[Albion] new away fan ID/ticketing system

[jackalbion]

Maybe yours was a one off experience for some reason. I have been told by Supporter services that they always have staff working on an away match day so they can assist with any issues. I've had to pick up tickets many times because I used to live out of England and picking up at the ground was the usual route if they weren't ready at the last Amex home game. Usually there have been no issues with picking up. The only time I had an issue was at Forest Green and there were definitely Albion staff in their offices doing their darndest to sort out problems.

Maybe it was a COVID thing, because the ticketing team have been very helpful many times to me, but last season at least at West Brom (which tbf was height of COVID) and Leeds (which was a Sunday) they did not pick up the phone when either friend forgot their tickets. Although I accept, they could also not be morons and forget their ticket but it happens.

 

[spanish flair]

One thing that is confusing me is that in your original post you stated that your friend asked if he could transfer the ticket to someone else which would obviously in the current climate be refused. You do not say if he in fact asked for and was also refused a refund if the ticket could be resold on the club site. If that was indeed the case then i would have to agree that it seems at odds with a previous post where this was allowed and maybe the club could be asked to clarify this especially as they do not want tickets being passed on without their knowledge.

I think if you read it again, he was in fact refused a refund

 

[chaileyjem]

Agreed, but one thing I would expect, is the club to be consistent and they have taken tickets back in the past and resold them
And don’t threatened fans with ten match bans if they pass a ticket to someone who gets in trouble and then ask fans to sell four guest tickets for the next away game

There have always been sanctions for allowing your season ticket or ticket to be used by someone else who then gets arrested etc and likewise for guests. This isn't new or unusual for any club.
The 10 match sanction, perhaps a prohibitive one, is for abuse of the loyalty scheme . The loyalty scheme tries to make sure that when there is scarcity and demand outstrips supply then those who have earnt the right (by having a season ticket for many seasons or going to away games north of watford ) gets the right to buy one ahead of others. For Nottm Forest and several other games - there is no scarcity- if you are club member, ST holder - everyone can buy a ticket or has a ticket if they want one. In fact you now have the extra benefit of being allowed to get tickets for non members etc. Its just another way of managing demand. (they also allowed you to buy tickets with heavy discounts if you bought them a few weeks ago...again managing demand). Nothing to do with "sharing" or allowing mates to get to go to Brentford who haven't put in the hard yards in earning points in the loyalty scheme. Fine if people think the sanctions are heavy handed or the club has over-reacted but they've not been hypocritical here - come on.

 

[spanish flair]

There have always been sanctions for allowing your season ticket or ticket to be used by someone else who then gets arrested etc and likewise for guests. This isn't new or unusual for any club.
The 10 match sanction, perhaps a prohibitive one, is for abuse of the loyalty scheme . The loyalty scheme tries to make sure that when there is scarcity and demand outstrips supply then those who have earnt the right (by having a season ticket for many seasons or going to away games north of watford ) gets the right to buy one ahead of others. For Nottm Forest and several other games - there is no scarcity- if you are club member, ST holder - everyone can buy a ticket or has a ticket if they want one. In fact you now have the extra benefit of being allowed to get tickets for non members etc. Its just another way of managing demand. (they also allowed you to buy tickets with heavy discounts if you bought them a few weeks ago...again managing demand). Nothing to do with "sharing" or allowing mates to get to go to Brentford who haven't put in the hard yards in earning points in the loyalty scheme.

I can assure you the hard yards have in this case been put-in, as you put it

 

[chaileyjem]

I can assure the hard yards have in this case been put-in as you put it

Of course. No disrespect intended at all. But The loyalty scheme is the loyalty scheme . Some people will have more points than others . The thousands of people who wanted tickets for Brentford but couldn't get them are still some of the most loyal fans of the Albion i guess with multiple away trips, and season tickets to their name. But not as many hard yards , according to the loyalty scheme , as those in Tier 1. (blame TB - he apparently had a big hand in designing it/refining it)

PS: the club could try a lot harder to be transparent or offer more to fans when it comes to genuine reasons for not being able to get to away games. Train strikes ? , If you're ill ? There's some scope for refunds at the moment in the fans charter but they don't exactly shout about them and they seem pretty ad hoc. Before tickets are sent out ? Can you return them ?

