[Albion] Quick question for Season Ticket Holders

[nickbrighton]

Well, I just wasn't sure if there was some kind of retained fee equivalent to my membership fee. Don't want to get all ranty when I don't have all the facts! Got the question answered nice and succinctly. But please edit my thread title if you like. Maybe Mr Barber's minions will come across it

I don't really want to ask for a refund, but I would like to be offered one. That way I would know we were appreciated. I'm a member because I want to be a member of Brighton, and to get a small priority window for games. Thats it really. I would never expect to be in front of STH's for anything, but equally would like to be thought of when unexpected situations occur like this year.

Benefits of membership -

NEW: Bonus points for loyalty for members that renew for consecutive seasons - OK, thats new this year, but doubt it will break any ticket-buying windows
NEW: Free E-programme (worth £48) - STH got this as well I presume
Members’ Gift Pack (worth £15) - pretty sure STH got this as well
Option to be on the season ticket waiting list - N/A - if I wanted one I would have one by now
NEW: Exclusive online member quizzes, Q&A's with players and staff, competitions and offers - Hmmmm
NEW: Birthday e-card for adults - I'll be looking out for it
Priority purchase window for home games** - N/A Season 2020/21. Although apparently and surprisingly it did fall to members for the City game. Who'd have thunk it? Not that I could have gone on a weekday evening.
Priority purchase window for away games** - N/A Season 2020/21
Three club superstore discount days with a minimum of 10% off all stock - Did these happen? But not the best deal for a member living in Cornwall
FREE Access to scheduled open training session - N/A Season 2020/21, and again not really why someone living far from the Amex gets a membership, its not that 'free' if you have to travel 300 miles first.

If I understand you correctly your perceived "I got nothing for my membership" isn't strictly true is it. You chose for various reasons beyond the clubs control not to make the most of it. The member discount days did happen, you could have got tickets for Man city, free e programs , the fact that of the benefits aren't particularly geared to people living 300 miles away is hardly the clubs fault. We ,unlike the toxic six ,do mainly have a local fan base and thats what the club is geared up to service. Should they have offered a refund for this seasons membership, when as a result of being a member there were various options that wouldn't have been available to non members , (city game, discounts,season tickets, e programs etc). is open to question but Im sure those members who did see the city game, did get season tickets and did use the discount days are probably quite happy with it.

If you live that far from the Amex, Im not sure that there is any real benefit to being a member in a normal season, let alone one where we knew from the outset that most of it was going to be behind closed doors

 

[BNthree]

Is that right? Who'd have thunk it? 8,000 tickets to be shared between 20,000+ season ticket holders who had already paid in advance for the game?

No one had already paid for tickets for this match. All money paid for this season had been refunded or carried over to next season. Though I do think you have a valid gripe about Membership fees for 20-21 season (in that you paid your £25 and got nothing for it) but there's lots of that going on with covid and all.

 

[goldstoneseagull]

So the answer is nothing, zero pounds? Thanks, I just wanted that confirmed.

Just wondering how pissed off I should be that my MyAlbion+ membership has just gone through for £25, and my daughter's for £15, at the exact same time of year that it went through in 2020; and for that we weren't even given a go in the ballot. Its only £40, right, I'm not screaming for a refund, but I can't say I'm happy that a season ticket holder gets the chance to apply for tickets, and if unsuccessful pays nothing, whereas a member doesn't get the chance to apply for tickets, but is still asked to pay £25 for .... nothing.

I might not live in Brighton but I want to be a member of the club, but we always do seem to be an afterthought for the management.

I had an ST and exactly the same problem with a MyAlbion+ membership for my dad. Paid nothing for my ST, except for the Sheff Utd game I went to and any monies retained were to be deducted against next season's balance. So I can completely see your rationale.

Seems like they retained the fee for the gift pack sent out, ST don't receive that unless requested so I think members should have a choice in the same way.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

If I understand you correctly your perceived "I got nothing for my membership" isn't strictly true is it. You chose for various reasons beyond the clubs control not to make the most of it. The member discount days did happen, you could have got tickets for Man city, free e programs , the fact that of the benefits aren't particularly geared to people living 300 miles away is hardly the clubs fault. We ,unlike the toxic six ,do mainly have a local fan base and thats what the club is geared up to service. Should they have offered a refund for this seasons membership, when as a result of being a member there were various options that wouldn't have been available to non members , (city game, discounts,season tickets, e programs etc). is open to question but Im sure those members who did see the city game, did get season tickets and did use the discount days are probably quite happy with it.

I have no doubt Mr Barber would say the same if I asked him. I'm not comparing to non-members, those unfortunate souls, but to STH's. I suppose it just boils down to this:

- season ticket holder, pays up front, gets e-programs and so on, can't make the City game, gets a full refund.
- member, pays up front, gets e-programs and so on, can't make the City game, gets no refund.

(or even, STH, can make the City game, pays £28, Member, can make the City game, pays £45 + £25 = £70. Probably worth it in the end, but still.....)

Its not a lot of money, I'm not looking for a fight, I probably won't say anything to the club and will suck it up because I'm British after all. It just doesn't seem fair and what a nice gesture it would have been for the club to have rolled our 2020-21 membership onto next season.

 

[BNthree]

Oh and while I'm moaning away, when season-ticket holders were given the rights to watch games for free on Sky or BT for a few matches earlier this season, that offer wasn't extended to members.

