Limit on Upgrades per Season

[Baldseagull]

If I upgrade my sons seat, it is always for a mate/family member who would otherwise not attend at all, it would be a loser for the club in my case. I dont know what the fairest and most profitable solution for the club is to this situation, but I dont think a limit of 6 a season is it.

 

[twowheelsbest]

Here is the response from the Club - excellent quick response, and does seem to clarify things.

Dear Richard

Thank you for your recent email addressed to Paul Barber.

I understand that you contacted Supporter Services today in order to upgrade your wife’s season card and you were concerned to hear that you are limited to upgrading up to 6 times a season.

The policy to restrict upgrades is standard practice at a lot of clubs with some clubs not allowing upgrades at all, as strictly speaking the season ticket is for the use of one named season ticket holder. We try to offer a degree of flexibility, especially considering the number of night fixtures and young season ticket holders we have. By way of example Derby County allow supporters up to 4 times a season to upgrade and we allow upgrades up to 6 times a season. This allows fans for more than a quarter of matches which should be more than sufficient. Once supporters reach the sixth upgrade they can then opt to upgrade the whole of the season ticket for the remainder of the season or retain it at its current age break.

Looking at your wife’s record I see she has upgraded for 2 games so far and Oliver has upgrade for 3, so hopefully you will find that 6 games a season is sufficient for you. If not you can always choose to upgrade the whole season ticket for the remainder of the season.

I hope the above clarifies the situation and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Supporter Services on 0344 324 6282.

Kind regards

Jenny Gower
Head of Ticketing & Supporter Services
Email: supporter.services@bhafc.co.uk
Supporter Services: 0344 324 6282 (no sales)
Albion Booking Line: 0844 327 1901 (calls cost 7ppm plus your network charge)

Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club
American Express Community Stadium, Village Way, Brighton BN1 9BL

 

[Guinness Boy]

Here is the response from the Club - excellent quick response, and does seem to clarify things.

Dear Richard

Thank you for your recent email addressed to Paul Barber.

I understand that you contacted Supporter Services today in order to upgrade your wife’s season card and you were concerned to hear that you are limited to upgrading up to 6 times a season.

The policy to restrict upgrades is standard practice at a lot of clubs with some clubs not allowing upgrades at all, as strictly speaking the season ticket is for the use of one named season ticket holder. We try to offer a degree of flexibility, especially considering the number of night fixtures and young season ticket holders we have. By way of example Derby County allow supporters up to 4 times a season to upgrade and we allow upgrades up to 6 times a season. This allows fans for more than a quarter of matches which should be more than sufficient. Once supporters reach the sixth upgrade they can then opt to upgrade the whole of the season ticket for the remainder of the season or retain it at its current age break.

Looking at your wife’s record I see she has upgraded for 2 games so far and Oliver has upgrade for 3, so hopefully you will find that 6 games a season is sufficient for you. If not you can always choose to upgrade the whole season ticket for the remainder of the season.

I hope the above clarifies the situation and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Supporter Services on 0344 324 6282.

Kind regards

Jenny Gower
Head of Ticketing & Supporter Services
Email: supporter.services@bhafc.co.uk
Supporter Services: 0344 324 6282 (no sales)
Albion Booking Line: 0844 327 1901 (calls cost 7ppm plus your network charge)

Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club
American Express Community Stadium, Village Way, Brighton BN1 9BL

Seems sensible to me and good they replied so quickly.

 

[Beach Hut]

I am bound to breach the 6 games limit next season given Mini will be away at Uni so once I get to the 7th I just pay the difference between all games left that season ?

 

[Bozza]

I am bound to breach the 6 games limit next season given Mini will be away at Uni so once I get to the 7th I just pay the difference between all games left that season ?

You either upgrade the season ticket for the remainder of the season, as a single transaction or don't use the season ticket until next season.

 

[Beach Hut]

You either upgrade the season ticket for the remainder of the season, as a single transaction or don't use the season ticket until next season.

I understand that bit but I am not paying the full difference between an U21 and Adult ST on top of already paying 6 upgrades ?

 

[Garage_Doors]

I am not paying the full difference between an U21 and Adult ST on top of already paying 6 upgrades ?

Why not your free rail travel will subsidise it.

 

[Beach Hut]

Why not your free rail travel will subsidise it.

You stupid boy, every STH has rail travel included within the boundary for home games

 

[Machiavelli]

You either upgrade the season ticket for the remainder of the season, as a single transaction or don't use the season ticket until next season.

Shall actually write to the club on this one. There have been too many games played in the evening. Midweek games are out of the question for my eight-year-old, and on games with non-school days afterwards, we have to find out how he's feeling. By my calculation of home games, so far we've had four evening games, and have five (out of seven) ahead of us, with one of those that could well be moved to an evening kick-off. That's nine or ten games, out of 23, and am not entirely convinced by that earlier response from the club.
The difference in price between an adult and a u-10 where I sit is c£460-c£120 for a whole season.

 

[atomised]

Shall actually write to the club on this one. There have been too many games played in the evening. Midweek games are out of the question for my eight-year-old, and on games with non-school days afterwards, we have to find out how he's feeling. By my calculation of home games, so far we've had four evening games, and have five (out of seven) ahead of us, with one of those that could well be moved to an evening kick-off. That's nine or ten games, out of 23, and am not entirely convinced by that earlier response from the club.
The difference in price between an adult and a u-10 where I sit is c£460-c£120 for a whole season.

