[Albion] Introduction of charges for season ticket cards

[chaileyjem]

People loved the championship. I think you'd get more demand. The premier league has bored people so this kind of debate becomes more relevant to keep people happy.

PS: How much more demand would there really be with Tuesday night fixtures against Coventry, Preston, Rotherham and Blackpool . ?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Interestingly was at a fishing club meeting last night - we’re also going ‘fully’ digital for membership from now on. Enormous time-saving due to easier admin and overall cost to the club doesn’t materially increase (tech cost is offset by no need to buy stationery, post cards out etc). Members can still sign up manually and have a plastic card if they want, but have to pay extra. The club is probably around 50% retired people and with a higher proportion of technophobes than the Albion.

From my experience (done some work in the digitial healthcare space) older folk are a lot more savvy and receptive to technology than people on here would give them credit for.

 

[mikeyjh]

You may not know anyone that is non digital but clearly from this forum many do or are themselves non digital, does that mean they do not exist? I personally know several people that have never had a mobile phone and also some that have had a simple non-smart mobile phone and really struggled here. Shall we cast them off out of society because they can't keep up? If the club is to grow its fan base and be truly community focussed them it need to encompass all of the community and that DOES include 'customers' with no mobile phone etc.

This - To penalise people for not owning or using a smart phone is unfair & pernicious. I have a voluntary role trying to help people with tech, getting them online etc and see quite how many people, for their own reasons, are unable to, afraid to, incapable of using modern tech. I am helping one lady at the moment who was scammed a year or so ago on the anniversary of her husbands death, while she was once a confident user, she is now petrified of all online tech and we face a long road trying to get that confidence back. I have another whose husband did all the IT stuff but now has Alzheimers, she does not know where to start. These people are just the tip of the iceberg, those who have been referred to us by local authorities, charities and other agencies, there are many more out there.. The exclusion and marginalisation of these people is scandalous.

FWIW, this isn't a pop at Brighton in particular, plenty of organisations are doing it, but I am surprised that this club are not more inclusive.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

if only we could go back to cash at the turnstiles, how life was so much simpler back then.

Whilst I appreciate the concerns aired on this thread, I personally think that the new digital age is a lot easier. Having my 'money', tickets and passes on my phone is a lot easier and safer than carrying a wallet around. I have my physical cards at home so if I lose my phone I have back up. And conversly I had my wallet stolen the other week and was able to cancel my cards quickly via the bank apps. Within a few hours the cards stored on on my phone were automatically updated to the new ones and I was able to use them again.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

This seems as good a place as any to ask a quick question...

My work have just posted me a new phone (that I didn't realise I needed, but apparently I do, and looks exactly the same as my current one. iphone7 to iphone SE)

I have my tickets in the apple wallet on the existing phone.

How painless / painful is it going to be to recover them to the new phone once I move across to that?

 

[dsr-burnley]

I wish people just get on board with. There’s really nothing to see here. It’s 2022, not 1922. Digital passes reduce costs, gives greater control, visibility…data is valuable etc.

If you’re unable to accommodate (again, in 2022) then regardless of your age or list of reasons why you can’t, then I can only wonder at how you exist in todays digital world. Besides, club have kept an analogue solution. It just costs £20 because hardly anyone needs anymore.

Time to get on the bus people. It’s only going one way.

Yes, old age and dementia is a problem, isn't it.

My mother can't work a phone, she no longer has the mental capacity to learn to use a phone,.but she can manage perfectly well with technology she is used to such as cash, credit card, bus and rail plastic cards. Other than shuffling her off into oblivion, what solutions do you have?

 

[chaileyjem]

This seems as good a place as any to ask a quick question...

My work have just posted me a new phone (that I didn't realise I needed, but apparently I do, and looks exactly the same as my current one. iphone7 to iphone SE)

I have my tickets in the apple wallet on the existing phone.

How painless / painful is it going to be to recover them to the new phone once I move across to that?

