£2 online booking fee. Views?

[Mr Burns]

I suspect the club's accountants would argue that all internet purchases are card based and therefore financial in nature. I agree with you that Insider's reply appears to contradict that though!

They couldn't I don't think. All charges from the clearing card company would be VAT free (probably about 10p per debit card transaction, and 1.9% is my guess for credit card transactions), but I wouldn't think charges the club makes to fans would be. At a stretch I cant see the card fee being much more than 50p on average, so the £2 they charge the fans would be over and above this, so not purely a fininacal transaction, and therefore I dont think VAT fee.

As I say, I'm not an accountant, and pay someone loads of money each year to take care of that for me, but that is my understanding of it.

If they charged the fee offline, I could understand it, but it makes no logical sense to do it online but not offline, other than to fleece extra cash out of fans. And I didn't think that was the way of our great club.

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

Do supermarkets make a charge on internet transations?

I am close to the shop and it's easier for me to pop in and get my tickets, done right by the very professional staff and at no extra cost than spend ages working out the booking online stuff. Mind you, I'd be more inclined if the fee was the other way round and it was cheaper to do online.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I can understand a 50p charge (even though that is a profit(?)) for a small business if you are spending less than £10. But a company with a much greater turnover, to charge a maximum 8% fee is a bit outlandish. Granted, you will pay more elsewhere.

 

[El Presidente]

They couldn't I don't think. All charges from the clearing card company would be VAT free (probably about 10p per debit card transaction, and 1.9% is my guess for credit card transactions), but I wouldn't think charges the club makes to fans would be. At a stretch I cant see the card fee being much more than 50p on average, so the £2 they charge the fans would be over and above this, so not purely a fininacal transaction, and therefore I dont think VAT fee.

As I say, I'm not an accountant, and pay someone loads of money each year to take care of that for me, but that is my understanding of it.

If they charged the fee offline, I could understand it, but it makes no logical sense to do it online but not offline, other than to fleece extra cash out of fans. And I didn't think that was the way of our great club.

I've checked my books, if the fee is simply for booking the tickets then it is a taxable supply and therefore subject to VAT.

As much as neither of us want to think it, it is simply a way of raising extra revenue for the club. Personally I don't think it is prohibitive as the club post the tickets out to me, but for STH it is out of order as the club are not doing anything.

Whilst it is of little consolation, at least the Albion don't do what Manchester United do for ALL home cup games, and 'assume' you want a ticket and automatically debit your bank account for the cost of a ticket.

 

[00snook]

I genuinely don't see what the problem with this is, even if the club does make a profit from it.

I would rather the club "stealth taxed" us (if that is what they are doing) and increased it's coffers a bit to allow us to continue the success we are all enjoying.

 

[Gazwag]

I genuinely don't see what the problem with this is, even if the club does make a profit from it.

I would rather the club "stealth taxed" us (if that is what they are doing) and increased it's coffers a bit to allow us to continue the success we are all enjoying.

Its the one charge for one person and none for another that is the problem in my eyes, bit like the travel voucher scam

 

[El Presidente]

I genuinely don't see what the problem with this is, even if the club does make a profit from it.

I would rather the club "stealth taxed" us (if that is what they are doing) and increased it's coffers a bit to allow us to continue the success we are all enjoying.

I think Mr B makes a valid point though, all he is asking for is transparency, he says that if prices were £2 more expensive it would not make any difference to him, but the club is not being straight, and Martin Perry (who as we know dislikes NSC) was at best incorrectly advised when extolling the virtues of the smart card system as a zero fee method of buying tickets.

 

[00snook]

I think Mr B makes a valid point though, all he is asking for is transparency, he says that if prices were £2 more expensive it would not make any difference to him, but the club is not being straight, and Martin Perry (who as we know dislikes NSC) was at best incorrectly advised when extolling the virtues of the smart card system as a zero fee method of buying tickets.

A good point. Transparency would solve this whole thing and stop the speculation too.

Surely it's easy for the club just to announce it's policy and be done with it.

 

[clapham_gull]

Booking fees are a modern legal scam I'm afraid and nothing will convince me otherwise. The club are just doing what everyone else does.

There are of course extreme examples, one being airlines now charging extra to allow you put a suitcase in the hold (*)

Just a tool to allow companies to advertise a lower price

Time the law caught up.

(*) Anyone notice the hassle this is now causing ? Passengers are now investing in these mini suitcases that get by as hand luggage. There is a weight limit, but budget airlines can't invest (or handle the the time) in weighing them.

