[Albion] Change to away ticket sales process [Club update - post #140]

[dazzer6666]

Two simple words would resolve the issue in one fell swoop.

Unallocated seating.

We are (nearly) all adults, and with unallocated seats, people would very simply sort themselves out.

.........is the simple answer - stand/sit with your mates/family, front/back or whatever you prefer. Only issue, though, will be the usual few who stay on the concourse getting bladdered until half a millisecond before kick-off and pile into the stand en masse expecting to all be together, and then start pushing in front of everyone else, squeezing into already-packed rows etc

 

[Billy the Fish]

Some pathetic responses on this thread!

Based on the answers here it seems to only affect a handful of disgruntled fans who believe they're entitled to choose their own seat, and the usual suspects doing their famous NSC moaning comedy act.

You've never been able to choose specific seats at away grounds, it was only by playing the system last season that you could select tickets and cancel them until you're allocated a row that you were happy with - that's just a workaround and not a feature of the system.

The club has given a perfectly reasonable answer as to why we can't select blocks anymore. Based on that answer, you don't need the detective skills of Poirot to work out that the ticket office HAS to allocate the tickets furthest from the movable segregation in the first instance so that the away club can sell to home fans of we decide to take a reduced allocation because of poor initial sales.

The ticket office is in a difficult position here, their only other options are to risk losing money by taking bigger allocations early in the process or to put in place new systems that are potentially resource hungry and beyond what they are currently capable of.

They seem to have chosen the only viable option which was to piss off a few fans who will be outraged for a few weeks and then forget about it by the time the season starts.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Some pathetic responses on this thread!

Based on the answers here it seems to only affect a handful of disgruntled fans who believe they're entitled to choose their own seat, and the usual suspects doing their famous NSC moaning comedy act.

You've never been able to choose specific seats at away grounds, it was only by playing the system last season that you could select tickets and cancel them until you're allocated a row that you were happy with - that's just a workaround and not a feature of the system.

The club has given a perfectly reasonable answer as to why we can't select blocks anymore. Based on that answer, you don't need the detective skills of Poirot to work out that the ticket office HAS to allocate the tickets furthest from the movable segregation in the first instance so that the away club can sell to home fans of we decide to take a reduced allocation because of poor initial sales.

The ticket office is in a difficult position here, their only other options are to risk losing money by taking bigger allocations early in the process or to put in place new systems that are potentially resource hungry and beyond what they are currently capable of.

They seem to have chosen the only viable option which was to piss off a few fans who will be outraged for a few weeks and then forget about it by the time the season starts.

Broadly, I agree. Priority to buy a ticket does not come with the automatic right to choose a seat. There is a fair amount of sense of entitlement about this thread. However there are unanswered questions about the process of returning unsold tickets to the home club and a feeling that there could and should be better communication from our club on this issue.

 

[maglers]

Hold on a minute. I thought every full away allocation was sold out within minutes to the 3,000 most loyal fans, thus ensuring a closed shop when it comes to watching BHA away in the Premier League....

 

[Joe Gatting's Dad]

Bought tickets for Watford and Liverpool on the ticket line at 2pm on the first day as soon as it opened as no access to a computer on that day. Still no idea where I will be sitting.

When are these tickets going to be sent out?

 

[Bozza]

Based on that answer, you don't need the detective skills of Poirot to work out that the ticket office HAS to allocate the tickets furthest from the movable segregation in the first instance so that the away club can sell to home fans of we decide to take a reduced allocation because of poor initial sales.

You're completely wrong here, unfortunately.

The club's new process is designed so they know, in advance, exactly how many tickets to request from the home club, having prior information as to the different sizes of allocation that are possible (eg one Liverpool allocation cut-off was 1,868). Based on the advanced seat-unspecific sales, the club then allocate specific seats to the fans who have committed and paid.

As such, the club are not selling anything in a specific order based on allocations and segregation requirements.

The club can allocate these seats in any way they see fit, and Jenny Gower has pledged that the "best" seats will be given to those who bought first. What is considered best will be different for different people, but putting that aside, broadly more central is seen as being "better" than out wide, yet early purchasers of Watford tickets seem to have been allocated "less good" seats by the club.

 

[dazzer6666]

Bought tickets for Watford and Liverpool on the ticket line at 2pm on the first day as soon as it opened as no access to a computer on that day. Still no idea where I will be sitting.

When are these tickets going to be sent out?

Watford ticket arrived yesterday.

 

[Bozza]

Broadly, I agree. Priority to buy a ticket does not come with the automatic right to choose a seat. There is a fair amount of sense of entitlement about this thread. However there are unanswered questions about the process of returning unsold tickets to the home club and a feeling that there could and should be better communication from our club on this issue.

There won't be unsold seats - that's the whole point of the new process. The club have brought forward the sales window a bit so they know exactly what the demand is, so a request for a fixed number of tickets from the home club can be made. So, based on the sales of Liverpool tickets, the club requested the allocation of 1,868 tickets, and know they won't have up to 1,200 tickets left unsold that they'd have to pay Liverpool for.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Two simple words would resolve the issue in one fell swoop.

Unallocated seating.

We are (nearly) all adults, and with unallocated seats, people would very simply sort themselves out.

Except for the paragraph about the special needs fans.

