Selling your seat at The Amex

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Well I for one am pleased that you did. It's been very informative and I can't see what's so disloyal about it.

Totally agree. The more available information the better. It's lead to an interesting discussion.

TRHK done good.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I was under the assumption that if I have a season ticket and renew within a specified period at the end of next season, then I'll get the same seat again.

I thought the marketing blurb sent in relation to the PSLs was deliberately vague, a none too subtle attempt to make people take out the PSL out of some kind of fear that their seat wouldn't be safe or could be moved. For years, season ticket holders have been the lifeblood of clubs, the ones who've kept them going during lean summer months by stumping up hard cash in advance. They were the ones the clubs knew they could rely on and were treated accordingly: the premium customers, with accordant privileges.

Increasingly these days (and the Albion certainly aren't exclusive in this) the clubs are inventing ever more creative new classes of supporter, based on their capacity to spend. Diamond Clubs, and Platinum schemes, give us an extra grand and we'll give you some flat Prosecco and a slightly warm rocket & prosciutto foccacia before every game, as you are the chosen ones! For five grand a season you can be personally entertained, along with only two hundred other people, by Nobby Stiles in the Clayton Blackmore Suite afterwards! With a FREE match programme! The season ticket holder used to be the most loyal and treasured customer: now they're just another name on a database to be bombarded with more marketing literature at every opportunity, and loyalty in the clubs' eyes is determined by how much you can pay for your seat. The only lower class specimens now are the ones who buy tickets on a match by match basis. It begins...

 

[Beach Hut]

They're separate issues. But it's the apparent absence of a cheap and simple ticket exchange system, run by the Club, that is deterring me from persuading another family member to come in on the "+3" season ticket offer.

Perhaps what Arsenal do is the best method for this ?

 

[The Large One]

They're separate issues. But it's the apparent absence of a cheap and simple ticket exchange system, run by the Club, that is deterring me from persuading another family member to come in on the "+3" season ticket offer.

Got you, but it appears the club is looking at this, as per post no.80 on this thread.

 

[algie]

But that's no different to what we have now is it?

It's a bummer because you can't sell your ticket on nsc anymore or pass it on.Couldn't trust that option.I've brought many tickets of here and season/part season tickets of here.

I've never ever paid full price for a ticket at Withers.This is mainly due to prices.

 

[The Large One]

But that's no different to what we have now is it?

Don't know - never used it. The point is, as Simster alluded to, at present, for a single match transfer, you hand in / give someone a single ticket. At Falmer, problems may well start when you'd have to hand over your card - especially to someone you don't know.

People are talking about the system at Arsenal as a model. How does it work?

 

[Publius Ovidius]

They've certainly avoided the binfest. But I'm yet to be convinced that they have found a way of actually selling more than 10,000 season tickets. There might be 10,000 home tickets available for each game.

I am not convinced that even with the stories of thousands of Arsenal and West ham fans wanting ST's there will be a huge take up. If we are in the Championship, I can see a few games selling out, Palace, QPR, Pompey perhaps, maybe some of the midlands clubs, Reading but I cant see them all selling out....if we miss out on promotion, then that is a whole new ball game......selling out 22,500 seats for Yeovil on a cold wet November evening even if we are top of teh league I cant see at all.

 

[Barrow Boy]

I've just realised that the new approach doesn't even maximise revenue.

At the moment, if my (U10) daughter can't go, my dad comes along, we go to the ticket window and upgrade her ticket to a Senior Citizen ticket for £15 (the difference between the 'per match' ST price for U10 and Senior). Result - he watches match, seat is filled, club gets cash.

In the brave new corporate world, the only other person who could come along is an U10. Result - empty seat, no more cash for club, my Dad listens on the radio.

My position exactly, I have season tickets for myself and my two Grandsons (I under 16 and 1 under 10). As their parents are now getting divorced they can't always attend games due to Parental access rights and up to now, friends have been able to use the tickets via upgrading them at the ticket window. So that now means there will be two empty seats next to me at The Amex possibly at least once a month with no chance of me getting anyone else to fill them. Why on earth can't the club come up with a system that allows people to upgrade exsisting ST's on a match by match basis to cover situations like this. Having a PSL won't make any difference at all, other than the fact that i'd be nearly £1500 worse off if I bought PSL's for all three of us!

