Wpg Jets Front to Back Seats - Relocation

[aeonkitty]

We currently have front to back seats and have been wanting to relocate to side by side seats since we signed our contract.

We jumped the cue (position 116 on the Wait List) and took P3 front to back seats when they were offered to Wait List members for the 2012-2013 season (2nd year of the Jets' return). One of the main reasons we accepted front to back seats was "to get our foot in the door" and be placed on the relocation list. We were told that the relocation list is similar to the Wait List and that when "our number is up" we would be notified of any side by side seats that become available at the end of each season (our preference was level 100 and 200 seating).

At the end of the 2012-2013 season, we called our account representative to find out if there was any movement on the relocation list. Since the Ticket Purchase Agreements for the lower bowl were not yet expired, he advised that we were not contacted since only the upper bowl side by side seats were available - which makes sense.

When we contacted our account representative at the end of the 2013-2014 season, he advised that we could now only be considered for Seat Relocation when our Ticket Purchase Agreement expires at the end of 2015-2016 (since we obtained tickets in the Jets' 2nd year). This means that we would not have access to any side by side seats that become available at the end of this season (P3, P4 and P5 seats). We were also told that to even be considered for Seat Relocation, that we would have to renew our front to back seats for 4 more years - even if there is a very low or even no possibility of being relocated to side by side seats. This conflicts with what we were initially told in terms of being placed on the relocation list and having an opportunity to relocate after each season.

Although we are happy to be at the games, we are getting tired of sitting in these front to back seats, while paying the same price as side by side seats. We are very frustrated with the situation and if we would have known from the start that it would be very difficult to relocate to side by side seats, then we would have never accepted the front to back seats in the first place and just continued waiting on the Wait List (or we would have considered indicating Level 300 as a preference to at least obtain side by side seats).

We are planning to contact the organization again to determine if there are any other options available (for example, getting out of our Ticket Purchase Agreement one year early without penalty, putting us back on the Wait List, etc.).

So, we were wondering if there are any other front to back season ticket holders that were also told the same information, that you can now only be eligible for Seat Relocation at the end of your Ticket Purchase Agreement and not at the end of every season if side by side seats become available according to your preference? Also, are you still happy with your front to back seats?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated and thank you very much for your time!

Click to read more...

 

[Derfel*]

Do you have any of the promises of the process in writing? That would change things.

 

[blues10]

Have you filled the seat relocation request online within your Jets ticket account? I don't know if it would help but it may be a step to take.

 

[aeonkitty]

Do you have any of the promises of the process in writing? That would change things.

We do not have anything in writing from the organization. We only have our personal notes that we wrote down when we initially signed the Ticket Purchase Agreement (and when we contacted them over the phone to determine our relocation list position).

 

[aeonkitty]

Have you filled the seat relocation request online within your Jets ticket account? I don't know if it would help but it may be a step to take.

Thanks for the suggestion and yes, we completed the seat relocation.

 

[Jeti]

It sounds like one of those situations where policies change and the people you're talking to, the only ones aware of how you're getting screwed, don't have any power to bend the rules. Just ask to speak to a supervisor, explain what you were told and keep escalating it next off-season.

 

[teeks643]

Am I the only one that is frustrated by the fact that after your initial commitment for season tickets ends, you have to sign on for another 'X' number of years (depending what level of seats you have).

In my opinion this is pretty unfair, as we made our initial commitment to the team and put in our time, now it is up to the on-ice product to dictate season ticket sales from year to year.

Don't get me wrong - there is no way that my friends and I would not have renewed our tickets this year, or any years in the foreseeable future, but what bothers me is that the deposit that we paid at the beginning is just being held. I would have thought that after we put in our first 3 year commitment, our deposit would be returned. Since we need to continue to renew in 3-year blocks, we will never get that deposit back until we decide not to renew our tickets?

 

[Derfel*]

Am I the only one that is frustrated by the fact that after your initial commitment for season tickets ends, you have to sign on for another 'X' number of years (depending what level of seats you have).

