Pages

Thursday 17 March 2011

London 2012 Olympics - How to Apply For Tickets

only use official ticket suppliers, you have been warned
From Tues 15 Mar until 11:59pm on 26 April 2011 the applications for over seven million Olympic 2012 tickets are open. If you’re planning to apply there’s a few things you should be aware of to avoid problems: 

Where to apply

In the UK the only way to buy tickets is through the official London 2012 site, via a paper application from any Lloyds TSB branch (or public library in Northern Ireland) or via one of the official hospitality providers (Thomas Cook, Prestige Ticketing Ltd and Jet Set Sports).

Tickets from anywhere else are not authorised and are likely to be fake so don’t shop there!

It’s expected scam websites will be set up to try and part you with your cash but if at all unsure use the London 2012 url checker to see if someone is a genuine ticket seller and report it to London 2012 if you think it's a fake.

Plus see the 25 Ways to Stop Scams for more scam beating tips.

The process is different if you’re buying from outside the UK, but you must go via your National Olympic Committee, or their authorised retailer (see Ticket Eligibility for more info).

When to apply

There is no advantage to submitting your application on the first or the last day, they are not allocated on a first come first served basis, so plan your application carefully.

It's expected the site will be busy in the first few days so don't be afraid to come back later rather than look for alternative sites that may not be genuine.

See the full schedule of events and prices before applying.

What do they cost

Ticket prices start at £20 and go up to several £100s for the main events and £2,000 for the opening ceremony.

There are also some special prices available for young people (those aged 16 and under, on 27 July 2012, will pay their age for a ticket) and seniors (those aged 60 and over, on 27 July 2012, will pay £16).

If you can’t afford tickets, there are some free events such as the marathon, race walk and road cycling.

What happens next

All your applications will be put into a ballot if the event is oversubscribed and chosen at random. This could mean you get all of the tickets you’ve applied for, in which case you need to pay for them all, or none.

How to pay

When it’s been decided which tickets you’ve been allocated payment will be taken between Tuesday 10 May 2011 and Friday 10 June 2011, so when you apply online ensure your payment card is valid beyond that date.

The only ways to pay are:

Online - Via a Visa card (debit, credit, prepaid or virtual cards - where you don’t actually receive a physical plastic card but you're provided with the details to be able to shop online), as Visa's a sponser of the games.

Paper applications - via cheques or postal orders made payable to London 2012.

What if you can’t afford all the tickets

Don’t apply for too many tickets as you may be given them all and payment taken in one swoop. The only way to get rid of tickets afterwards is via London 2012, it’s illegal to sell them in any other way.

The resale process won’t open until the end of 2011 so you could be stuck with them for a while.

No comments:

Post a Comment