Is anyone having trouble getting through to the steam packet i just can't get through.

Yes mate got to the payment page twice and it crashed. Carnt get through on the phones at all

The phones have stoped working now

not been this bad for 3-4 years IMHO

(20-05-2019, 10:36 AM)harveymushman Wrote: not been this bad for 3-4 years IMHO

Yes same here, been on the phone since 08:30 on the dot. "The number you have called has not been recognised". e-booking appears to have crashed also, same since 08:30.
Technology advancement - typical, or is it the Russkis/Chinese.

Iv just had a email confirmation of booking. I crashed when I put my payment details in so thought it hadn't gone through. But it must off.

Last year i thought was better i am getting

Other person hung up
network busy
BT phone line announcement
busy tone
not recognised


haha -they sell out rolling stones in 10 minutes ??? this will be all day LOL

It's an absolute joke every year, I have to take the day off to go through this, there should be some priority for people who marshal.

Wahey, got through on the internet.

I’ve just got off the phone after booking thank god.
Constant redial since 0830, I got through once only for my house phone battery to die on me!!
The lady on the other end said the system had crashed earlier, keep at it as I got through again fairly quickly after the battery issue.
Every year I say to myself I’m not going to bother anymore due to this booking nonsense but that’s all forgotten now!!
Madness!

It seems to get worse every year. The year before last, I spat my dummy and said I am not going after trying to get through on the home phone,my mobile, and trying on line for 3 hrs. After a couple of minutes to calm down, I rode over to the Pier Head Liverpool, joined the queue for 15 min, and was sorted out straight away.
Last year, I did not bother to try and phone, just went straight to the Pier Head, but it took about 1 hr to get to the desk.
This morning was nearly another disaster. I got there just after 9.00am, to find everyone moaning. Some had been there since 7.30am and travelled a fair distance, but nothing was happening. Staff said the system was down, and there was nothing they could do. Whilst in the queue, I tried to go on line, but was shown a system busy. People behind me in the queue were getting through and getting there booking. The line started to move about 10.30am, I finally got through on line when there was about four people in front of me.

(20-05-2019, 01:07 PM)c iom tt Wrote: It seems to get worse every year. The year before last, I spat my dummy and said I am not going after trying to get through on the home phone,my mobile, and trying on line for 3 hrs.  After a couple of minutes to calm down, I rode over to the Pier Head Liverpool, joined the queue for 15 min, and was sorted out straight away.
Last year, I did not bother to try and phone, just went straight to the Pier Head, but it took about 1 hr to get to the desk.
This morning was nearly another disaster. I got there just after 9.00am, to find everyone moaning. Some had been there since 7.30am and travelled a fair distance, but nothing was happening. Staff said the system was down, and there was nothing they could do. Whilst in the queue, I tried to go on line, but was shown a system busy. People behind me in the queue were getting through and getting there booking. The line started to move about 10.30am, I finally got through on line when there was about four people in front of me.

I'm not going to defend the Packet here however this is a problem with popular events. I spent 11.30 hours in an online queue for sporting tickets on Saturday.

(20-05-2019, 01:12 PM)taxman Wrote: I'm not going to defend the Packet here however this is a problem with popular events. I spent 11.30 hours in an online queue for sporting tickets on Saturday.

The technology exists to create an online queue giving access to the sales section when it's your turn so it doesn't crash with thousands trying to access it all at once. My experience of trying to get on to the Steam Packet website in previous years suggests they don't use such technology.

We're not going next year as it's the lads A levels, so no tearing out of hair this morning. Last year was the worst I've known.

Roll on Saturday when we get on the ferry!

I got to select my sailings online at 08:27 - but it timed out just after!

I retried every couple of minutes & eventually booked the exact sailings I wanted at 09:15

Just waiting for the guy who posts every year that his mate went online at 01:30 and got his booking (I think his mate may be telling porkies!) That said, a couple of years ago bookings were working from midnight - it was a mistake....

Having now nailed the technique of using 5 different phones and keep redialling them all ignoring the lies regarding wrong number, number not it use etc etc messages until till one gets through exercise, I was connected to the Steam Racket queuing system at 08:37.

Listened to the Steam Racket blurb for 1hr and 21mins and then get to speak to the very helpful member of staff who sorted my booking for me and my mates in less than 5 minutes. (With my wait time being declared as anything between 16 minutes and 32 seconds to 5 hours 20mins, finally being connected having just been informed the wait was now 2hours 40 minutes!!!!).

Not ideal but I have had much worse experiences when booking the TT Ferry so I sat back feeling quite smug and then realised the phone which had connected was my girlfreinds. So I said she would need to let me know what it cost and I'd pay as the Steam Racket charges for these calls. (11 pence per minute!!! x 88 minutes would be £9.68).

Then 10 minutes ago I get a text from her showing her on line bill for £48.32

£7.99 for the steam packet (Not bad, somewhat annoying but at least they make it very clear there is a cost).
and £40.33 for EE kindly connecting her phone to a "Non Geographic Number".

So I have just learned a costly lesson.

Hopefully everyone else is aware we aren't ringing the IOM so the number is Non Geographic and may incur a significant cost dependant upon you phone service provider.

Hey Ho - Nearly time to pack the van for this years TT.

(20-05-2019, 10:57 AM)AntG Wrote: It's an absolute joke every year, I have to take the day off to go through this, there should be some priority for people who marshal.

There is!

Oh, how does it work?

From the email I received;


TT 2020 Marshal’s Advance Booking Scheme

Dear Marshal
You have qualified to receive this letter as you have previously signed on and attended at least 5 practice sessions or race days at the Isle of Man TT.
The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company and the IOM TT Marshals' Association have once again agreed to work together to provide this scheme which is designed to allow TT 2020 advance booking for those Marshals who have achieved the necessary minimum requirement.
The idea behind the scheme is to benefit those Marshals that give up their time each year to help make the TT happen. It is hoped that by continuing with this scheme, it will encourage more people to sign up and it will allow IOMTTMA to use it as a selling point when they are out recruiting new Marshals.

Thanks for that I only started marshalling in 2017 and have only done 4 sessions so don't qualify yet.