Simple solution then, in house online exchange system. Membership required for anyone buying just as with Arsenal or Chelsea, sorted.
Also creates more of an open market, harder for touts to sell.
United Have Confiscated My Season Tickets
- Thread starter Sultan
- Start date
Also creates more of an open market, harder for touts to sell.
If you did not receive a cease and desist notification, it could be argued that the club have not given you the opportunity to stop the infringement, or to clarify your position to them.
This is not the way to conduct business, in any organisation.
This is not the way to conduct business, in any organisation.
Agreed. I think they probably will do it at some point but the sooner, the better really.
They’ve already started the ticket forwarding for aways so something similar for home matches should not be too tricky.
They used to do that officially through Viagogo when I lived in the UK. It was great and I used it all the time. Only downside was having to pay the Viagogo fees.
Same I used to use it all the time, didn't mind paying the fee it was a small price to pay. Not sure why they stopped doing it. But yeah a ticket exchange would solve a lot of problems for the season ticket holders who can't attend and genuine fans who want to get to games.
Is the issue the fact you’ve actually sold your ticket on at face value to genuine fans, or are they suspicious you’re touting your tickets at extortionate rates? Because if it’s the former, that’s fecking ridiculous. You can’t be expected to make every single game, and when you can’t you should be allowed to sell them on.
If it’s the latter, then can you just prove you’re not doing that, some how? Maybe even use this thread as proof of all the grateful United fans from all over the world who’ve benefited from your kindness at face value prices.
If it’s the latter, then can you just prove you’re not doing that, some how? Maybe even use this thread as proof of all the grateful United fans from all over the world who’ve benefited from your kindness at face value prices.
I think that’s the issue. I don’t think tickets are allowed to be resold at any value. They can only, effectively be gifted.
I don’t suspect they’re that arsed about that though because every time I’ve been with someone else’s season ticket they’ve not batted an eyelid. I did hear once though that they occasionally come round and check tickets, asking where you got them from to try and catch people out.
Surely they can’t prove that money has actually been exchanged though? What evidence do they have in order for them to cancel Sults ticket so early in the season without a refund, effectively costing him hundreds of pounds?
Pissed off.
And some members have already admitted getting sold tickets on "face value" from him even in this thread, so if that is the criteria, he is banged to rights.. better not show this thread as evidence then (just incase!)
A member above made a great point about security risks. The whole point of season tickets is to have a community, local Manc flavour to the club (that's why season tickets are heavily discounted from match-rate tickets), not every tom, dick and harry from Timbuktu that you don't know fudge all about. It's harsh, but we all have to tighten our security belts since the terrorist attacks, especially strangers coming into the Country you don't know from adam.
They should've warned him first though.
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Season tickets are not heavily discounted from normal match rates at all. They are just slightly lower.
If it was about security, why do they put tickets for unpopular games on general sale? And you can buy multiple tickets for those games. The club can’t just pick and choose when something is a security issue based on sales.
Sucks to hear that. Can totally understand you not wanting to go watch any game again. As you mentioned, you've had losses earlier too. This really sucks the club doing something like this to someone who's such a long time supporter. The least is you should get your refund. I really hope you do.
Someone help a Yank understand this. What is touting?
Are you guys not allowed to sell your tickets if you're a season ticket holder? What happens if you cannot attend a game? What if you want to gift a pair of tickets to a friend or family member?
How are people (like me) who aren't season ticket holders but would like to be able to attend a match at OT one day supposed to buy a ticket to a single game?
Are you guys not allowed to sell your tickets if you're a season ticket holder? What happens if you cannot attend a game? What if you want to gift a pair of tickets to a friend or family member?
How are people (like me) who aren't season ticket holders but would like to be able to attend a match at OT one day supposed to buy a ticket to a single game?
Touting is reselling tickets at greater than face value for profit. Touts are people who buy tickets not to watch the match but to make a profit.
The terms and conditions (Paragraph 49) state that a season ticket holder cannot sell a ticket to anyone except to a friend or family member or via a ticketing platform that the club uses (used to be Viagogo, but I don't know if they still have that anymore).
Tough luck. You miss the match. The club made money off of you, so they won't care.
As stated in Paragraph 32 of the T's & C's, you can lend a ticket over to a friend/family member.
There are two things that you can do:
1. Become an official member by paying £20 per season and getting a privileged access to single-match tickets if they are available.
2. Wait for the tickets to go on general sale, and buy them.
Does the club have a mechanism for you to sell tickets back to them if unused?
No - they used to do it via Viagogo but stopped that association a few years ago, the reason actually was because Viagogo raised their fees for the ticket buyer massively so it effectively became official touting
I see, well I feel the club needs to reintroduce something along these lines, but do it for free via the club website.. that way someone like Sults, can offer up his ticket at full value and get his money back for it, and fans who are looking for last minute tickets can attend without getting ripped off. Seems an absolute no brainer to prevent good guys like Sults from getting mixed up with accusations of touting when United don't have processes in place to allow official recirculation of tickets.
FC Bayern did this a couple of years ago. They too stopped any cooperation with Viagogo, then started to crackdown on professional touts via cease-and-desist letters (reselling tickets for profit is forbidden in the T&Cs), and then set up their own 'second market' platform via the FCBayern website, where season ticket holders can sell their tickets at purchase value if they can't attend.