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Perhaps what Arsenal do is the best method for this ?

Indeed. But Arsenal only operate the facility when games are sold out (which - in Arsenal's situation - is quite often).

What I'd really like to see is a ticket exchange facility available at every game.

Arsenal Ticket Exchange | Tickets | Membership | Arsenal.com

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

But that's no different to what we have now is it?

Its not though is it. Currently an ordinary STH can offload their individual match ticket to a friend or sell it to someone, then think no more about that ticket. For ordinary STHs at Falmer, there's a follow-on; you have to get your swipe card back. Which means nobody in their right mind is going to be passing their swipe card to a stranger on a one-off basis. Many will think twice about handing it over to a friend. Which will result in an empty seat, more often than not.

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

I am not convinced that even with the stories of thousands of Arsenal and West ham fans wanting ST's there will be a huge take up. If we are in the Championship, I can see a few games selling out, Palace, QPR, Pompey perhaps, maybe some of the midlands clubs, Reading but I cant see them all selling out....if we miss out on promotion, then that is a whole new ball game......selling out 22,500 seats for Yeovil on a cold wet November evening even if we are top of teh league I cant see at all.

That's where they are going to benefit from having all the presentations and season tickets applications in place before the final league position, if we do have an end of season disaster (heaven forbid), most people will have already paid their first installment/full price of the season ticket while we are up at the top of the league.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

My position exactly, I have season tickets for myself and my two Grandsons (I under 16 and 1 under 10). As their parents are now getting divorced they can't always attend games due to Parental access rights and up to now, friends have been able to use the tickets via upgrading them at the ticket window. So that now means there will be two empty seats next to me at The Amex possibly at least once a month with no chance of me getting anyone else to fill them. Why on earth can't the club come up with a system that allows people to upgrade exsisting ST's on a match by match basis to cover situations like this. Having a PSL won't make any difference at all, other than the fact that i'd be nearly £1500 worse off if I bought PSL's for all three of us!

But surely, unless I am totally wide of the mark, you will still be able to "sell" those tickets BUT you will have to rely on the trust of the person you sell them to to give you back the swipe car once they are through the gates ( or if you are not there, post it back to you).

My real concern which someone was 100% not true was that the club will give first dibs on your seat before you have had the chance to renew next season....ie if we get in teh Premiership and someone wants to move to your seat, if he/she has a PSL then they have rights to userp you from your seat.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

I'm not sure the PSL covers this anyway.

Yes it does. If in effect you own the seat with a PSL, the club cannot stop you selling the seat on a match by match basis. So they make direct reference to this in the terms and conditions. However, because access is electronic, the club can control how this works. Either you hand over your swipe card to someone (and if you're flogging your seat for gain then it's likely to be to someone you son't know) and risk losing it etc or you tell the club who will issue a paper ticket for you (for an admin fee as yet to be determined). Only PSLs have the right to sell their seat for any given match and the club will grudgingly help facilitate that.

Would be far better (for fans) if there was an electronic system where people could sell/exchange tickets. Given that it's all swipe cards, should not be beyond the wit of man to be able to do this via the interweb. In which case why make this just for PSLs - why not offer it to all season ticket holder?

 

[Billy the Fish]

Indeed. But Arsenal only operate the facility when games are sold out (which - in Arsenal's situation - is quite often).

What I'd really like to see is a ticket exchange facility available at every game.

Arsenal Ticket Exchange | Tickets | Membership | Arsenal.com

That doesn't make very good business sense though, it'll never happen, not at this club or any other sporting event in the world

 

[Bozza]

All a bit annoying. Despite living c200 miles away I was going to get a couple of tickets - an adult and a child, ideally in the Upper West. This was on the basis that the games I couldn't make - likely most weekday games and some Saturdays - I'd be able to sell the tickets on (at cost or less) to anyone who was interested.