In my opinion this is pretty unfair, as we made our initial commitment to the team and put in our time, now it is up to the on-ice product to dictate season ticket sales from year to year.

Don't get me wrong - there is no way that my friends and I would not have renewed our tickets this year, or any years in the foreseeable future, but what bothers me is that the deposit that we paid at the beginning is just being held. I would have thought that after we put in our first 3 year commitment, our deposit would be returned. Since we need to continue to renew in 3-year blocks, we will never get that deposit back until we decide not to renew our tickets?

I agree - that deposit should apply to a renewal for sure. I'm wondering if any other team in the NHL has this multi-year commitment, or how that commitment may hold up in court if challenged...

 

[Aavco Cup]

I agree - that deposit should apply to a renewal for sure. I'm wondering if any other team in the NHL has this multi-year commitment, or how that commitment may hold up in court if challenged...

Some arenas have seat license requirements that is a level above this one. It's kind if like buying stock. The Leafs club seats require you to also buy Raptors season tickets.

Nobody forced anyone to sign those contracts. They will only disappear if the demand drops and the wait list is emptied. I don't see a problem with it myself.

 

[cbcwpg]

4. Deposit. In consideration for the rights granted in this Agreement for the Term, the deposit provided by the Primary Account Holder to the Team for each seat purchased pursuant to the Primary Account Holder’s original Ticket Purchase Agreement (the “Depositâ€) shall be re-applied and held by the Team for the duration of the Term. The Deposit shall bear no interest, and at the conclusion of the Term shall either be refunded to the Primary Account Holder or re-applied to a further renewal term as described in paragraph 11 herein.


**

Pretty clear what was going to happen to your deposit.

 

[pegjets]

Holding the deposit allows them to keep a penalty if you decide to walk away from the contract - personally I don't think it is unreasonable.

To the OP, I suggest writing to management (perhaps Norva Riddell who is the VP of Sales) and explain your case there.

 

[cheswick]

To the OP while I don't have front to back seats, I got season tickets for the first time this off season. At the time my ticket rep said that relocations only occur at the end of you commitment term. Which is in line with the latter information you received. He also said that "they take care of the people who are in the building first".

 

[YWGF18]

You should ask them if you can renew a year early but for a year extra term on the next one so 3 years first term and 5 years second.

As it is right now you will never move since you don't line up with anyone else's contracts in your section

 

[civic204]

It will be a shame if they can't figure something out for you in a timely fashion.

There are walkup pairs in the lower bowl available. They don't want to leave your seats as singles that are harder to sell.

 

[aeonkitty]

Holding the deposit allows them to keep a penalty if you decide to walk away from the contract - personally I don't think it is unreasonable.

To the OP, I suggest writing to management (perhaps Norva Riddell who is the VP of Sales) and explain your case there.

Thanks for the suggestion, we will definitely consider this.

 

[aeonkitty]

What’s frustrating for us is that we only signed the contract for front to back seats in the first place because we had an opportunity for seat relocation after each season (i.e. we got our foot in the door and will be ahead of any Wait List members to move within the building). Now, they’ve essentially changed their policy indicating that seat relocation is only available when your contract has expired – so if there are no other contracts expiring in that same year (since contracts are 3, 4 and 5 year terms), then you might never have a chance at seat relocation. Which is exactly what Rsyl84 pointed out.

You should ask them if you can renew a year early but for a year extra term on the next one so 3 years first term and 5 years second.

As it is right now you will never move since you don't line up with anyone else's contracts in your section

I also just saw in this thread (http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1628697) that Sabadecade seems to have been told the same information as us.

I jumped the cue the first year by taking front to back seats. I was 202 on the wait list.

I'm a little biased but, I'm wondering why I wasn't offered side by side P6 as opposed to my front to back P5. I'd like to think that it would be a priority to enhance the current STH experiences before going to the wait list. Not that I don't want people on the wait list to get in, I was there once. One of the main reasons for me accepting front to back was to get my foot in the door then get that fixed later when renewals took place. Perhaps they're waiting for next year when the P3, P4 & P5 are up for renewal, which is what I assumed going in. My expectations were such going in anywway, not too much harm done.