I think even if a small fee was charged to cover admin time/costs then fans would be pretty happy - Viagogo was a useful service at first but then started taking the piss with admin fees so the club rightly stopped it but I'm surprised they haven't come up with a replacement system after all this time
As always, Bayern making United look stupid on and off the pitch in recent years.
Thanks to Sultan's generosity I got to see my first United game - which remains one of the most memorable days in my life.
If the terms say you can give it to friends, how can they revoke a ticket? After all he's passing it on to people you know, albeit from the internet.
Ultimately though I think the problem is far bigger: modern MUFC now exists primarily to make money. With every cup noodle partner we sign up, matchday revenues become less important and fans are shoved even lower on the club's priorities.
If the terms say you can give it to friends, how can they revoke a ticket? After all he's passing it on to people you know, albeit from the internet.
Ultimately though I think the problem is far bigger: modern MUFC now exists primarily to make money. With every cup noodle partner we sign up, matchday revenues become less important and fans are shoved even lower on the club's priorities.
Wasn't meant like this, no dig intended. Just as an example to reinforce your point. I haven't used the FCB second market platform myself, so I wouldn't know whether it actually works out well enough for the satisfaction of fans.
Thank you for all of the info. So it sounds like the club do make individual match tickets available for sale to the general public, which is good. I'm hoping that one day I'll be able to convince my wife to come to England with me so I can see a game. Obviously I'll be in a position where I simply need two tickets to one random match.
Things work much differently here in the US. Lets say I purchase season tickets for the Chicago Bears (American football). That means I get tickets to 8 home games, and those tickets are mine to do whatever I wish with. I can use them all or I can sell every single one of them at a markup on Stubhub.
I can understand why United take the measures they do- obviously they're attempting to prevent people from using season tickets solely as a way to profit- but there has to be some sort of leeway built in, so that they're not essentially holding their fans hostage.
But that's a big part of it, or all we know you could be a 14 year old girl and not who you say you are. I'm sure Sultan took many steps and checks as to who he sold the tickets too, but someone you've never met except over the internet isn't the same as a selling it to a mate or family member.
Don't get me wrong and I feel sorry for everyone involved and the amount of people he's helped to fullfil their dreams is brilliant, just picking up on that point highlighted that I can understand why United have drawn the line there.
A warning would have been nice? (and polite.... )
Membership scheme is the best bet for run of the mill league matches. You can actually buy the membership at the same time as buying the ticket if you prefer so no need to get it at the start of a season in case it turned out you couldn't come after all. Right now there are seats available for Bournemouth and Stoke to members.
Games against big teams, or sometimes the last day of the season will go to a ballot. All members who want to go let the club know online and if more members than seats available express an interest it comes down to whether you membership number gets picked at random or not.
Tickets only usually go on general sale to non-members for Carabao and FA Cup games, especially if they're early rounds against smaller teams, Europa League last season, sometimes Champions League qualifying rounds if we had to play one.
One other option is VIP hospitality package where you can buy a ticket, a meal and I think you get a match day programme thrown in. No need to be a member for these, they're pricey though! - http://www.matchdayvip.manutd.com/en/AvailableMatches.aspx
Completely agree and United could have handled it better for sure
Oh, wow...so if you're a fan who just wants to go to one EPL match per season, say, you pretty much are forced to buy the membership package, essentially to earn the right to go and buy tickets to the match. And I'm assuming you have to buy a membership per ticket, right?
Yes, it’s only £20 (£10 if you took up their Black Friday offer) and you’re not forced. If United weren’t able to sell all tickets to members, they’d sell on general sale as they often do for League Cup & FA Cup.
Yep, only 1 ticket per membership. So thats an extra £25(?) for each ticket. Best bet is to get off a season ticket holder like Sults but evidently they aren't too happy about that.
Yes as the others have said. You do get some other little benefits of being a member. 10% off in the red cafe and megastore if you were planning on buying merchandise or popping in for some food. Also half price museum and stadium tour. It's £20 so you'd be looking at that + around £40 for each adult ticket.
The above is for "membership lite". They also do full membership for £32 where you get a membership pack in the mail plus the same perks. This year you got a beanie hat, a voucher to collect a yearbook from the ticket office, a coaster to put your glass/cup down on, a pin badge, a membership/credit/debit card holder and a pen. Last year they had a scarf in there. Other years they've had a dvd, a mouse mat, key rings, stuff like that.
So, we don't appear to have got any further with this.
Can I maybe interest you in some Spurs season tickets instead?
A number of us have sent emails through to United, and got a standardised reply.
they have their next meeting in Mid December. Doubt anything substantive will happen before then.
Is it possible to PM someone here? I have a contact that might help, just don't want to share it publicly.
Please help!
Please help!
Seems like a sensible solution. Surely a club as big as United could manage this!
Varun, need to get in touch with you regarding this issue. I might have something that helps. Where can i contact you privately? Please advise, man. I'm based out of Hyderabad so i don't mind talking if need be. Thanks!
EDIT: As Colin pointed out, i contacted Sultan directly. Let's hope this gets sorted.
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How about contacting Sultan? That would be most obvious.
Makes total sense. Derp.
Just found out that i can start a conversation with someone. so i'm doing that. Thanks
