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Olympics

CoSport Apologizes For Ticket Issues Including Long Lines, Lost And Misplaced Tickets

CoSport, the biggest overseas agency for Olympic tickets, has “apologised after people were forced to queue for more than six hours to collect their allocations, but said it could do nothing to help some of those whose seats are scattered around stadiums,” according to Peter Walker of the GUARDIAN. Lines yesterday were “still significant, with some buyers reporting wait times of around two hours.” CoSport apologized to "those forced to wait and could 'understand their frustration.'” CoSport in a statement said, “We understand that people want to collect their tickets as early as possible but in an email to customers sent out more than a week ago we encouraged them to avoid peak periods, particularly yesterday (Monday), where possible.” The statement continued, “Within the allocation of tickets that we received, we strive to seat people together. Unfortunately this is not always possible” (GUARDIAN, 7/25). CoSport sister company and USOC sponsor Jet Set Sports continued to deal with long lines at its ticket will-call distribution center yesterday, but the hour-and-a-half wait was far more manageable than the reported six hour delays on Monday. Matthew Martin, a resident of Macon, Ga., said, “There were a lot of people looking for someone to blame. No one really answered that. Do we blame (Jet Set)? Do we blame the organizing committee? It’s really frustrating.” Jet Set spokesperson Michael Kontos said the company increased its staff at the distribution center to improve service yesterday. Kontos: "The wait lines were down considerably. The processing times were down considerably. As the day progresses, things will continue to improve.” Kontos said Jet Set had never experienced lines at previous Olympics like the ones it saw at will call this week (Tripp Mickle, SportsBusiness Journal). The long lines were the “latest headache for CoSport,” which struggled to handle calls from customers, some of whom had not received their tickets (N.Y. TIMES, 7/25).

NOT A GOOD LOOK: In London, Charles Sale wrote it will “cause embarrassment” to LOCOG that Commercial Dir Chris Townsend has “enjoyed lavish hospitality from the company at the centre of the latest Olympic ticketing shambles.” Townsend “took up the offer to attend the British Grand Prix at Silverstone" with Jet Set Sports, which is the offiicial hospitality supplier to LOCOG. It is “understood there has been talk within LOCOG about how ill-advised Townsend was to accept any perceived favours when CoSport are such high-profile clients as the authorised ticket resellers for the United States, Canada, Australia, Norway and Sweden” (DAILYMAIL.co.uk, 7/24).

REFUNDS OFFERED FOR DIVING TICKETS: The GUARDIAN's Robert Booth reports LOCOG is offering refunds "on up to 4,800 tickets" for the diving competition after it was discovered the design of the Olympic Aquatic Centre "means divers jump out of view." LOCOG will repay fans with tickets in 600 seats for all eight sessions "of the high board event." The organizing committee "did not tell ticketholders in the [US$46-77] seats that they had an obscured view" when tickets were sold. LOCOG is emailing the seat holders today "offering three options: a refund now; a refund on the day if they decide to leave the event because of diminished enjoyment; or a refund even if they stay for the whole session" (GUARDIAN.co.uk, 7/25).

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