 

[spanish flair]

Of course. No disrespect intended at all. But The loyalty scheme is the loyalty scheme . Some people will have more points than others . The thousands of people who wanted tickets for Brentford but couldn't get them are still some of the most loyal fans of the Albion i guess with multiple away trips, and season tickets to their name. But not as many hard yards , according to the loyalty scheme , as those in Tier 1. (blame TB - he apparently had a big hand in designing it/refining it)

PS: the club could try a lot harder to be transparent or offer more to fans when it comes to genuine reasons for not being able to get to away games. Train strikes ? , If you're ill ? There's some scope for refunds at the moment in the fans charter but they don't exactly shout about them and they seem pretty ad hoc. Before tickets are sent out ? Can you return them ?

If the club are concerned that the correct fans get high demand tickets, they should surely resell unwanted tickets at a small admin charge to the returning fan. Who wins when that seat goes empty. I think the club are being bloody minded, especially when the game is close on three weeks away

 

[drew]

If the club are concerned that the correct fans get high demand tickets, they should surely resell unwanted tickets at a small admin charge to the returning fan. Who wins when that seat goes empty. I think the club are being bloody minded, especially when the game is close on three weeks away

I think the problem the club have is that if, without a formal procedure in place, they give a refund to one fan, chances are there would be many more taking advantage.

I don't have a problem with the existing Loyalty scheme, partly because I, like others, have put in the hard yards and am in the top tier. I think the clubs actions this week are the right way to go because there are those abusing the system and that can cost people like Neville's Breakfast the opportunity to go, let alone those in tier 2 or 3 etc. PB has, as I understand it, never claimed the system is perfect but that it is the best method that he has seen operated. I think they could move closer to being perfect if for sold out games they allowed returns and the person giving back the ticket gets some money back provided the ticket is sold on by the club. I don't think someone can expect a refund if the ticket isn't resold because then the club would be bearing the cost.

 

[BNthree]

I do agree though that in the last week a huge amount of people have been selling Liverpool tickets, and I can see why that annoys you, because that isn’t fair on you, having a poorer view. Also this practice has been frowned upon by the club for quite some time, so people are stupid to do it so openly on social media.

Pretty sure people are trying to offload Liverpool tickets due to the trains being up the creek.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Of course. No disrespect intended at all. But The loyalty scheme is the loyalty scheme . Some people will have more points than others . The thousands of people who wanted tickets for Brentford but couldn't get them are still some of the most loyal fans of the Albion i guess with multiple away trips, and season tickets to their name. But not as many hard yards , according to the loyalty scheme , as those in Tier 1. (blame TB - he apparently had a big hand in designing it/refining it)

I love the implication of "hard yards", that many people have used, that going to an away game is an ordeal to be suffered (and for which the only reward is, perversely, the chance to go to more). Cost aside, it's the best part of being a football supporter.

As an aside, the other day a season ticket holder at Everton was complaining to me that it's literally impossible for her to ever get away tickets. On the other hand I used to know a guy who could go to see them pretty much whenever he was free, just because he knew the right people. Once your club reaches the point where people actually want to go and see them these problems will come up.

 

[AnotherArch]

True.


Fans who are forced to collect tickets should be rewarded by the club imo - maybe a voucher for a few quid off food/drink at The Amex. Or a bespoke "Albion away" badge.

Would soften the blow for innocent fans caught up in all this.

It may be the other way round. Fans who FAIL to collect their tickets will probably be sent a get-well-soon card and/or a Disciplinary Warning for Absence.

 

[Justice]

I love the implication of "hard yards", that many people have used, that going to an away game is an ordeal to be suffered (and for which the only reward is, perversely, the chance to go to more). Cost aside, it's the best part of being a football supporter.