I'll have to call my ticket rep grill him a little.

Interesting my P5's just went up 2.5%

 

[aeonkitty]

To the OP while I don't have front to back seats, I got season tickets for the first time this off season. At the time my ticket rep said that relocations only occur at the end of you commitment term. Which is in line with the latter information you received. He also said that "they take care of the people who are in the building first".

The change of “seat relocations can only occur at the end of your commitment term†seems to only have come into effect after the 2013-2014 season, which would make sense why you were told the same information because you got season tickets for the first time this off season. This was not the policy for seat relocation when we initially signed our contract or even after the end of the first season we got tickets (2012-2013).

We were also told that they “take care of people who are in the building first†and were even told that they have a “priority†of fixing undesirable seats like ours first (for example, front to back seats or obstructed views). However, we have yet to hear any guarantee of seat relocation and now the change to waiting for a seat relocation at the end of our commitment term only makes this process even more difficult. Which seems to beg the question, why would they even consider selling front to back seats as season tickets in the first place.

Our Account Rep even said that our situation, “was a bad situation to be in.†So, if this was the case from the start, do you think we would have signed this contract for front to back seats? Definitely not.

 

[aeonkitty]

On another note, we recently spoke to a different Account Representative, and she told us vaguely that we “still could have an opportunity to relocate after each season.†So, it doesn’t seem like all of their Account Reps are even on the same page.

 

[bodybreak]

4. Deposit. In consideration for the rights granted in this Agreement for the Term, the deposit provided by the Primary Account Holder to the Team for each seat purchased pursuant to the Primary Account Holder’s original Ticket Purchase Agreement (the “Deposit”) shall be re-applied and held by the Team for the duration of the Term. The Deposit shall bear no interest, and at the conclusion of the Term shall either be refunded to the Primary Account Holder or re-applied to a further renewal term as described in paragraph 11 herein.


**

Pretty clear what was going to happen to your deposit.

Funny, because my Account License says:

3. Deposit. In consideration for the License for the Term, the Licensee agrees to provide to the Team a deposit for each seat in the account that this License is subject to, to be held by the Team for the duration of the Term. The deposit shall bear no interest, and at the conclusion of the Term shall either be refunded to the Licensee or re-applied to a further renewal term described below. The Deposit shall be euqal to the sum of the number of seats selected per Category, multiplied by the corresponding "Deposit per Seat" amount noted in the table below.


Maybe the wording changed depending on what year you signed on? Also odd that in yours, deposit was paragraph 4, while in mine it was paragraph 3. When I first read and signed mine, in July 2011, I understood it to mean that after the initial term, the deposit could remain in the account to be applied to future season tickets, or refunded to me, at my discretion.


Someone also suggested to the OP indicating that the OP would like to request a change through the online account preferences options. Speaking of account preferences, I was surprised this year when no cheque came in the mail for my games that had been sold through SeatExchange. Turns out you have to set receiving a cheque as your preference each season... At the start of every season, that preference will default to remaining on your account. Fortunately for me, I could toggle it at any point during the season, and then wait until the following month to collect my cheque.

Perhaps seating preferences reset at the start of each season as well?

 

[aeonkitty]

Funny, because my Account License says:

3. Deposit. In consideration for the License for the Term, the Licensee agrees to provide to the Team a deposit for each seat in the account that this License is subject to, to be held by the Team for the duration of the Term. The deposit shall bear no interest, and at the conclusion of the Term shall either be refunded to the Licensee or re-applied to a further renewal term described below. The Deposit shall be euqal to the sum of the number of seats selected per Category, multiplied by the corresponding "Deposit per Seat" amount noted in the table below.


Maybe the wording changed depending on what year you signed on? Also odd that in yours, deposit was paragraph 4, while in mine it was paragraph 3. When I first read and signed mine, in July 2011, I understood it to mean that after the initial term, the deposit could remain in the account to be applied to future season tickets, or refunded to me, at my discretion.


