You only have 10 minutes to buy a ticket on the SISTIC website.
Did you know this?
As in, you only have 10 minutes from the moment the computer system allocates you a seat till the moment your entire purchase process is completed.
Which means that if you don’t complete your order process within 10 minutes (that includes keying in your credit card number, your address, your mode of ticket collection, checking to make sure all your purchase details are correct, etc), the tickets which you have been allocated 10 minutes ago will be automatically freed up again…and you have to go through the entire process from square one once again.
I only recently knew about this when I tried to buy some tickets to a number of shows on the SISTIC website and I crossed the 10 minute mark.
Which meant that whatever I did in the last 10 minutes (that included painstakingly choosing tickets for 3 different shows, keying in my credit card details and such, and checking to make sure I didn’t get the dates wrong) was rendered completely void.
How frustrating is that?
I mean, sometimes you want to buy tickets to say 5 different shows, and you obviously need some time to decide on what you want, not to mention spending time navigating through the SISTIC website. And to expect someone to do it all under 10 minutes is kinda stretching it.
Especially when what you’re purchasing could be worth hundreds of dollars. You naturally want to take your time and be really careful about such things.
I completely understand the need for the “10-minute rule”: It discourages people from hogging the good seats by trying to “chope” as many seats as they can without actually buying them. Yes, knowing the kiasu nature of Singaporeans, I can completely understand how such situations might frequently arise…and hence the “10-minute rule”, which is actually quite an effective way to combat that scenario.
But what I’m wondering is: Is there a better solution than the “10-minute rule”? A solution whereby a genuine buyer of tickets doesn’t have to rush to complete the entire purchase process in under 10 minutes?
Is there a better way to design the system?
I’m cracking my brains but I can’t think of a better solution yet.
that’s why i always buy my tickets at sistic outlets itself …
plus also coz i no credit card… haha
How about buying each ticket to each show ONE by ONE?
Though it sux to hafta key in the credit card repeatedly.
What to do.
Estique: True, true. But I’m lazy…like to buy tickets from my own computer, haha!
B: Yup I thought of that, but yeah as you said…it’s a bit troublesome. Especially if someone wants to buy 5 different shows at one go.
i guess it’s to ensure that available seats are displayed to other people at the site. if the allowed time was for 30 mins, people might think a show is ‘sold out’ while in actual fact other people are simply holding on to it while deciding whether to input their card details or not. may cause a big headache for sistic for popular shows!
Actually, usually if the allocated seats are not taken, the system sort of recognises your IP address and generates the same seats again.
Maybe you can give feedback that 15 minutes is better.
seriously… just go to sistic outlet and purchase…u can choose ur seats too! haha