​Phase 1 tips 2016

Phase 1 email invites have been sent for 2016. Are you missing your email? Who is in Phase 1? How do I sponsor someone? What if I can’t come this year?
 
We will answer some of the questions you have about Phase 1 registration.
 
1. Perks of being on Phase 1
 
1a. Get in quick
 
As a member in 2015 you have the privilege of receiving an invite to the event and a chance to register before anyone else. However that doesn’t guarantee you a ticket and it doesn’t guarantee you a place at the Transport Location you want.
 
We highly recommend you buy your ticket as close to the sale date and time as possible. For Phase 1 this is 15^th September 2016, at 8am.
 
You must buy a ticket before Phase 2 (Sponsors) opens on 22^nd September to guarantee yourself a ticket to the event. It is still possible for you to purchase a ticket after this date, but it become harder. On 29^th September Phase 3 (Waiting List) tickets go on sale, and historically tickets have sold out within a few days of this date. Once tickets are sold out, even if you are on Phase 1, you will unfortunately miss out.
 
It is also important to register quickly to give you a better chance at getting in the Transport Location that you want. This year there is over 1000 people on the Phase 1 list, and so if you aren’t quick you may miss out on the group that you want to be in.
 
1b. Can’t go this year? Want to remain on Phase 1?
 
If you can’t go this year, there is a way to remain on Phase 1. You need to register as absent.
 
When tickets go on sale, click on the link in your invite email and start to register. There is a big tick box that asks if you will be absent. Select this and continue the registration. You will need to pay the yearly membership fee to remain. This will allow you to stay on the Phase 1 list.
 
Unfortunately you cannot send someone in your place instead of you but, as you register as absent you can also sponsor someone which will invite them to become a member and buy their ticket in Phase 2. See below for more information about Sponsoring.
 
2. Missing your Email Invite
 
2a. Checking

If you attended last year as a Member and can't find your email invite firstly check your junk. Our emails seem to very frequently hide in your junk.
 
If it isn’t in your junk, search your email for “Blanc”, this sometimes helps.

2b. Your email address

Double check all of the emails addresses you would have used in the last year. If you've been using an old email address and you can no longer access that email then you will need to contact us and get us to resend you invite to your new email. We prefer you use your personal email, rather than your work email - it's less likely to change.

If you do find your email, please make sure you are logged out when you go to click on the direct link and purchase your ticket.

2c. Were you a member in 2015?
 
"Members" are the attendees who purchased the tickets last year or registered as absent last year, and will still have a log in.
 
If you attended last year, you aren’t necessarily a member; you may have been a member’s guest. “Guests” are the “plus-one” of members. They don’t have a log in and didn’t purchase tickets last year.
 
If you attended as a "guest" last year, you won't receive an invite in Phase 1. It's only "Members" that receive Phase 1 invites. You will need to register on the Waiting List to get an invite in Phase 3.

Alternatively, as a 2015 guest, you could ask the 2015 member you attended with to sponsor you, and you will be invited in Phase 2. If the member isn't attending this year, there is still a way for them to sponsor you (for more information see point 3 below).
 
2d. Member from 2014, 2013 or 2012.
 
If you were a member in 2014, 2013 or 2012, unfortunately your membership has expired, and you do not receive Phase 1 email. You will need to register on the Waiting List (if you aren’t already on the list).
 
However if you registered as absent last year, you should have received a Phase 1 invite.
 
2e. A member from another city 

​If you attended another Diner en Blanc in another city and are a member in that city, your membership is not transferable between cities. Please put your name on our Waiting List! 
 
3. Sponsoring
 
As a Phase 1 member you are able to sponsor someone to become a member in 2016. Please note that your guest from last year is not automatically sponsored.
 
3a. Sponsor when purchasing you ticket
 
When you purchase your ticket there is a box that asks whether you would like to Sponsor. Tick this box and enter in the sponsor’s details.
 
If you don’t have the details of the person you would like to sponsor, you can come back later. It’s more important that you purchase your ticket at this time.
 
3b. Sponsor after purchasing your ticket
 
To sponsor someone after purchasing a ticket, log into the website and go to My Friends>My Friends and enter in their details. You can change this person up until these invites are sent out (by us). Once we have sent these invites out, you cannot withdraw the sponsored person. There is no specific time that these invites are sent out, it is just when we have the time.

4. Technical Logistic Tips
 
We recommend registering on a computer with a Chrome or Firefox browser. Other tablets and smartphone can also work, but the screen resolution does not get automatically resized for these smaller screens. Microsoft Tablets are not supported. We also suggest to clear cookies, empty cache, try a different browser, on a different device. 
 
Tickets are paid for via PayPal. Any PayPal issues are out of our control. Make sure you try to pay using a Chrome or Firefox browser.
 
If a credit card payment is not accepted and the above has been tried, then we suggest to try with a different credit card. After 3 different credit cards PayPal will probably block the user. When a credit card is not accepted we cannot do anything, you will have to contact PayPal (details here) or your credit card company. We have heard from other cities that some specific credit cards may not work with PayPal (system compatibility issues).
 
If you've tried all of the above and still can't find your email invite it's best to email us at [email protected] Missing your email invite? All invites have been sent for 2015. If you are missing yours, it's not because we don't love you. The following may help you figure out what to do.
 
But after trying all of the relevant tasks, if you still don't have your email, please contact us ASAP (via Facebook, or commenting on this news blog).