Someone also suggested to the OP indicating that the OP would like to request a change through the online account preferences options. Speaking of account preferences, I was surprised this year when no cheque came in the mail for my games that had been sold through SeatExchange. Turns out you have to set receiving a cheque as your preference each season... At the start of every season, that preference will default to remaining on your account. Fortunately for me, I could toggle it at any point during the season, and then wait until the following month to collect my cheque.

Perhaps seating preferences reset at the start of each season as well?

I do not believe that our seating preferences reset at the start of each season, because each time that I contacted my Account Rep (which was at the end of each season), they were fully aware that we were looking to move to side by side seats and that our preference was for the lower bowl. We were just told that we were not contacted because there were no seats available in the lower bowl since no contracts had expired yet. But this will be happening at the end of this season.

 

[Sabadecade]

Hi aeonkitty!

I knew the front to back people off the wait list were a rare breed but it's nice to finally find another person who took this unique opportunity.

Yes, I am concerned, as you are, that our contract term ends 1 year later than everyone else in the same price category. However, I've always assumed that relocation could be done at anytime. The only reason we were never contacted for relocation yet is because we specified that we wanted to be relocated to sections where the terms haven't come up for renewal and therefore there was nothing available.

I am a bit concerned when people from the wait list got into P6-P7 side by side seats and I wasn't offered them first as to enhance my already existing STH experience. I don't mind too much, since I'd rather stay in P5 with some side by side seats. I'm sure True North would like us to stay in the same price range too as to not lose any money.

The only way is to really clarify IF a relocation can occur before our term is up as it isn't 100% clear. I will be asking my rep this for sure. This quote from the Jets HQ web page implies that a person can relocate at anytime should any seats be available:

The Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club is currently soliciting feedback from Season Seat holders that may be interested in relocating their existing seat(s) to an alternate location. There are currently no seats available for relocation, however, a limited number of seating options may become available at the end of each term in which a Ticket Purchase Agreement expires. Once the renewal process is complete in the year of the expiring term, seat relocations may be considered.

How they prioritize the people for relocation concerns me too. IMO front to back seats and obstructed views should take 1st priority..

I always thought it was odd that we didn't just have a shortened term as to match up with everyone else in our category. Perhaps this was a mistake.

Not matter what the reps tell us, we'll know for sure this off season if they go to the wait list and put people into side by side seats in the sections I've been waiting for. In the mean time all we can do is ask the reps over and over until their answers become consistent.

 

[cheswick]

Funny, because my Account License says:

3. Deposit. In consideration for the License for the Term, the Licensee agrees to provide to the Team a deposit for each seat in the account that this License is subject to, to be held by the Team for the duration of the Term. The deposit shall bear no interest, and at the conclusion of the Term shall either be refunded to the Licensee or re-applied to a further renewal term described below. The Deposit shall be euqal to the sum of the number of seats selected per Category, multiplied by the corresponding "Deposit per Seat" amount noted in the table below.


Maybe the wording changed depending on what year you signed on? Also odd that in yours, deposit was paragraph 4, while in mine it was paragraph 3. When I first read and signed mine, in July 2011, I understood it to mean that after the initial term, the deposit could remain in the account to be applied to future season tickets, or refunded to me, at my discretion.


Someone also suggested to the OP indicating that the OP would like to request a change through the online account preferences options. Speaking of account preferences, I was surprised this year when no cheque came in the mail for my games that had been sold through SeatExchange. Turns out you have to set receiving a cheque as your preference each season... At the start of every season, that preference will default to remaining on your account. Fortunately for me, I could toggle it at any point during the season, and then wait until the following month to collect my cheque.

Perhaps seating preferences reset at the start of each season as well?

I think the wording was meaning that it will be refunded to you if you decided not to renew your term, otherwise it will be used as the deposit for a subsequent term. I think a few people were confused about it which is likely why they re-worded it.

