NA Fanfest 2018 Debacle

[Zohnax]

So, while a portion of the community may have gotten their tickets successfully by sheer luck, it's highly suspect how fast the tickets sold out in comparison to previous years.

Oh, it probably has something to do with
this as evidenced by this and further corroborated by posts like this.

• Let's start from the beginning of problems with this ordeal. Some players subscribed during the prerequisite time frame did not receive their access codes to buy tickets automatically and had to contact Square Enix Support in order to get one. But here's an interesting bit: the codes had no relevance. Literally, there's a post on Twitter with a screenshot of someone's access code. You can type that code into the ShowClix website and get right into the section to beginning buying tickets to NA Fanfest 2018 and the website does not recognize if a code has been used already.
• Another interesting bit at this point of the process: you could have multiple tabs open and bypass the 4-ticket per purchase limitation somehow. Seriously? So instead of the process being something sensible like verifying limitations based off of a credit/debit card, as you can see in one of the links above, where one person has $1574 in tickets in their checkout cart. Ball parking tax and being generous, that's at least nine tickets for one purchase right there.
• As if that wasn't bad enough, due to the high volume of requests to access the page, a lot likely contributed by constant refreshing, a Virtual Queue was instilled that restricted purchases. Sounds reasonable, right? However, reports have popped up that once you got through the queue to the purchase site, the URL could be copied and the Virtual Queue bypassed. So while players were legitimately waiting in a process they felt was reasonable, scalpers exploited faults in ShowClix's purchase website.
• "But the Fanfest website says tickets aren't resellable."
  Apparently, the ticket information can be edited to reflect new owners or as others on Twitter have stated, you could just hand your badge to another person at the event and won't be checked once you are inside the event.

I'd like to point out the irony in a company that's so adamant about being against reselling housing in-game that they enable a similar environment in real world terms.
While people won't be keen to the idea, SE should have ShowClix rebuke all Fanfest ticket purchases and resell tickets in a more secure form. The flame of outrage is lighting up reddit and smoldering on Twitter. It's only a matter of time before the gaming media gives Square Enix the bad press and reputation they deserve for such a severe oversight.
The community eagerly awaits a response on this matter.

[Patt]

Seconding this! It's very odd, especially in comparison to prior fan fests, that the tickets sold out so quickly in a legitimate manner. I know myself (and several others) were in queue from the exact second that sales opened (12PM PDT) and patiently waited in queue were met with a "Sold Out" message upon reaching the ticketing page.

It's really heartbreaking for those of us who already booked hotel rooms through the SE Rio partnership that went live weeks ago; now we're left with hotel reservations for an event we can't attend.

I really hope SE does something about this as it is heartbreaking and frustrating.

[Akira]

if this is the case i hope they do get what they deserve or re-do the whole porcess again to make up for it

[Catwho]

Anyone who purchased tickets should be asked to provide their unique code sent to them in email to verify the purchase. Legit players who purchased their 4 get to keep their tix up to four max, but bots who didn't get a code, or who used the same code multiple times, would be forcibly refunded and their tickets cancelled, then the tickets go back into the general queue for next time.

If the same CC was used to purchase more than four tickets, cancel all but four.

Anyone offering to sell tickets for more than the price of $149.99 (+whatever the fees were) should have all their tickets cancelled too. I don't mind folks selling their extras, but scalping must be stopped brutally.

[KodaDax]

There needs to be a proper response to what has happened by SE. Those who were ready at the very top of the hour to buy the tickets weren't able to.

I completely agree with Zohnax that accountability needs to be made for what has happened by ShowClix/SquareEnix, and proper resolution to this problem to where the legit "Fans" are able to actually go to "Fan"fest.

Blows my mind that proper steps weren't taken to prevent some really basic ways to cheat the system.

[dark494]

You can see the angry responses on their twitter
https://twitter.com/FF_XIV_EN/status...71625432125440

Reddit's also revolting
https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...as_to_why_the/

Press is starting to write about it
https://www.runaroundnet.com/2018/07...v-players.html

More of the same confirmations about this debacle

[dark494]

https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...y_the/e25pyuy/

Thank you for contacting SQUARE ENIX support, We apologize for the delay in our response. We are aware of the complaints being made in reference to the Fan Fest tickets presale, and we are investigating the matter. At this time, we can only recommend that you visit the official FINAL FANTASY XIV Lodestone web site for any news regarding the FINAL FANTASY XIV Fan Festival 2018 in Las Vegas. We also recommend that you visit the official FINAL FANTASY XIV Twitter page for all the latest announcements related to FINAL FANTASY XIV. - FINAL FANTASY XIV Lodestone: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/ - FINAL FANTASY XIV Official Twitter: @FF_XIV_EN

Long shot I guess

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

I hope so...

I was really hoping to make it to all of the XIV Fanfests. I don't even really have any friends going that I know of, I just like going. I had a sad when I didn't get tickets even after getting in the queue immediately. Hadn't even made it through before they were listed as sold out.

[Noahlimits]

While people won't be keen to the idea, SE should have ShowClix rebuke all Fanfest ticket purchases and resell tickets in a more secure form.

That's the worst idea I've ever heard. Punish those who took time off of work / school / whatever and legitimately got their tickets? Nope.

You're thinking too small. Around 4pm Showclix already locked all names on badges (previous fan fest you could edit up until the event). This already will prevent most scalpers from selling badges. To fix the issue, all they need to do is state that IDs will now be required to pick up every badge and they will allow full refunds on any tickets purchased for 48 hours. Scalpers will have no choice but to refund all their tickets or risk having useless badges they can't claim. SE can then resell those badges.

Suggesting you punish the innocent just because you didn't get a badge is lazy.

[Nandalowell]

allow full refunds on any tickets purchased for 48 hours

This is something I really want to see. I got a ticket but can't go now because I'm not spending $1,000+ to go clear across the country totally alone. Had a group lined up, had a room we were splitting, etc.. All that wasted because no one else could get a ticket despite us all being on the purchase page at the same time.