Mandatory Booking Fees: The ASA Responds

[Husty]

is your opinion, not necessarily everyone elses opinion.

No shit Sherlock, but they are what I base my actions on, as I'm sure you do your own.

 

[Bold Seagull]

It's all about passing on costs. If the albion subscribe to a ticketing product that cost a lot of money to license and operate then we have been fed a diet of " oh we haven't a pot to piss in" " we have to cut costs and maximise revenue" " we are losing so much money now" " we have to work within FFP or we will all be shot". So therefore they will try and screw as much money out of us customers as possible.

You are right brovian, it is the way things have been going for a while, but this is all very well when things are going well and we are a good team to watch and relatively successful.....where the problem comes is when we are not a successful and you have already bled your fans dry and are still relying on them to shell out hard earned cash.

We are fortunate that we have a relatively affluent fan base who can afford to be squeezed like sponges, but we all know that the football bubble will burst and maybe the FFP legislations will be the catalyst to that. What the fall out will be and how deep out will hit will be very interesting.

I'm not sure it's even the extra cost. I just want to be able to purchase a ticket at face value for a match in some form from the club whether in person, online or otherwise. Currently it's a min face value +£1. All the ticket prices should be raised by £1, online bookings free, in person and telephone .50p. The revenue is the same, the public / supporters know exactly how much it's going to cost.

There is no justification for the licensing software, this is proved by the fact that neither Premium members or 1901 will be subjected to this charges. 1901 get all home tickets included in their monthly DD so don't actually pay a real ticket price as such, Premium are credited with every single home and away ticket. The booking fee is therefore clearly at the club's discretion and not a bonafide requirement of a sale.

Premium members, instead of saving the booking fee could simply be told they get discounted tickets over the course of a season.

I can't believe people believe these booking fees are actually some kind of necessity.

 

[Husty]

Blimey, with fans like you who needs enemies. I've been following the club for 30 years and don't particularly feel the club have ever screwed me over. Booking fees are part of life now. Personally I wish they'd just incorporate it into the ticket price then none of us would be any the wiser.

And that is EXACTLY what I am complaining about, it's nice to know you agree me.

 

[Jim D]

And that is EXACTLY what I am complaining about, it's nice to know you agree me.

No, that's EXACTLY what you (who I assume are a supporter of BHAFC) are complaining to the ASA about without first giving the club a chance to do anything about it. As he said, with supporters like you who needs enemies.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

No, that's EXACTLY what you (who I assume are a supporter of BHAFC) are complaining to the ASA about without first giving the club a chance to do anything about it. As he said, with supporters like you who needs enemies.

I'd bet a fair amount that it would have taken him quite sometime to get the club to correct the mistake if he'd complained directly ( assuming he'd even ever managed it ). So in this case one quick complaint to the regulator, one quick call or letter from them to the club and everything is fixed.

The problem in this country is that people are reluctant to use the power they have - thankfully there are a few like Husty.

 

[Perry's Tracksuit Bottoms]

And let's not kid ourselves that this is some kind of important, regulated way of recouping real underlying costs. Unless you seriously believe that there aren't similar third party and distribution costs when you purchase food, merchandise, programmes and the like.

Booking fees are a largely discredited con. The fact that lots of other people do it doesn't make it OK.

 

[Deadly Danson]

And that is EXACTLY what I am complaining about, it's nice to know you agree me.

I disagree with how you've gone about it. Basically it's like having a small problem with someone at work and before speaking to them personally going straight to management with your complaint. And the only reason I'd advocate incorporating the booking fees into the price of the ticket is to stop whining fans who haven't got anything better to do than to complain about everything. And I GUARANTEE you that if the club did bump their prices up by a couple of quid to cover the fees certain people here would be up in arms over the lack of transparency and cost of tickets. The club simply can't win.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I disagree with how you've gone about it. Basically it's like having a small problem with someone at work and before speaking to them personally going straight to management with your complaint. And the only reason I'd advocate incorporating the booking fees into the price of the ticket is to stop whining fans who haven't got anything better to do than to complain about everything. And I GUARANTEE you that if the club did bump their prices up by a couple of quid to cover the fees certain people here would be up in arms over the lack of transparency and cost of tickets. The club simply can't win.

They wouldn't be 'bumping' up the price of the tickets, the cost of the ticket would still be the same! You're actually describing the deceit if people don't realise how much their tickets actually cost.

 

[Deadly Danson]

They wouldn't be 'bumping' up the price of the tickets, the cost of the ticket would still be the same! You're actually describing the deceit if people don't realise how much their tickets actually cost.

And hence my point precisely: The club are currently adding on the booking fee separately and transparently - moan moan moan. If the club incorporate this booking fee into the ticket cost they would be accused of "deceit" - moan moan moan. Can't win. Personally ignorance is bliss - charge me £30 for a ticket or whatever, what they do with my £30 is up to them.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

They wouldn't be 'bumping' up the price of the tickets, the cost of the ticket would still be the same!

Even if you're an away fan buying a ticket for the Amex?

 

[Bold Seagull]

And hence my point precisely: The club are currently adding on the booking fee separately and transparently - moan moan moan. If the club incorporate this booking fee into the ticket cost they would be accused of "deceit" - moan moan moan. Can't win. Personally ignorance is bliss - charge me £30 for a ticket or whatever, what they do with my £30 is up to them.

