£2 online booking fee. Views?

[Mr Burns]

I know we are all in happy land at the moment, and nothings going to change that, but I'm interersted to hear peoples views on the booking fee for online purcahses.

Other have asked the Insider, and have not got an answer, or just the will pass on reply, but I asked more directly and got this

No, it has not been removed. There are costs associated with all ticket purchases made online, regardless of whether a paper ticket is issued and/or sent by post - including credit card charges and a royalty payment to the software company for each transaction. Unlike other clubs and events, the club only charge £2 per transaction, not per ticket, and as a result, for multi-ticket purchases the club actually ends up subsidising online purchases.

Now, far play to the club for wanting to generate as much income as they can, but this charge is a bit strong in my opinion.

No postage, so they are saving money there.

Credit card fees apply online or offline. So pointless to use that as a reason other than to pad out an answer.

Can't really comment on the royalty for the software, but would suggest if its that high, then shop around boys!! Surely its linked to the ticket counter software, so would suggest it doesn't make much difference as I would presume they would want a "cut" for using that software as well if that was the case.

Online there are no staff costs unlike in the ticket shop.

So apart from the royalty, what are these costs for taking online bookings, that warrant an extra £2 fee, that wouldn't be charagable for in person bookings. Surely the royalty can't be as high as staff costs, if 15000 of us went down to buy our ticket in person?

I understand it probably costs to set up the ticketing system online (not a lot judging by some problems people have had), but then so does the ticket shop software. Its linked,so basically the same software, expect the nline system doesn't have a dozen staff running it!

Not really a moan, as I will still pay it to get my seat for Liverpool and other cup games, I just don't think its a charge the club should be making for an automated transaction

 

[MORTY]

Don't buy a ticket then.

 

[saltdeanseagull1]

Normally "online" purchasses are cheaper as you have done all the work yourself so seem like a charge for charges sake to me.

 

[clippedgull]

The same applies to the phone number when it went over to an 0845 variation. Cynical exploitation. But this is football, we are here to be relieved of every penny they can get out of us!

All the time we cough up they will squeeze further.

 

[Spiros]

I saw your ATC question with interest as at my ST presentation one of the things Martin Perry harped on about was the smart cards and the fact that as we would just add tickets and pay online there would no longer be any need to charge the £2 fee. I have emailed the club about it but - guess what - no reply.

 

[El Presidente]

I think Mr B has a fair point, credit card companies charge no more than 25p for a transaction, and for debit cards it is far less than that. However, I don't think the club makes a card charge when you buy tix from the club shop (I may be wrong there).

As for the fee to the software comp, no idea, does seem high though. Postage and envelope comes to about 50p I think, so the club is making a bit of dosh. Not as criminal as the likes of Easyjet though!

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

I booked an extra Sunderland ticket over the phone and collected at the club shop the day of the match, I was not charged £2.

I had tried to book it online but as I was already a STH and all the friends and family had already bought one it would not let me, however it was keen to charge me the £2 booking fee.

Bit erartic and inconsistent, however if it pays for Noones bootlaces it money well spent...

 

[Beach Hut]

Do you pay every time you top up your smart card with cash - no

Why should you pay to top it up with a ticket...........

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I booked an extra Sunderland ticket over the phone and collected at the club shop the day of the match, I was not charged £2.

I had tried to book it online but as I was already a STH and all the friends and family had already bought one it would not let me, however it was keen to charge me the £2 booking fee.

Bit erartic and inconsistent, however if it pays for Noones bootlaces it money well spent...

When you book by phone the £2 fee might have to be added with a click on the screen by the person arranging your tickets which might explain why it doesn't get charged occassionally.

 

[Braders]

I think Mr B has a fair point, credit card companies charge no more than 25p for a transaction, and for debit cards it is far less than that. However, I don't think the club makes a card charge when you buy tix from the club shop (I may be wrong there).

you're not wrong

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

When supermarkets stopped accepting cheques about 4 years ago they said it cost roughly 80p to process a cheque whereas a credit card was only 16p and a debt card 11p to handle the transaction.

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

How about they charge 50p every ticket, rather than £2 every transaction. Surely then they would cover all their costs each time rather than losing out on people who purchase multiple tickets at a time

 

[Springal]

One of those things innit, everyone does it! I just paid ticketmaster £2.55 and I even had to print my own ticket...

 

[Thunder Bolt]

How about they charge 50p every ticket, rather than £2 every transaction. Surely then they would cover all their costs each time rather than losing out on people who purchase multiple tickets at a time

I'd agree with that. £2 is too much.

 

[Seasider78]

Whilst I don't agree these things are now fairly common when buying tickets. The most ridiculous has to be ticketmaster where you pay them £2.75 for you to use your own paper and ink to print your own ticket!!!

 

[del strangefish]

£2 for the bus into town to visit the shop or more to phone the 0845 number and be on hold for ages. Makes no difference.

 

[Mr Burns]

I saw your ATC question with interest as at my ST presentation one of the things Martin Perry harped on about was the smart cards and the fact that as we would just add tickets and pay online there would no longer be any need to charge the £2 fee. I have emailed the club about it but - guess what - no reply.

I recall him saying something along those lines as well.

My problem now is, the tone of the answer ask the club gave, was a bit along the lines of "how dare you ask that", and the reasons given, are frankly bullshit. In my work, I know credit/debit, online systems better than most, and to give cerdit card charges as part of the answer is rubbish, as they are the same for the account, and whlie may differ very slightly on and offline, for a business turning over the amount the Albion do, I would say their processing charges are minimal, and if there is a difference, usually online debit/credit card charges are the lower of the two.

So if the club are LOSING money whenever someone make a multipile online transaction as the Insider claims, it would suggest that 40000 Liverpool and Sunderland tickets sold at each £2 charge the club, then whoever negoiated the online ticket system fees, was basically not fit to do the job.

Or more likely, as I believe it to be, there is absolutely no reason the club should still be charging this "fee" to online users, and not personal callers, now that we have the smart card system.

 

[Napper]

Thatchers fault

 

[Beach Hut]

Thatchers fault

 

[Cappers]

Before the season started phoned up and bought travel voucher book for £30, and was charged £2 'booking fee' on that. Can see what software or computer transactions there were by putting the book in the post. Paid by switch.
Cant see how that justified £2 booking fee. Cant remember if you had the option to but the book at the shop or not, but even so, can't see this justifies £2, or am I missing something?