Club Arnage

The Wait[/u][/b] has come and gone for quite a few of us, the ACO-invoice fell on the doormat. But as I opened up the letter I could read that we did not get the 10 Maison Blanche cards we hoped for, but we're re-allocated to Accueil Bleu Nord and are on the waiting list for Maison Blanche. This means the hunt for MB-tickets starts all over again.

But what to do with the invoice? After all, we are on the waiting list for Maison Blanche. What are the chances we will get MB-tickets anyway? If I don't buy these tickets, will I still be on the waiting list for MB?

Can anybody enlighten me about the way the ACO operates?

Last time this happened to me I phoned the ACO. They said I didn't have to pay immediately as I hadn't been allocated what I'd ordered. I ended up paying on PQ day, which was then in May.
No idea what their current policy is, but it would be worth ringing them.

There is no way to presume the inner workings of the ACO. My only advice is book early and keep calling them. The best thing is to pop into the ACO building on the Monday after the race and put in your request by hand, then keep calling them on a monthly basis. Be nice, be polite but don't take no for an answer. Make sure you call the members booking number. You get preference if you join the ACO.

Just keep mailing them and make sure they know who we are ;)

Maybe that's the problem !  ;D ;D

Seriously, I wonder if this is about trying to keep groups off of MB??   Is there any logic to who has received what??

I'm still waiting,  I ordered three MB passes in July - I'm guessing the answer is going to be "no" as I've not heard anything yet....

Oh bum

Got my usual allocation...so there doesn't appear to be a policy

And if the Brethren got their allocation it certainly rules out the "no group" policy.

But the Brethren have switched from KN where presumably there was no mass camp problem. It seems weird that people who camped in the same area last year have been wait listed.

Did anyone who's not got their allocation book GA tickets as well?

 (You get preference if you join the ACO.)

Oh no you dont!!!!!!!!!!

Not us - same allocation as last year, not wait listed.

Thanks for all the answers! (http://dfh.vandijkonline.net/images/smiles/icon_thumbsup.gif)

I have joined the ACO back in June, that didn't really help. I have put my request in by hand a few days prior to the race, that didn't help. I will have to call them again tomorrow, as my reduction for being a member is not on the invoice. And yes, I will remain friendly :-\
What's the members booking number?

I will let you know what they will say tomorrow :)

I was talking about people in the same geographical location on MB, not you aloof weirdos on HA  ;)

It's a local campsite for local people  ::)

OK, the suspense is over for us - Accueil Blue Nord for us too  ::) ::)   

Paddy have you managed to speak to the ACO about what you do with your invoice? 

I'd like to pay for the Bleu tickets so I've at least got something but to remain waitlisted for MB but I'm not sure if that's allowed?   ???

Don't forget Paddy didn't get his tickets from the ACO last year! I'm not sure whether Robbo got his directly or not either.

We will probably also pay for the blue tickets and still try to get MB tickets trough the ACO, but we are also trying to figure out if people have spare tickets we can buy for MB. If everything goes down the shits we will still have our blue allocation, so the party will just move across the road.

I had this problem last year, I booked the Beausejour passes I was originally allocated & paid for them on my credit card.

A couple of months later I noticed I had a slight refund on my statement from the ACO, turns out there was some spare tickets for Houx Annex so I got them instead (odd how the HA passes are cheaper!!)

Keep your fingers crossed & alter the form so you have the absolute minimum number of tickets you need on the waiting list, you might get lucky!! :)

That's a good idea, I now don't need the three that I've ordered and I'd rather have one than none so I might go for just the one. 

I'm just sending my request back and I'm planning to offload one of the Camping Bleu tickets as I don't need it (and don't want the Camping Bleu one's I'm keeping either  ::).

If anyone wants me to keep the allocation and wants to buy it from me (45 Euro's) then please let me know ASAP otherwise I'm gonna change the allocation within the next 24 hours.

Ditto. They said only Beausejour & Accueil Bleu Nord are left.

Can anyone say where Bleu Nord actually *is*? The Camping Bleu I've stayed at before is just across the main road past Maison Blanche, opposite the field where they built the Berlin Wall mk II a couple of years ago. Is that Bleu Sud? If so, I guess Bleu Nord is on the right hand side of the access road into Parking/Camping Bleu, and nearer the airstrip?

cheers
Ewan

Correct

Has anyone been allocated Bleu Sud?  I had thought that the area on the right of the access road (driving away from the track) was the parking area but you could camp with an extra payment, and that camping Nord was the 2nd larger field, where I stayed in 2004.

The cost has also increased to 45 euros - does that mean showers?

I'm happy with what I've now got (2 from ACO and now the third from Piglet), as we arrive late Thursday and would probably find the other sites too full to be able to accomodate 3 cars together easily.

I usually book direct with the ACo and have for years.

This year i am 13th on the wait list, but have secured a few tickets for my group, just after a few more.

If i now get the tickets I wanted i shall be offering them to the regualrs on this site, non of this e-bay thing.

Gos knows what would have happened had i never started the t-shirt printing ??

Anyway, off to bed with a potential hag over.

 Hi Robbo,
                Did the hag stay for breakfast ??? ;D
Canada Phil

Well spotted Phil, and the title of the thread makes it even funnier.

Any chance of a spellcheck with revisions?

13th on the list? How did you find that out? ???

How wonderful to see that the inner workings of the ACO remain a complete and utter mystery to all ....  ;D ;D ;D

Aha, found out. Maybe just read the ACO invoice more carefully (http://dfh.vandijkonline.net/images/smiles/icon_nocheer.gif)
We're 10th on that same list.

Nope still can't see it on my invoice  ???

Maybe they only show it for the top twenty or something - perhaps it would be too depressing to know that I'm number 731 on the waitlist!!!  ::)

But 10th isn't too bad Paddy??  If you doooo get tickets and you have one you don't need - I'd be very grateful for one  ;D

I'll keep that in mind, Piglet! (http://dfh.vandijkonline.net/images/smiles/icon_thumbsup.gif)

Cheers  ;D

Got confirmation letter of payment today. Still on wait list number 10, unfortunately :(

(or maybe I'm being too inpatient here :-\)

It'll be interesting to see whether you get any Paddy - i wonder whether they do get any people who don't take up their allocation? 

Fingers crossed that you do - have you managed to source enough to get by on so far? 

Paddy, I expect to have 3, maybe 4 MB camping tickets spare, bought through Just Tickets. You can have first refusal on these as you are important to our 'show'

Mal