Isn't that more on the broadcasters giving the club enough one day pass codes for the number of season ticket holders? If the club had to pay for members to have passes for those matches it would have cost them more than the membership fees.

 

[Albion_Dave]

Well, I just wasn't sure if there was some kind of retained fee equivalent to my membership fee. Don't want to get all ranty when I don't have all the facts! Got the question answered nice and succinctly. But please edit my thread title if you like. Maybe Mr Barber's minions will come across it

I don't really want to ask for a refund, but I would like to be offered one. That way I would know we were appreciated. I'm a member because I want to be a member of Brighton, and to get a small priority window for games. Thats it really. I would never expect to be in front of STH's for anything, but equally would like to be thought of when unexpected situations occur like this year.

Benefits of membership -

NEW: Bonus points for loyalty for members that renew for consecutive seasons - OK, thats new this year, but doubt it will break any ticket-buying windows
NEW: Free E-programme (worth £48) - STH got this as well I presume
Members’ Gift Pack (worth £15) - pretty sure STH got this as well
Option to be on the season ticket waiting list - N/A - if I wanted one I would have one by now
NEW: Exclusive online member quizzes, Q&A's with players and staff, competitions and offers - Hmmmm
NEW: Birthday e-card for adults - I'll be looking out for it
Priority purchase window for home games** - N/A Season 2020/21. Although apparently and surprisingly it did fall to members for the City game. Who'd have thunk it? Not that I could have gone on a weekday evening.
Priority purchase window for away games** - N/A Season 2020/21
Three club superstore discount days with a minimum of 10% off all stock - Did these happen? But not the best deal for a member living in Cornwall
FREE Access to scheduled open training session - N/A Season 2020/21, and again not really why someone living far from the Amex gets a membership, its not that 'free' if you have to travel 300 miles first.

Do your children not get a free home shirt on their 7th birthday?

 

[goldstoneseagull]

I have no doubt Mr Barber would say the same if I asked him. I'm not comparing to non-members, those unfortunate souls, but to STH's. I suppose it just boils down to this:

- season ticket holder, pays up front, gets e-programs and so on, can't make the City game, gets a full refund.
- member, pays up front, gets e-programs and so on, can't make the City game, gets no refund.

(or even, STH, can make the City game, pays £28, Member, can make the City game, pays £45 + £25 = £70. Probably worth it in the end, but still.....)

Its not a lot of money, I'm not looking for a fight, I probably won't say anything to the club and will suck it up because I'm British after all. It just doesn't seem fair and what a nice gesture it would have been for the club to have rolled our 2020-21 membership onto next season.

Worth feeding it back to the club, I can see where you're coming from.

 

[goldstoneseagull]

Yeah I've also been charged the £25 but I really am not 100% sure what for. I cancelled my ST, and hadn't requested a new MyAlbion+ membership. I'm sure there's going to be some bit of small print somewhere that explains this, but no response from Barbs as yet.

When you cancelled your ST, you have to uncheck the box- sign me up for MyAlbion+ 21/22 (I know as I saw this when cancelling). Bit sneaky, I think the rationale behind really centres on retention of loyalty points which you would lose if you don't register/maintain a membership.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Isn't that more on the broadcasters giving the club enough one day pass codes for the number of season ticket holders? If the club had to pay for members to have passes for those matches it would have cost them more than the membership fees.

Yep, thats what PB said, out of his hands. So I'm not exactly being totally fair with my whinge on this one

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Do your children not get a free home shirt on their 7th birthday?

My daughter is 15, I don't believe that deal existed when she was 7 - in fact I'm not even sure a membership scheme of any kind existed then. We bought memberships for the first time on our promotion in 2017, which is when I think the scheme was launched.

 

[Official Old Man]

ST holders gift pack cost £12 I think.
My renewal cost me the price of the Sheff game that I went to.
Do think you have a point though. As a ST holder 2020/21 cost me the lowest price for two games, and that's all the club have got out of me in a year.

 

[amexer]

May have been dressed up as additional benefits but sure all the extra £20/£25s for sharing and MyAlbion membership even if for only one game has been put in place to raise additional income

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Worth feeding it back to the club, I can see where you're coming from.

Ah, they had their window to make an offer, they didn't use it. They either didn't consider members, or did consider us and decided not to make that offer. Not sure which is worse really.

Anyway if I worked in customer services for the club, I'd draft a reply like this: "Thank you for your email. Season-ticket holders pay for something tangible, a seat at a game to watch Brighton. As we couldn't fulfil that commitment this season we have offered them a full refund. MyAlbion+ members, in contrast, pay for nothing more than a low-priority window in which to purchase tickets, which - as you well know, being a longstanding MyAlbion+ member - is virtually worthless as every game either sells out before that window opens or goes on general sale to the public. So as you've basically paid for nothing, save the few little trinkets we throw your way, and we were able to provide nothing, we believe we have fulfilled our commitment to you. Moreover, considering that this is by far the easiest way we make money off supporters, relying on the gullible enthusiasm of the MyAlbion+ member, we see no reason to provide a refund of any kind safe in the knowledge that you will continue to pay this money to the club. After all, you could have simply cancelled your direct debit, but you clearly chose not to. Many thanks for your continued support of Brighton and Hove Albion."

 

[MattBackHome]

When you cancelled your ST, you have to uncheck the box- sign me up for MyAlbion+ 21/22 (I know as I saw this when cancelling). Bit sneaky, I think the rationale behind really centres on retention of loyalty points which you would lose if you don't register/maintain a membership.

Thanks that does make sense