I noticed on the Reading site that they have a.specific section on ticketing re upgrades. They allow 3 per season plus unlimited evening game xhanges. Maybe that is a fairer system

 

[Poppett63]

I do that there is a very good case for being able to upgrade more times give the amount of changes imposed by SKY

 

[Marshy]

It's a pain as we don't take our 8 year old to evening games and upgrade it to an u16 and take a friends son, can't do this now after 6 upgrades. Normally that's fine But with so many evening re arranged games the seat will now sit enpty

 

[chaileyjem]

I noticed on the Reading site that they have a.specific section on ticketing re upgrades. They allow 3 per season plus unlimited evening game xhanges. Maybe that is a fairer system

Yep - interesting re: Reading FC: "Unlimited evening upgrades" + normal 3 upgrades - For the 2015-16 season we will continue the policy of allowing season ticket holders to upgrade their season ticket a maximum of 3 times, plus unlimited evening games, with the appropriate fee.
Read more at http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/art...atch-tickets-2554119.aspx#68iVO5UXuHKcq1Ll.99

and a cursory look around shows that 6 upgrades is exceptional for most Champ clubs.

Burnley FC: 3 upgrades - "SeasonCards and individual matchday purchasers may 'upgrade' their seat up to three times during the season (eg: u12 to adult)"
Read more at http://www.burnleyfootballclub.com/tickets/faqs/index.aspx#o8PU8ab7fO7tFCkF.99

Charlton FC: 3 upgrades -"the club will allow a concessionary ticket to be upgraded on 3 separate occasions throughout the season.
Read more at http://www.cafc.co.uk/tickets/STTANDC.aspx#hYXrAuOQGHMPg41e.99

Derby County 4 upgrades: You may on no more than 4 occasions during the Season transfer Your Season Ticket to a natural person who is known to you"
http://www.wearederby.com/ticket-office/terms-conditions/


That said , it appears, from my probably poor understanding of their FAQs offer no ability to transfer tickets at all.
Hull City - non transferable - http://www.hullcitytigers.com/tickets/questions/
Sheff Weds - non transferable

On the other hand Cardiff, and Ipswich don't appear to have any limits or at least don't mention them in their FAQs.
Ipswich - no mention http://www.itfc.co.uk/tickets/terms_and_conditions/
Cardiff City don't state they have any limit on upgrades: https://issuu.com/spr7377/docs/faq

 

[Bozza]

I understand that bit but I am not paying the full difference between an U21 and Adult ST on top of already paying 6 upgrades ?

No, you'll pay the cost for the remaining games. So, if a single match upgrade costs you £15 and there are 6 home league games to go, it will cost you £90.

 

[Bozza]

That said , it appears, from my probably poor understanding of their FAQs offer no ability to transfer tickets at all.
Hull City - non transferable - http://www.hullcitytigers.com/tickets/questions/
Sheff Weds - non transferable

On the other hand Cardiff, and Ipswich don't appear to have any limits or at least don't mention them in their FAQs.
Ipswich - no mention http://www.itfc.co.uk/tickets/terms_and_conditions/
Cardiff City don't state they have any limit on upgrades: https://issuu.com/spr7377/docs/faq

Unless a club implements photos on season tickets, and employs people to verify the photos at point of entry, then they can say what they like about tickets not being transferable - people will still transfer them.

The Albion say they "turn a blind eye" to season ticket transfers (e.g. adult to adult) but, in reality, there is absolutely nothing they can do about it.

 

[drew]

Unless a club implements photos on season tickets, and employs people to verify the photos at point of entry, then they can say what they like about tickets not being transferable - people will still transfer them.

The Albion say they "turn a blind eye" to season ticket transfers (e.g. adult to adult) but, in reality, there is absolutely nothing they can do about it.

Aren't the 'non transferable' rules a requirement of the league so that clubs know who is in their stadium? The practicalities of it though mean that many, including me, let others use our tickets when we can't go. That said, I don't just let anyone have the ticket and never would.

 

[twowheelsbest]

I like the idea of the unlimited upgrades for kids tickets for evening games. Our Grandsons tend to only get used at half term or during School Holidays

 

[Machiavelli]

I noticed on the Reading site that they have a.specific section on ticketing re upgrades. They allow 3 per season plus unlimited evening game xhanges. Maybe that is a fairer system

Can't quibble with that. And thanks. Will use that when I get round to writing, and will (try to remember to) post on this thread the response.
He's already missed one game, because he was ill, and we're missing the Burnley game as we're away. Might amount to him missing over half of our home games. Going to take him to Forest though, and hopefully MK Dons.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

The increasing number of evening games will obviously have an impact on families with children's season tickets where the kids are too young to endure the late bedtimes that inevitably accompany a night time kick-off.

The Reading system (which allows unlimited upgrades for evening games and only limits upgrades for afternoon matches) seems to me to be fair. It's important to weed out the dishonest purchasers of cheap tickets, but this should be balanced against the importance of being fair to families.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

I noticed on the Reading site that they have a.specific section on ticketing re upgrades. They allow 3 per season plus unlimited evening game xhanges. Maybe that is a fairer system

You may well be right, either allow all evening games to be upgraded, or just games that have been moved from Saturday afternoons to midweek evenings, since the fixture list was announced pre season.