As an aside, the other day a season ticket holder at Everton was complaining to me that it's literally impossible for her to ever get away tickets. On the other hand I used to know a guy who could go to see them pretty much whenever he was free, just because he knew the right people. Once your club reaches the point where people actually want to go and see them these problems will come up.

When football fans talk about the hard yards it’s normally a phrase used when you’ve trawled around the country watching your club in the lower leagues, not a few games at some of the best stadiums in the country. Considering only 200-500 used to watch the Albion regularly away when I started going there is no way 3000 have done hard yards. Darlington, Stockport, Mansfield, Exeter, Grimsby, Plymouth, Crewe, Rotherham, Blackpool, Carlisle, the old Den, Roker Park, Leeds park, Elm Park do a few of these and you may be able to say I’ve done the hard yards.

 

[Eeyore]

When football fans talk about the hard yards it’s normally a phrase used when you’ve trawled around the country watching your club in the lower leagues, not a few games at some of the best stadiums in the country. Considering only 200-500 used to watch the Albion regularly away when I started going there is no way 3000 have done hard yards. Darlington, Stockport, Mansfield, Exeter, Grimsby, Plymouth, Crewe, Rotherham, Blackpool, Carlisle, the old Den, Roker Park, Leeds park, Elm Park do a few of these and you may be able to say I’ve done the hard yards.

14/14 for me there.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

When football fans talk about the hard yards it’s normally a phrase used when you’ve trawled around the country watching your club in the lower leagues, not a few games at some of the best stadiums in the country. Considering only 200-500 used to watch the Albion regularly away when I started going there is no way 3000 have done hard yards. Darlington, Stockport, Mansfield, Exeter, Grimsby, Plymouth, Crewe, Rotherham, Blackpool, Carlisle, the old Den, Roker Park, Leeds park, Elm Park do a few of these and you may be able to say I’ve done the hard yards.

Well, I've been to Darlington in the lower leagues

Which thinking about it, will have counted as much towards my current Brighton loyalty points as attendance at any of those grounds will have yours.

 

[e77]

In fairness we haven't played in the 4th Tier in 21 years and the 3rd tier in 11 years so there is a generation or two of fans who haven't had need to go to a lot of lower league grounds (outside of the odd cup match).

Last season I caught COVID the week before Watford away and e-mailed the club to see if they wanted the ticket back. I was encouraged to send it back, wasn't offered a refund but did point out I ticked the insurance box (which I had done because the trains looked dodgy that day) so I got my money back.

I returned the ticket at my own expense in the hope another fan could use it.

 

[Dave the hatosaurus]

I think if you read it again, he was in fact refused a refund

Sorry, my bad i just read the first few lines about the possible transfer to someone with points and missed the last bit.
So i am now wondering if your friend had known earlier about the person not being able to go and thus been in the position to phone the club before the e mails etc whether his request would have been more sympathetically received. It would be nice to know for the future about the possibility or not of refunds etc in certain circumstances.
Incidentally i bought 2 tickets at the same time for Brentford one for me and one for a friend on my family and friends list us both having the requisite points and he has had an email saying he has to pick up his ticket and i have not ! (at least to date i may be speaking too soon)

 

[Justice]

14/14 for me there.

Hard yards gold star for you

 

[Justice]

14/14 for me there.

I’ve definitely bunked the train to more than one of them.

 

[Justice]

Well, I've been to Darlington in the lower leagues

Which thinking about it, will have counted as much towards my current Brighton loyalty points as attendance at any of those grounds will have yours.

If it’s the same game I went to we won

 

[Eeyore]

Hard yards gold star for you

Do I get an extra gold star for six mid-week games, one of which the coach broke down on and we didn't get back till 7am ? (Grimsby).

Them were the days.

I can't do it anymore, sadly, and I don't think it's the same anyway.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Do I get an extra gold star for six mid-week games, one of which the coach broke down on and we didn't get back till 7am ? (Grimsby).

Them were the days.

I can't do it anymore, sadly, and I don't think it's the same anyway.

Yes, you do. Not from the club though. They are available to purchase from STH on Facebook.