Tickets: Why Won't They Scan Barcodes from a Mobile Device?

I love the pre-printed "hard" tickets, too. I don't want to do away with them at all. This year's STH Opening Game ticket is awesome!
Ticket barcode scanning from device doesn't have to be a mutually exclusive option, just another option to give users flexibility.

Recapping:

1. Possible reasons Staples Center doesn't scan from device:
   * Their scan hardware can't. SOLUTION: Get better hardware, yo!
   * Personnel aren't aware it's possible. SOLUTION: Train them better.
   * Personnel have been directed not to for questionable reasons including security or expediency. SOLUTION: Come up with a 21st century policy that reflects the reality of security issues and user experience. In other words, there's no good reason - make it happen.
2. Reasons a person would want to scan from device:
   * Forgot hard ticket.
   * Wasn't able to print ticket.
   * Doesn't want to print ticket to conserve resources.

Although I love keeping the hard tickets, I've been considering using none of my hard tickets, and keeping my ticket book intact (possibly getting it autographed).

As for having the barcode scanned from my phone at Staples Center, like the OP, I tried it once and was rebuffed.

I've had mixed results at other places, even with their own apps. Examples:

* Delta Airlines - Never been a problem.
* Walgreens - Never a problem, although more than one cashier has told me the iPhones have been the best, but they sometimes have problems with other phones.
* Arclight - Have given up on scanning and taken to just backing out and reading the ticket info on the phone.
* CVS - Worked fine for years, then just stopped working recently.

NFC may eventually be the way to go.

I saw a guy at game 6 with his entire ticket book. He had a big grin on his face. I've considered it this year, just printing out the tickets to keep it intact.

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Originally Posted by TooCool

I have a feeling that if they put barcodes or make a card or whatever, they'll stop sending hard tickets completely. Sometimes it feels like technology can ruin things.

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as someone who likes to collect things myself, i get your point. but if the box office didn't have to exist in the way that it does, wouldn't the savings be passed on to us? let's say we got rid of all but two box office employees--one grunt and one manager--and put automated ticket machines in their place. the ticket machine would take your credit card, and email the ticket to you, and you could open that ticket on your smart phone. not paying those extra 5-6 box office reps the 30K per year saves AEG 150K. Now expand that to 50% of all tickets used to get into staples (say 10% of fans are STH's, the remaining 40% used to buy paper tickets and print them, but now they just have it emailed directly to their phone). once half or more of all tickets are going digital, you're halfway on the way to making it all digital. you save money and time because AEG does. i admit i love not having to deal with grocery store clerks with the self-checkout, bank douchebags with photo-checks and atm's, and anything else automated. eventually even the ticket-takers after the security arch will be replaced with turn-styles which read your bar code from your phone and then let one person through, just like the subway or train station.

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Originally Posted by Cup4TheKings

wouldn't the savings be passed on to us?

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Nope.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cup4TheKings

wouldn't the savings be passed on to us?

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Not a chance, that's just a chance at raising the ROI screaming to be made, but something you probably wont see happen for a long time.

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Originally Posted by jt

Yeah, me too, I'll keep that STH ticket of game 6 forever...a scan's not so good for that. But being a collector I'd rather keep the hard ticket in nice condition at home than have to take it to the game and crease it in my pocket.

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Good point, but you could get one of those ticket holders with the lanyards. Though I guess those are kind of, uh, retarded.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Atticus

Good point, but you could get one of those ticket holders with the lanyards. Though I guess those are kind of, uh, retarded.

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There's one in every crowd...

:friends:

I asked my ticket taker last night if he could scan my phone he told me they are under direct orders not to do it.

nevermind.