I suspect many passengers are vacuum packing clothes (easy enough) and not checking in luggage.

Just got back from holiday and noticed how may people have them. On the flight out they ran out of space above the seats and we asked to store our luggage by our feet ! Also noticed how very pissed off the stewards were having to deal with this massive increase in "hand luggage".

 

[Captain Sensible]

I dont mind paying a £2 fee when a ticket is posted to me. However, I have a smartcard so if I buy a ticket, it now gets electronically loaded onto my card, so no postage. So that is a bit crap.

 

[trueblue]

Booking fees are annoying but pretty much ubiquitous. This far from the worst. Taking into account the value of your time, cost of getting to the ticket office or waiting on the phone (and cost of that call), it doesn't seem much of a big deal to me - especially as it's per transaction, not per ticket.

 

[Muzzy]

I dont mind paying a £2 fee when a ticket is posted to me. However, I have a smartcard so if I buy a ticket, it now gets electronically loaded onto my card, so no postage. So that is a bit crap.

This... When I went into the shop to buy some clothing and pick up a ticket for Sunderland game, I was given a smartcard (thought these were for ST holders only) and I asked the question, "so I won't have to pay the £2 charge anymore when I book online?". The guy at the desk said "Yes you do, But I don't know the reason for this tbh". I must admit I'm a bit surprised this hasn't been mentioned previously. I have no problem with paying it, but a breakdown of what it's for would be helpful.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

I dont mind paying a £2 fee when a ticket is posted to me. However, I have a smartcard so if I buy a ticket, it now gets electronically loaded onto my card, so no postage. So that is a bit crap.

This is a sensible response. I can't get my head round it costing them more for us to book our own tickets on-line, than for them to run a ticket office.

 

[beorhthelm]

This is a sensible response. I can't get my head round it costing them more for us to book our own tickets on-line, than for them to run a ticket office.

well its not the clubs system, they've brought in a thrid party for the software and the web based purchasing. if this is paid for per transaction, as Insider's responce implies, it will cost more than having someone in the office (who does other duties) putting through tickets directly into the system.

 

[Rookie]

Bit of cheek that they are still charging when most people have smart cards and its simply added to that and when you buy over the internet you do the work. If it costs so much to do online transactions think the club are getting ripped off by the ticketing company they use

 

[Arthur Scrace]

For the Sunderland game I had to claim my season ticket seat before the deadline so that was £2. I also wanted some extra tickets when they went on general sale. Managed to get them but that was another £2.

 

[matt_32510]

Loads of companies do this trick, but if people keep using it and paying it, then they will continue to use it.

 

[BHAFC_Pandapops]

Keep it. Admin aren't going to do their job for free, in the same way as those receiving paper tickets will have their dispatch paid for. By themselves. It's only 2 pounds.

 

[CorgiRegisteredFriend]

I think we should be thankful its a flat £2.00 fee.
I just bought four tickets from the concorde 2 website and had to pay £6.00 fee. £1.50 for each ticket. They are not even going to send them. I just present a reference number on the night and gain entry.So no postage cost for them or cost of printing a ticket.
Had I bought them on seetickets the cost jumped to £1.75 per ticket making the fee £7.00 plus a postage fee of £1.50. Making the additional cost £8.50.
The whole business is a complete rip off and about time it was thoroughly investigated. If a ticket is say £13.50 it should be that amount. Imagine filling up with petrol and getting to the till and finding it is several quid more than on the pump. Just would not happen. Amazed that Ticketline/ Ticketmaster have got away with it for so long.

 

[Soton Seagull]

It strikes me an a daft business strategy. Surely the clubs overheads etc are less if they push customers up the online route. Direct contact with staff costs money, not just the time you are in contact with them but permanent staffing costs to meet surges in demand.

Whilst there maybe a transaction fee by the software company, it would seem shortsighted not to have negotiated a discount the higher the customer volume driven to their site - i.e almost a bulk buying discount.

As mentioned before, it is a transpareny issue. Surely a ticket price should encompass the product & overheads in delivering a product; and be priced accordingly. I can understand charging for phoneline, as you are forcing them to staff up and sometimes outsource the calls, as a way of discouraging this type of customer behavior thus driving people to the lower maintenance website option. I find it strange they don't charge £2 for a personal visit to the shop (again dribving customer behaviour towards the web sales); unless they are expecting you buy impulse items whilst there.