Ticket Exchange Non Use Penalty - £10 Per Printed Ticket "Policy Change" Now In Place

[ac gull]

Ticket Exchange Non Use Penalty - £10 Per Printed Ticket "Policy Change" Now In Place

Having had one Withdean season ticket I then signed up for four tickets at Falmer re self, partner and two relatives.

Living 200 miles from Brighton and often being hard to get to midweek games re work commitments, so far have made between half and two thirds of games.

When not able to make it have shared season tickets around re two friends in Kent and relatives of another season ticket holder from Sussex - all of which could not commit to own season tickets re work commitments some Saturdays.

Generally has worked very well via getting printed tickets from club and posting them to others as required - no one has profited from this - the club have got money for four season tickets up front and all eight or so of us have benefited from cost per match being at reduced season ticket price per match, being well below match by match ticket prices now in place. Printed tickets were supposed to cost £3 each - only ever got asked to pay this two or three times out of around ten occasions when printed tickets needed.

However when buying Derby away game tickets today and asking for printed tickets for two games I can't make - one re work - one when away on holiday - I was told the cost for four printed tickets is not the £12 previously rarely charged but now £35 re the policy change - as a "goodwill gesture" you can get one printed ticket at a cost of £5, thereafter the cost is £10 per printed ticket.

Having contributed to Alive and Kicking years ago, got my Heritage Stone, taken part in campiagns for Falmer, have felt that our club was bit more connected between board and fans - this being how we got Falmer re the fans campaigns etc.

Seems that we now wish to sever this connection re unannounced changes such as above, as dare I say it the name of the game is now P for Profit Barber!

Assuming this is a long term trend we have now set off on - may well not renew any season tickets next season.

Depressingly Albion have joined the mainstream where its all money, money, money that matters.

Still I probably only spent about another £600 on my smart card in the shop / kisoks last season - so not as if I will be missed!

Overall point being there must be many more season ticket holders living all over the country that found it useful to get printed tickets? Or perhaps I am just the only one?

 

[Spider]

You're not the only one, but season tickets are usually for those who can make the committment to most games - their 'loyalty' and willingness to pay up front is rewarded by discounted tickets. If you're trying to move on half of your tickets you're not really a season ticket holder, since they could have sold those seats for full price on an individual match basis.

That's the annoying answer. The truth is it's pretty shitty. But, there was never any garantee that season tickets would be transferable around and the fact that you've been able to up till now is more a good will gesture club than the prevention of this is a slap in the face.

 

[Bozza]

I can't think of a single area where I believe the Albion could be deemed to be 'ripping off' fans. People may moan about the food and beer prices but it's not excessive, particularly when the 10% rebate for using a smartcard is factored in. Programmes at £3.50 - that's about par. No cost increases for 7 or 8 years and the very nature of programmes sales means prices will jump to round numbers - a seller having to deal with a £3.10 cover price is going to be turning over sales far too slowly.

But I can't view this move, especially given the club-favourable ticket exchange revenue share, as anything other than ultra-cynical. The price is excessive, far beyond any cost incurred by the club for handling the transaction, and only imposed to try and force people though the official ticket exchange.

Last year £3, this year £10. An increase of 233%. I'd like to see that one justified.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Seems like the club have noted that tickets are exchanged on NSC for roughly £18 and for those wanting a paper ticket the £10 admin charge brings it up nicely to the regular matchday price.

 

[ac gull]

Cheers Bozza

If the club had been up front about this and included it in the press release story on the website about the Ticket Exchange I may have been a bit less surprised

Then again I guess they just forgot, as should be quite easy to justify a £7 increase from £3 to £10

What they really mean is "use ticket exchange", there is no other option, as we intend to make it that way via back door unannounced means

The fact that Ticket Exchange was a year plus late in being launched / working - and fans such as me got used to sharing out our season tickets in whatever practical way that worked best for us - is obviously all our fault and nothing to do with the club!

Should do wonders for the tickets for sale section on NSC - no wonder you have not been asked to close this down as it contravenes club rules re the ticket exchange being the sole way season ticket seats can be sold for odd games!

