a common goal, then you need to trust someone. And so far, the trust has helped out a lot of members.

Offline RighteousRita

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Re: SDCC 2020 Returning Registration
« Reply #204 on: October 14, 2019, 05:57:05 PM »
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That is true but if joining a group increases the odds for people in the group vice versa..it will decrease the odds for everyone else.. I am not saying being in group is good or bad...just like to analyst random stuff....by the way.. I was able to get all four days just by myself and my wife.
well, that’s good that you happened to get in. But you may not be so lucky next time. A group helps better your odds even with one badge during return where you have a second opportunity to get what’s missing.

Offline Transmute Jun

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Re: SDCC 2020 Returning Registration
« Reply #205 on: October 14, 2019, 05:59:49 PM »
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[member=380]perc2100[/member] thank you, that was a great explanation! So I’m assuming it’s built into the spreadsheet’s algorithm who a person is to buy for once their code hits? Or is it just “buy for the next two ahead of you who still need tickets”? In any case I can definitely see the benefit in working with a large group. Hopefully some spaces open up next year. And if I get lucky and get a four day ticket during open reg AND get a downtown hotel, I will definitely look into joining a line group, as well!

The likely reason that you've never gotten a 'straight' answer on this is that every group does it differently. The process of 'for whom to buy' is left entirely up to the group leader. Some groups don't have an order: you just buy for anyone who is on the list who doesn't already have a badge, your choice. Other groups have an order based on past buying history, in order of signing up, random determination, or other methods. However the one constant is that the order is not constant, because obviously that would be unfair to the people at the bottom. It is up to the group leaders to determine how the order is determined in their individual groups, and how often it shakes up.

Regarding trust issues, the FoCC groups do keep track of those who violate trust and it is not tolerated in any way. Those people find themselves shut out of all FoCC groups and exchanges, not just the badge-buying groups.

Offline dcole

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Re: SDCC 2020 Returning Registration
« Reply #206 on: October 14, 2019, 06:15:21 PM »
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The likely reason that you've never gotten a 'straight' answer on this is that every group does it differently. The process of 'for whom to buy' is left entirely up to the group leader. Some groups don't have an order: you just buy for anyone who is on the list who doesn't already have a badge, your choice. Other groups have an order based on past buying history, in order of signing up, random determination, or other methods. However the one constant is that the order is not constant, because obviously that would be unfair to the people at the bottom. It is up to the group leaders to determine how the order is determined in their individual groups, and how often it shakes up.

Regarding trust issues, the FoCC groups do keep track of those who violate trust and it is not tolerated in any way. Those people find themselves shut out of all FoCC groups and exchanges, not just the badge-buying groups.
Interesting. Thank you for your insight. Based on what you’ve said it seems that the group leader’s methodology could have a real impact on the success of all group members getting tickets. And I believe I have seen groups allude to the newest members being placed on “the bottom” - i.e. have their tickets purchased last.

Offline hikanteki

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Re: SDCC 2020 Returning Registration
« Reply #207 on: October 14, 2019, 06:49:16 PM »
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I never been in a buying group because of trust issues.. How do I count on strangers i met on the internet to reimburse me after i purchase 500 bucks worth of tickets for them? But that's just me..hehe..Hence i understand the restrictive nature of trying to join a group.

If they don't pay, then you can cancel theirs.
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Offline accelerate

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Re: SDCC 2020 Returning Registration
« Reply #208 on: October 14, 2019, 07:11:02 PM »
Piggybacking on the questions of groups, I assume most groups have accommodations for buying for pairs or even triplets of members? For example, a married couple who wouldn't go to SDCC without the other, so they either both get a badge or neither do.

Offline dcole

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Re: SDCC 2020 Returning Registration
« Reply #209 on: October 14, 2019, 07:16:42 PM »
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Piggybacking on the questions of groups, I assume most groups have accommodations for buying for pairs or even triplets of members? For example, a married couple who wouldn't go to SDCC without the other, so they either both get a badge or neither do.
Good question. Although I usually attend more days than my spouse (we live in SD, so..) I would want us to both get at least one day for returning reg purposes.