Croydon businesswoman serves up a winner with Wimbledon queuing plan (From Your Local Guardian)

Croydon businesswoman serves up a winner with Wimbledon queuing plan

11:10am Friday 3rd July 2009

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A young Croydon entrepeneur is pocketing an ace profit with her controversial scheme to sell places in Wimbledon’s famous ticket queue.

In an advertisment on internet listings site Gumtree, student Sabrina Sayed offered to stand in line from 5am as the daily queue forms outside the All England Club – then, minutes before ticket sales begin, swap her place with a tennis fan who can pick up their tickets almost instantly.

She said customers bid for the service in a silent auction the evening before she queues by texting the amount they would be prepared to pay to have a place reserved.

Miss Sayed then contacts the winners, who generally pay about £50.

The 20-year-old, who lives in Croydon but is staying in New Malden during the two-week tournament, said she queued for somebody else once last year but has expanded the operation this summer to make some cash before she goes to university.

Three of her friends now join her to provide the service, which she claims is unique.

She admitted to getting some “dirty looks” from other queuers when she gave away her place but said neither the All England Club or tennis fans had complained or asked her to stop.

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