 

[jackanada]

Strictly speaking your season ticket admits the person whose name is on the front and no-one else.
You shouldn't be buying a season ticket if you're not going to try and make the large majority of games, so feeling ripped off at the cost of recouping something from those you can't/won't attend seems to me perhaps more unreasonable than the clubs position.

You can still hand over your smartcard to someone you trust for free, so no loss there.

Looking to the future if we did make the prem and tickets end up like golddust those seldom attending STHs are looking at turning their discounted (compared to per match) tickets into a serious profit. A £10 touting charge is pretty low in those circumstances.

 

[8ace]

STs are not transferable, I don't give a f*** if people do it but the club could easily come back with this response if people query this.

 

[Bozza]

STs are not transferable, I don't give a f*** if people do it but the club could easily come back with this response if people query this.

Perhaps you can explain the complete change in policy from last season to this, remembering that "we now have an official ticket exchange that is a cash cow for the club" is not an answer you're allowed to give.

 

[ac gull]

Practical reality is albion is "my club" which I have endeavoured to continue to support as a season ticket holder, despite a 400 mile round trip to each game - once when there were not many fans willing to get soaked each week at Withdean the club wanted my help with geeting permission for Falmer, many many people all over the country helped this campaign

Now "my club" has spent a fortune on said stadium it understandably needs to make a profit / run at break even as a bare minimum. However it has a somewhat unique heritage up until now I thought it wanted to maintain. Now I'm afraid I think not

 

[8ace]

Perhaps you can explain the complete change in policy from last season to this, remembering that "we now have an official ticket exchange that is a cash cow for the club" is not an answer you're allowed to give.

I can't, but I will say quite a few people on here lead the clamour for a ticket exchange to be set up - so maybe they have shot themselves in the foot. FWIW I think it stinks as well, was just playing Devil's Advocate.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

Perhaps you can explain the complete change in policy from last season to this, remembering that "we now have an official ticket exchange that is a cash cow for the club" is not an answer you're allowed to give.

Maybe the club just isn't going to support a secondary market in "discounted" season tickets being sold for individual games at significantly below the match day price. The change in policy, if it is that, may be down to the scale - ie number of paper tickets requested by ST's - last season.

 

[Bozza]

Maybe the club just isn't going to support a secondary market in "discounted" season tickets being sold for individual games at significantly below the match day price. The change in policy, if it is that, may be down to the scale - ie number of paper tickets requested by ST's - last season.

Well, yes, which is also highly hypocritical given the club will only pay a seller based on the 'discounted' price (ie the pro rata season ticket price) if a ticket goes through the ticket exchange whilst selling on for the full match-by-match price themselves.

Based on all this, I think I'd rather my front row WSU seats go empty than go through the ticket exchange.

That's unlikely to happen, of course. I'll now send the smart card in the post, if I can't attend, and take a risk on whether I get it back or not. If I don't, I just pay a £10 fee for a replacement smart card, the same cost as a one-off replacement paper ticket. I wonder which costs the club more to produce...?

 

[ac gull]

Think they prefer empty seats they have had income for and are not bothered if nobody there until they have sold out all extra seats that are now / will be available over next few months
Can't fault the business logic.

Invariably never charging for something that previously cost £3 was their own choice

Consumers expecting to be notified of a £3 price being changed to £10 is just unrealistic I guess

Folks I posted tickets to, can now get posted the swipe cards instead, just hassle of worrying about them getting lost in post

To me this falls into category of things that a certain previous Chief Exec / driving force in club for last 15 years or so knew probably happened and turned a blind eye to as club was so chuffed to sell 18,000 season tickets

Anyboby new coming in would then want to make changes and increase income / professionalise things to a new level - communicating these changes up front rather than via the back door may be a more useful long term strategy

Still their choice, same as it's mine to decide whether or not to have a six / seven hour round trip to games / spend my time and money on something else instead

 

[El Presidente]

Ticket Exchange Non Use Penalty - £10 Per Printed Ticket "Policy Change" Now In Place

Well, yes, which is also highly hypocritical given the club will only pay a seller based on the 'discounted' price (ie the pro rata season ticket price) if a ticket goes through the ticket exchange whilst selling on for the full match-by-match price themselves.