 

[cheswick]

I always thought it was odd that we didn't just have a shortened term as to match up with everyone else in our category. Perhaps this was a mistake.

Not matter what the reps tell us, we'll know for sure this off season if they go to the wait list and put people into side by side seats in the sections I've been waiting for. In the mean time all we can do is ask the reps over and over until their answers become consistent.

The way the system works is not ideal in the least. Coming off the waitlist you don't have any choice of pricing category or seats and only have the right to refuse one year. They just say these are the seats you can get. So your at the mercy of what seats happen to come up when you reach the front. Someone who can only afford P7 or P6 may reach the front and are offered P4 one year then P2 the next and then they have to go to the back of the list. Or conversely someone could reach the front of the waitlist and are offered P7 then the next year P4. They want P2 seats which someone lower on the lsit gets offered the following season. They should allow preference of pricing category and once you get to the front you stay there until they offer you seats in the pricing category(ies) you say you will accept. I for one preferred P7 seats cause P6 was pushing my budget a bit. I have a friend whose group wanted P6's. We both got seats last off season he was offered P7 take it or leave it and I was offered P6 take it or leave it.

I guess my point is that the way they handle the whole thing is not terribly effecient and seems to be piece meal thrown together. So wouldn't be surprised if someone gets seats and you guys are screwed over.

 

[Sabadecade]

I think the wording was meaning that it will be refunded to you if you decided not to renew your term, otherwise it will be used as the deposit for a subsequent term. I think a few people were confused about it which is likely why they re-worded it.

Yeah, this is what I would have expected with regards to the deposit. You only truly get it back if you choose not to renew again.

The way the system works is not ideal in the least. Coming off the waitlist you don't have any choice of pricing category or seats and only have the right to refuse one year. They just say these are the seats you can get. So your at the mercy of what seats happen to come up when you reach the front. Someone who can only afford P7 or P6 may reach the front and are offered P4 one year then P2 the next and then they have to go to the back of the list. Or conversely someone could reach the front of the waitlist and are offered P7 then the next year P4. They want P2 seats which someone lower on the lsit gets offered the following season. They should allow preference of pricing category and once you get to the front you stay there until they offer you seats in the pricing category(ies) you say you will accept. I for one preferred P7 seats cause P6 was pushing my budget a bit. I have a friend whose group wanted P6's. We both got seats last off season he was offered P7 take it or leave it and I was offered P6 take it or leave it.

I guess my point is that the way they handle the whole thing is not terribly effecient and seems to be piece meal thrown together. So wouldn't be surprised if someone gets seats and you guys are screwed over.

It doesn't seem that hard tho, I thought of the following in the 10 min. it took me to write post...

I would think that they get a small pool of seats that become available at one time based on who decided to renew and who didn't and they obviously have a pool of people on the relocation list and wait list.

I would then assume that True North then matches up the preferences as much as possible with the relocation list first and perhaps even loops through that list a second or third time until things settle but I doubt the latter.

Once that's done they would match up the preferences as much as possible with the top of the wait list. Once it gets down to the last few seats, sure, they might get passed up but someone on the wait list will take'em.

Note that relocation may mean an upgrade from one price point to another (from P6 to P4) opening a cheaper option to someone on the wait list or vice versa. So I'm sure there are probably going to be a few in each of the different price points as part of the pool of seats for the wait list but not so much for the relocation list.

Either way, It's probably slim pickings and neither relocation list or the wait list will move too much but, I am under the impression that relocation happens first. What I'm wondering is how are these prioritized?

Not to mention our specific and unusual situation with front to back seat that have longer terms than others in the same price point, can we be up for relocation without our term being up?

 

[SCP Guy]

Common sense would dictate that if you have one year left on your contract and P3s come up and they carry an minimum 4 year contract they will make you sign a new 4 year deal and void the last year of your contract? Or if you signed a 6 year deal this year and want to move down the longer 6 year deal would follow you if you choose to relocate.....But like I said that would be common sense so it may not work that way once money and contract lawyers get involved