If you migrate over to the new phone with the same Apple iD then they should just appear in your "new" wallet as before.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I wish people just get on board with. There’s really nothing to see here. It’s 2022, not 1922. Digital passes reduce costs, gives greater control, visibility…data is valuable etc.

If you’re unable to accommodate (again, in 2022) then regardless of your age or list of reasons why you can’t, then I can only wonder at how you exist in todays digital world. Besides, club have kept an analogue solution. It just costs £20 because hardly anyone needs anymore.

Time to get on the bus people. It’s only going one way.

You're being a bit harsh there. My now late father only upgraded from his Nokia ( I think 101 ) in 2019 to a Smart Phone because there were some services he used that he couldn't use on his old phone. My late mother never had a mobile and she died last year too so clearly managed without the 'modern' tech. There are plenty of people that neither want nor generally need modern phones. Hell, I refuse to use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok etc .... yet I work in IT so you would think I would be up with and using the latest developments.

Let's take a guess at the number of fans that use these cards. Even if you said it was a third of the 'attendance' ( unlikely ) - then the income is £200k for the WHOLE season. Does it really cost that much ( less than any players wage or indeed PB's ) ... of course not.

When I go to Sainsburys I don't get charged extra for going through a manned till ( although it would clearly cost more to operate ). If people want to buy these cards then yet them ... at no extra cost. Ridiculous.

 

[chaileyjem]

This - To penalise people for not owning or using a smart phone is unfair & pernicious. I have a voluntary role trying to help people with tech, getting them online etc and see quite how many people, for their own reasons, are unable to, afraid to, incapable of using modern tech. I am helping one lady at the moment who was scammed a year or so ago on the anniversary of her husbands death, while she was once a confident user, she is now petrified of all online tech and we face a long road trying to get that confidence back. I have another whose husband did all the IT stuff but now has Alzheimers, she does not know where to start. These people are just the tip of the iceberg, those who have been referred to us by local authorities, charities and other agencies, there are many more out there.. The exclusion and marginalisation of these people is scandalous.

FWIW, this isn't a pop at Brighton in particular, plenty of organisations are doing it, but I am surprised that this club are not more inclusive.

I agree with you that there must be plenty of fans who have tech challenges and all credit to you for the work that you do as a volunteer. But this is a club that called 4000 fans elderly and vulnerable fans during lockdown to see if they were ok, has moved all fans over to phone tickets but kept physical tickets for the elderly for free this season and next season (and tbc beyond that), has frozen ticket prices for over 65s again, has an award winning charity that works with the vulnerable in the community and i could go on but . A suggestion of a fee in 18 months time (£20) - we've not seen the full details of it yet anyway - does not mean that the club are "pernicious", or that they marginalise over 65 fans or that they aren't being inclusive.

 

[BNthree]

From my experience (done some work in the digitial healthcare space) older folk are a lot more savvy and receptive to technology than people on here would give them credit for.

For a while I was thinking I must know the only 80+ year olds with iPhones, iPads, WhatsApp, Instagram etc.

 

[Bold Seagull]

You're being a bit harsh there. My now late father only upgraded from his Nokia ( I think 101 ) in 2019 to a Smart Phone because there were some services he used that he couldn't use on his old phone. My late mother never had a mobile and she died last year too so clearly managed without the 'modern' tech. There are plenty of people that neither want nor generally need modern phones. Hell, I refuse to use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok etc .... yet I work in IT so you would think I would be up with and using the latest developments.

Let's take a guess at the number of fans that use these cards. Even if you said it was a third of the 'attendance' ( unlikely ) - then the income is £200k for the WHOLE season. Does it really cost that much ( less than any players wage or indeed PB's ) ... of course not.

When I go to Sainsburys I don't get charged extra for going through a manned till ( although it would clearly cost more to operate ). If people want to buy these cards then yet them ... at no extra cost. Ridiculous.

Many businesses charge for different types of payment, can think of countless examples of a 1 or 2% charge to use a credit card over a debit card, or cash only up to £5 otherwise a charge is applied etc. Businesses are always incentivising the preferred payment for them. In this case the club's preferred method of entry is digital and the incentive is £20 off having a card.