I always thought the club wanted to know exactly who was in a particular seat so the could monitor/ban troublemakers, as necessary. There was all that business about taking ID and being checked against the ticket.
Did that ever happen?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

There won't be unsold seats - that's the whole point of the new process. The club have brought forward the sales window a bit so they know exactly what the demand is, so a request for a fixed number of tickets from the home club can be made. So, based on the sales of Liverpool tickets, the club requested the allocation of 1,868 tickets, and know they won't have up to 1,200 tickets left unsold that they'd have to pay Liverpool for.

Surely in these days of technology, the away club can say, if you want 1200 tickets you will have blocks A&B, but if you want 3000 then you will get blocks A, B, C & D.

 

[sully]

Good points.

But in the real world of away games, fellow Albion fans beligerently tell you to f*ck off when you try and take your rightful seat. Everyone on NSC always accepts this as an unwritten custom.

Overriding whatever scheme the Albion has.

I disagree. If everyone accepted it, then it wouldn’t get discussed regularly.

When I complain about aspects of the home ticketing, the responses are often along the lines of “We’re in the Premier League now. Things have changed. You’ll just have to suck it up.” This should also apply to the sit anywhere and / or block the aisles gang at away games. Everything is different when there is a sellout and we have to understand that and respect our fellow fans.

 

[Gazwag]

Some pathetic responses on this thread!

Based on the answers here it seems to only affect a handful of disgruntled fans who believe they're entitled to choose their own seat, and the usual suspects doing their famous NSC moaning comedy act.
.

Yes, away fans have never been able to choose their seat anyway but could chose the block, I guess you will be happy to be allocated a seat at Everton, for example, where you cannot see both goals on the whim of an office worker. Still its only £30 + travel, food etc for the privilege.

 

[Billy the Fish]

You're completely wrong here, unfortunately.

The club's new process is designed so they know, in advance, exactly how many tickets to request from the home club, having prior information as to the different sizes of allocation that are possible (eg one Liverpool allocation cut-off was 1,868). Based on the advanced seat-unspecific sales, the club then allocate specific seats to the fans who have committed and paid.

As such, the club are not selling anything in a specific order based on allocations and segregation requirements.

The club can allocate these seats in any way they see fit, and Jenny Gower has pledged that the "best" seats will be given to those who bought first. What is considered best will be different for different people, but putting that aside, broadly more central is seen as being "better" than out wide, yet early purchasers of Watford tickets seem to have been allocated "less good" seats by the club.

Taking Liverpool as an example, if the 1800 tickets had sold out on day one would BHA then take the next block available and still allocate as GA until they are sure they won't be taking another block? Once they're sure they can allocate across the two blocks based on who was first in the queue and what the perceived best tickets are?

 

[Billy the Fish]

Yes, away fans have never been able to choose their seat anyway but could chose the block, I guess you will be happy to be allocated a seat at Everton, for example, where you cannot see both goals on the whim of an office worker. Still its only £30 + travel, food etc for the privilege.

Yes, we're all in the same boat here. If I'm not allocated those tickets then some other poor sod will be, where does it end?

The fault lies with Everton for selling those tickets in the first place.

 

[Hampster Gull]

Much ado about nothing

 

[Weststander]

I disagree. If everyone accepted it, then it wouldn’t get discussed regularly.

When I complain about aspects of the home ticketing, the responses are often along the lines of “We’re in the Premier League now. Things have changed. You’ll just have to suck it up.” This should also apply to the sit anywhere and / or block the aisles gang at away games. Everything is different when there is a sellout and we have to understand that and respect our fellow fans.

You probably go to far more away games than me?

But when a couple posters on NSC criticised the fans who took their away seats last season and refused to move, the complainants were laughed at for not knowing the ropes.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Football clubs really do get away with appalling levels of customer service with regards to away tickets.

Spot on I have called this crap customer service before, but because we have the current demand because of our on the field perfomances, everyone ignores it. We are now just all a number.If we drop out of the Prem, maybe they will sharpen up their customer services, it all comes through Barber and I don't care what anyone says he isn't an Albion fan. Customer service needs a more understanding nature, yes a true fan a fan that has it in their DNA.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

There won't be unsold seats - that's the whole point of the new process. The club have brought forward the sales window a bit so they know exactly what the demand is, so a request for a fixed number of tickets from the home club can be made. So, based on the sales of Liverpool tickets, the club requested the allocation of 1,868 tickets, and know they won't have up to 1,200 tickets left unsold that they'd have to pay Liverpool for.

My wording was imprecise. By 'unsold tickets' I mean the difference between theoretical maximum allocation and the allocation decided upon by the club. When is the decision made and for Liverpool did it happen during the tiered buying process ? You may not know but then nor does anybody else it seems. This opaque process potentially affects northern based non STH and also STHs who would like to hold off buying to sit with others with less points (whilst minimizing the risk of missing out altogethger).

 

[Bozza]

Taking Liverpool as an example, if the 1800 tickets had sold out on day one would BHA then take the next block available and still allocate as GA until they are sure they won't be taking another block? Once they're sure they can allocate across the two blocks based on who was first in the queue and what the perceived best tickets are?

I guess the club make a judgement call on speed of sales against the data they have on prior sales etc as to whether the next step up in allocation is a viable option. But, yes, it does seem the new process is that we always buy "GA" and then wait and see what seat we are given in the lucky dip that follows.

 

[El Presidente]

it all comes through Barber and I don't care what anyone says he isn't an Albion fan.

I don't know anyone who has ever claimed that he is an Albion fan, it is common knowledge he supports Spuds.