They are not though are they, they've just had to change their previously issued ticket information!!

Why would it be deceit to have a ticket price that includes all the charges!? You will still get moaning about the price of the tickets, but that's a different discussion.

 

[Brovion]

And hence my point precisely: The club are currently adding on the booking fee separately and transparently - moan moan moan. If the club incorporate this booking fee into the ticket cost they would be accused of "deceit" - moan moan moan. Can't win. Personally ignorance is bliss - charge me £30 for a ticket or whatever, what they do with my £30 is up to them.

How on EARTH would they be accused of 'deceit'?

 

[Bold Seagull]

Even if you're an away fan buying a ticket for the Amex?

There is nothing to prevent away ticket prices being set at whatever level the club chooses as long as this doesn't exceed what home fans pay for the same areas.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

There is nothing to prevent away ticket prices being set at whatever level the club chooses as long as this doesn't exceed what home fans pay for the same areas.

So what would you advocate for away fans then:

1) Raise the ticket price to incorporate a non-existent booking fee?
OR
2) Retain the ticket price as is so as the price for home fans exceeds that paid by away fans for similar areas?

 

[northernseagull]

A £1 booking fee is absolutely nothing in comparison to booking fees at Wembley, on east lower I paid £10 booking fee on top of a £75 face value ticket. I don't think booking fees are fair on the customer, its almost a bit like airport tax and websites not making prices clear.. look where that has ended up. Football is no different and as Barber puts it we are customers of the club...

 

[Bold Seagull]

So what would you advocate for away fans then:

1) Raise the ticket price to incorporate a non-existent booking fee?
OR
2) Retain the ticket price as is so as the price for home fans exceeds that paid by away fans for similar areas?

You're highlighting a very good point. The way it stands it's possible that in a lot of cases (i.e. clubs that don't charge booking fees) away fans will be paying £1 to £1.50 less than home fans this season for like for like seats. Is this better then!?

 

[Superphil]

No shit Sherlock, but they are what I base my actions on, as I'm sure you do your own.

You wrote:

The club today goes out of it's way to screw it's customers at every turn

I don't think the club does anything of the sort, that's my opinion, it's not fact, it's not proven either way. What you wrote seemed to be written as a matter of fact, when in fact it is your view.

You were right to have brought the matter regarding the visibility of the booking fees up, but in some peoples opinion it would have been better to have brought it to the clubs attention, rather than the ASA. Now, if Crystal Palace are making such erroneous mistakes on their website, then complain away to ASA, let's all do it in a Jamie kind of way, but why do it to your own club?

I don't really understand the vitriol aimed at the club, seemingly at every step of the way, by a number of posters on here, it's as if they really want to see something go badly wrong for the club. There's no doubt they've made mistakes, what business on a growth path like the Albion in the last 3 years wouldn't? I'd rather support them, if necessary point out what they do wrong in a constructive way, so that if they really didn't know what was wrong, they are in a position to do something about it.

If you believe the club does things specifically to annoy, upset, or rip you off then I am at a loss to understand why you'd think that. Successful businesses succeed by putting forward a win-win scenario, if it is not good for us, then it will not be good for them, and vice versa.

 

[Deadly Danson]

How on EARTH would they be accused of 'deceit'?

I was quoting Bold Seagull from a previous post: "You're actually describing the deceit if people don't realise how much their tickets actually cost"

I don't for a second think they should be accused of deceit.

 

[Deadly Danson]

You wrote:



I don't think the club does anything of the sort, that's my opinion, it's not fact, it's not proven either way. What you wrote seemed to be written as a matter of fact, when in fact it is your view.

You were right to have brought the matter regarding the visibility of the booking fees up, but in some peoples opinion it would have been better to have brought it to the clubs attention, rather than the ASA. Now, if Crystal Palace are making such erroneous mistakes on their website, then complain away to ASA, let's all do it in a Jamie kind of way, but why do it to your own club?

I don't really understand the vitriol aimed at the club, seemingly at every step of the way, by a number of posters on here, it's as if they really want to see something go badly wrong for the club. There's no doubt they've made mistakes, what business on a growth path like the Albion in the last 3 years wouldn't? I'd rather support them, if necessary point out what they do wrong in a constructive way, so that if they really didn't know what was wrong, they are in a position to do something about it.

If you believe the club does things specifically to annoy, upset, or rip you off then I am at a loss to understand why you'd think that. Successful businesses succeed by putting forward a win-win scenario, if it is not good for us, then it will not be good for them, and vice versa.

Agree with every word.

 

[Hotchilidog]

You wrote:

I don't really understand the vitriol aimed at the club, seemingly at every step of the way, by a number of posters on here, it's as if they really want to see something go badly wrong for the club. There's no doubt they've made mistakes, what business on a growth path like the Albion in the last 3 years wouldn't? I'd rather support them, if necessary point out what they do wrong in a constructive way, so that if they really didn't know what was wrong, they are in a position to do something about it.

If you believe the club does things specifically to annoy, upset, or rip you off then I am at a loss to understand why you'd think that. Successful businesses succeed by putting forward a win-win scenario, if it is not good for us, then it will not be good for them, and vice versa.

Totally agree, there seems to be a real desire to turn every mountain into a molehill and to see malice in everything that the club does. I find it mystifying.