Thousands of fans who bought tickets for next year's Rugby World Cup had their transactions knocked back after problems with their credit cards.
Rugby New Zealand 2011 yesterday confirmed fans numbering "in the low thousands" were affected but assured them that their tickets would not be cancelled.
The Rugby World Cup Facebook page was alive this week with fans worried they had missed out in the phase one ballot allocation.
Some said they had received an email confirming they were successful but that there was a problem with their credit cards. They tried to contact the call centre but said they could not get through.
Rugby New Zealand 2011 spokesman Mike Jaspers said about 50,000 people applied for 600,000 seats in the phase one ballot. About 40,000 of the applicants got tickets.
Fewer than 10% of them had credit card issues. They numbered in the "low thousands" but their calls had put new pressure on the call centre system, Mr Jaspers confirmed.
The ticketing system was not to blame. Incorrect credit card details, issues with expiry dates, and insufficient credit limits were among the problems identified.
Mr Jaspers assured fans their tickets had been set aside and urged anyone with lingering concerns to call the ticket call centre. Call volumes had dropped by yesterday afternoon.
Letters confirming the success of applicants in the ballot were sent out yesterday.
