On line v in person!

[downham seagull]

How can there be a £2 charge to book a ticket on line when there is no charge in you go in person to the ticket office? The admin cost must be far higher in person as on line is automated?

 

[Bladders]

You have to pay a booking fee even though YOU did all the bloody booking! Its a disgrace.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

The server and secure booking system do not pay for themselves.

 

[Steve.S]

The server and secure booking system do not pay for themselves.

It's the same system used by the shop.

 

[Bridcutt]

Postage?

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

It's the same system used by the shop.

So? It's paid in part when you pay in person and in part when you book online. It's still being used for your transaction in both cases.

 

[bennibenj]

The booking fee seems to have gone down for the auto cup purchasing scheme, only charges me 50p more rather than £2

 

[Steve.S]

So? It's paid in part when you pay in person and in part when you book online. It's still being used for your transaction in both cases.

Therefore why charge for online and not in person.

 

[Muzzy]

I agree that it's unfair system.... You do not get this when you shop online elsewhere at shops/retailers that I use.
Never really understood this charge.
Can someone explain this please?

 

[Guy Fawkes]

How can there be a £2 charge to book a ticket on line when there is no charge in you go in person to the ticket office? The admin cost must be far higher in person as on line is automated?

The online system is run by a third party and not directly by the club. They don't offer their service for free so charge a booking fee as a way of making money from their venture.

If people are so worried about paying this fee, why don't they form larger groups and buy all the tickets for that group in a single transaction so that £2 fee is split between everyone rather than people paying separate fees

 

[beorhthelm]

this has been covered before, iirc its due to the cost structure of the software used, incurs a fee when used online but not in the office. if we cry about it enough they will change it, though the only option would be to add a fee to the shop transactions too

 

[Dominoid]

Also, bear in mind that even though the system is the same as the shop, there's a website to host. Hosting space isn't free and the resources needed to sell things like tickets where you have really spikey activity (not sales for days then 100000 people log on at once when a ticket is released) are actually quite costly.

 

[Steve.S]

It seems odd that Brighton want you to not bring money to the ground and offer e-cash and give a discount for using them. The idea is to cut queuing time. Surely by doing it online you are saving the cost of staff doing it in the shop. Does not make sense a member of staff books it for you and it costs less. You book it yourself and they charge you £2

 

[Guy Fawkes]

this has been covered before, iirc its due to the cost structure of the software used, incurs a fee when used online but not in the office. if we cry about it enough they will change it, though the only option would be to add a fee to the shop transactions too

Or put every ticket up by £2 to cover this transaction charge, neither of which would be preferable

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

It is the company providing the software for the ticketing system that takes a commission every time a transaction occurs. The £2 booking fee also includes the validation cost of the credit/debit card , postage and packing. The club actually incurs a loss with multiple bookings on one transaction.

 

[Steve.S]

Also, bear in mind that even though the system is the same as the shop, there's a website to host. Hosting space isn't free and the resources needed to sell things like tickets where you have really spikey activity (not sales for days then 100000 people log on at once when a ticket is released) are actually quite costly.

Maybe I am being thick, but it does not cost any money to add money onto e-cash, who runs that system? That is done on-line

 

[JTR938]

Funny you should mention this.... We had to pop into town today to get a few bits and thought it would be a good time to pop upto queens road to get my cup ticket only to be told I had to do it online or come back during the week It certainly wasn't due to a shortage of staff in the shop as there 4 people congregating around the till area.
Anyway, after doing what was needed in town I decided to take a short detour to the Amex to purchase said ticket only to be told by the butch security lady that I would have to purchase online or come back during the week.... Almost word for word as the person at the shop!
I was now a little irritated, and proceeded to explain that I happen to work during the week (as I'm sure most of you do) and she rudely said you will just have to book online then!
I can't help but feel that this is what the club want in order to benefit from these booking fees! It's like dealing with easy jet and Ryanair!
It prompts that key question of are we fans or customers??

 

[8ace]

I was once told that companies such as Ryanair have to provide at least one way to purchase a ticket w/o incurring a booking fee. As Michael O'Leary wouldn't give you the steam off his piss, naturally they make this as obscure and a difficult as possible (some weird charge card or something). Maybe it's the same with the Albion ticket office