Ideally I'd sell to a mate, but I can't see that happening since most mates will already have season tickets of their own.

And if you can only sell the tickets to a group that matches the pattern of your tickets (1 adult and 1 child in my case) and there's no child->adult upgrade option available then it becomes even more problematic to sell.

What's particularly annoying, of course, is how ridiculously simple a club-administered ticket exchange would be...

1. Login
2. Select the match you wish to transfer tickets for
3. Input the fan ID(s) that the tickets are to be transferred to.
4. Pay an admin charge by card.
(5. In the background: the ticket database thing moves the ticket allocation from fan A to fan B - all who have their own smart card)
6. Confirmation emails sent to all parties.

Everyone's a winner, right? Maybe the club doesn't win quite as much as it does if the only way, outside of the PSL, is to get a single matchday ticket is via the club at a price of the club's choosing.

I appreciate I'm not typical and, as such, a system should not be designed around my needs, but it could be that up to half of my tickets could go unused, effectively doubling what I'll be paying per match used and that doesn't feel like a value proposition.

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

Its not though is it. Currently an ordinary STH can offload their individual match ticket to a friend or sell it to someone, then think no more about that ticket. For ordinary STHs at Falmer, there's a follow-on; you have to get your swipe card back. Which means nobody in their right mind is going to be passing their swipe card to a stranger on a one-off basis. Many will think twice about handing it over to a friend. Which will result in an empty seat, more often than not.

True, but the club have said they are looking at a ticket exchange system so there may well be a system in place to cater for these situations.

 

[ewe2]

I understand these are schemes to benefit our club .If i want to help ,its my decision,being under no illusion as to why !

 

[Lord Bracknell]

The objectives of the Arsenal ticket exchange system are interesting:-

Using this service enables season ticket holders the opportunity to seek financial return on their season ticket.

The Exchange provides members a secure and convenient service to resell tickets to fellow members.

We hope that this service will assist us in our objectives of eradicating the unauthorised and illegal sale of tickets

 

[algie]

But surely, unless I am totally wide of the mark, you will still be able to "sell" those tickets BUT you will have to rely on the trust of the person you sell them to to give you back the swipe car once they are through the gates ( or if you are not there, post it back to you).

My real concern which someone was 100% not true was that the club will give first dibs on your seat before you have had the chance to renew next season....ie if we get in teh Premiership and someone wants to move to your seat, if he/she has a PSL then they have rights to userp you from your seat.

Moving your seat? I never thought about that.Good point.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

I was under the assumption that if I have a season ticket and renew within a specified period at the end of next season, then I'll get the same seat again.

I thought the marketing blurb sent in relation to the PSLs was deliberately vague, a none too subtle attempt to make people take out the PSL out of some kind of fear that their seat wouldn't be safe or could be moved. For years, season ticket holders have been the lifeblood of clubs, the ones who've kept them going during lean summer months by stumping up hard cash in advance. They were the ones the clubs knew they could rely on and were treated accordingly: the premium customers, with accordant privileges.

Increasingly these days (and the Albion certainly aren't exclusive in this) the clubs are inventing ever more creative new classes of supporter, based on their capacity to spend. Diamond Clubs, and Platinum schemes, give us an extra grand and we'll give you some flat Prosecco and a slightly warm rocket & prosciutto foccacia before every game, as you are the chosen ones! For five grand a season you can be personally entertained, along with only two hundred other people, by Nobby Stiles in the Clayton Blackmore Suite afterwards! With a FREE match programme! The season ticket holder used to be the most loyal and treasured customer: now they're just another name on a database to be bombarded with more marketing literature at every opportunity, and loyalty in the clubs' eyes is determined by how much you can pay for your seat. The only lower class specimens now are the ones who buy tickets on a match by match basis. It begins...

Ain't that the truth!

I'm sorry if I sound like a Dinosaur, but I'm really pissed off with all this elitist/neo marketing/whizz-bangery bollox. It sounding more akin to organising a friggin' space mission than going up the football. Enough already!