Based on all this, I think I'd rather my front row WSU seats go empty than go through the ticket exchange.

That's unlikely to happen, of course. I'll now send the smart card in the post, if I can't attend, and take a risk on whether I get it back or not. If I don't, I just pay a £10 fee for a replacement smart card, the same cost as a one-off replacement paper ticket. I wonder which costs the club more to produce...?

As Bozza kindly gave me his tickets for the Cardiff match, I would thoroughly recommend his front row seats in the WSU to anyone. (and it was only £3 for a paper ticket too!).

 

[AZ Gull]

Based on all this, I think I'd rather my front row WSU seats go empty than go through the ticket exchange.

Really? So out of two possible scenarios (and using the central WSL ticket prices you quoted yesterday):-

1) You can't make the match; you don't use the ticket exchange; seat remains empty; club receives no additional revenue

2) You can't make the match; you use the ticket exchange and get £20.37 club credit; another supporter gets to see the game (at a cost of £39); club receives a net £18.63 additional ticket revenue (and the potential of additional spend by the supporter who bought your seat)

you would choose the lose-lose-lose option over the win-win-win option?

 

[bn1&bn3 Albion]

For my ticket in the North stand, it costs me approx £18 per a game, a North stand tickets sells for £28. The £10 price for a paper ticket covers the £10 pounds I save by having a ST. Don't know if it's the same in the other stands but if it is I don't see a problem..

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

Well, yes, which is also highly hypocritical given the club will only pay a seller based on the 'discounted' price (ie the pro rata season ticket price) if a ticket goes through the ticket exchange whilst selling on for the full match-by-match price themselves.

Based on all this, I think I'd rather my front row WSU seats go empty than go through the ticket exchange.

That's unlikely to happen, of course. I'll now send the smart card in the post, if I can't attend, and take a risk on whether I get it back or not. If I don't, I just pay a £10 fee for a replacement smart card, the same cost as a one-off replacement paper ticket. I wonder which costs the club more to produce...?

I don't see this as hypocracy, there is a difference between the club buying a ticket back from an STH via the exchange (it's then no longer an ST) and actively supporting a secondary market in discounted "non-transferable" tickets via the issuing of "substitute" paper tickets - the latter process has only ever been for lost, misplaced, forgotten ST's according to the T&Cs.
A replacement smartcard currently costs £25.

 

[ferring seagull]

Well, yes, which is also highly hypocritical given the club will only pay a seller based on the 'discounted' price (ie the pro rata season ticket price) if a ticket goes through the ticket exchange whilst selling on for the full match-by-match price themselves.

Based on all this, I think I'd rather my front row WSU seats go empty than go through the ticket exchange.

That's unlikely to happen, of course. I'll now send the smart card in the post, if I can't attend, and take a risk on whether I get it back or not. If I don't, I just pay a £10 fee for a replacement smart card, the same cost as a one-off replacement paper ticket. I wonder which costs the club more to produce...?

D, I can well understand your point of view,

I have an 'extra' seat (partner/ex partner) which it looks like, under the circumstances, will not be used on most occasions and frankly I am somewhat disappointed about the terms of the club's 'ticket exchange' LOL , so I guess there is going to be an empty seat in the front row ESU on a good number of occasions during this coming season as I agree with your viewpoint

 

[ferring seagull]

Really? So out of two possible scenarios (and using the central WSL ticket prices you quoted yesterday):-

1) You can't make the match; you don't use the ticket exchange; seat remains empty; club receives no additional revenue

2) You can't make the match; you use the ticket exchange and get £20.37 club credit; another supporter gets to see the game (at a cost of £39); club receives a net £18.63 additional ticket revenue (and the potential of additional spend by the supporter who bought your seat)

you would choose the lose-lose-lose option over the win-win-win option?

Yes, because the club chooses to wait until all tickets have been sold (understandable) but frankly I just don't see it as reasonable all things considered. If the club, on the basis that it now (because there are no other tickets left to sell) wants to sell 'yours' then for exactly the same reasons, bums on seats and the further revenue to be gained, they could have done better as regards those who have 'COMMITTED' themselves to the club by way of purchasing a season ticket. That, of course, is only my point of view but perhaps also that of BOZZA.