 

[pure_white]

This - To penalise people for not owning or using a smart phone is unfair & pernicious. I have a voluntary role trying to help people with tech, getting them online etc and see quite how many people, for their own reasons, are unable to, afraid to, incapable of using modern tech. I am helping one lady at the moment who was scammed a year or so ago on the anniversary of her husbands death, while she was once a confident user, she is now petrified of all online tech and we face a long road trying to get that confidence back. I have another whose husband did all the IT stuff but now has Alzheimers, she does not know where to start. These people are just the tip of the iceberg, those who have been referred to us by local authorities, charities and other agencies, there are many more out there.. The exclusion and marginalisation of these people is scandalous.

FWIW, this isn't a pop at Brighton in particular, plenty of organisations are doing it, but I am surprised that this club are not more inclusive.

Thank you for this posting. Clearly its not as easy and straight forward going forward as some would have us believe on here. Sounds like you are doing a great job helping people here.

 

[dsr-burnley]

Many businesses charge for different types of payment, can think of countless examples of a 1 or 2% charge to use a credit card over a debit card, or cash only up to £5 otherwise a charge is applied etc. Businesses are always incentivising the preferred payment for them. In this case the club's preferred method of entry is digital and the incentive is £20 off having a card.

They made it illegal a year or two back to charge extra for credit card, for the same sort of reasons as some of the objections on here.

 

[Bold Seagull]

They made it illegal a year or two back to charge extra for credit card, for the same sort of reasons as some of the objections on here.

I stand corrected on that particular example.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

It's classic penny pinching. £20 to pensioners. What a load of old bollocks.

"Oh but they were good to them in lockdown" yes, but they are being shit to them now.

Just so unnecessary.

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[Herr Tubthumper]

This seems as good a place as any to ask a quick question...

My work have just posted me a new phone (that I didn't realise I needed, but apparently I do, and looks exactly the same as my current one. iphone7 to iphone SE)

I have my tickets in the apple wallet on the existing phone.

How painless / painful is it going to be to recover them to the new phone once I move across to that?

According to the recent club email they can call and talk you through this. Make sure you have a full charge in case it’s Barber.

 

[Bry Nylon]

It's classic penny pinching. £20 to pensioners. What a load of old bollocks.

If by "what a load of old bollocks" you mean your post, then I agree. Unless you can show me something that says the club charges pensioners an additional £20.

Rubbish post that is 100% aligned with your anti-club stance on most things so instantly discredited as such.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

You're being a bit harsh there. My now late father only upgraded from his Nokia ( I think 101 ) in 2019 to a Smart Phone because there were some services he used that he couldn't use on his old phone. My late mother never had a mobile and she died last year too so clearly managed without the 'modern' tech. There are plenty of people that neither want nor generally need modern phones. Hell, I refuse to use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok etc .... yet I work in IT so you would think I would be up with and using the latest developments.

Let's take a guess at the number of fans that use these cards. Even if you said it was a third of the 'attendance' ( unlikely ) - then the income is £200k for the WHOLE season. Does it really cost that much ( less than any players wage or indeed PB's ) ... of course not.

When I go to Sainsburys I don't get charged extra for going through a manned till ( although it would clearly cost more to operate ). If people want to buy these cards then yet them ... at no extra cost. Ridiculous.

No. I’d expect a penchant for sci-fi and 70s rock music but never ever modern technology.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

If by "what a load of old bollocks" you mean your post, then I agree. Unless you can show me something that says the club charges pensioners an additional £20.

Rubbish post that is 100% aligned with your anti-club stance on most things so instantly discredited as such.

Well anyone other than pensioners can surely embrace digital, even begrudgingly. But what does it achieve charging 70+ year olds (like 2 i know) an extra £20 for failing eyesight and inability to use a smart phone?

The good thing here is i believe there is another 12 months grace. Other than that it's a nonsense.



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[Herr Tubthumper]

I stand corrected

Do you wear an orthopedic shoe?