OT: Ticket Thread - 2019/20 (Make sure to read rules on post 1 before posting tix!)

[talkinaway]

Looks like I am July 16th. Do they usually have different days? I thought it was all on the same day in prior years.

Oops, I'm an idiot. I misread June as July. Yeah, the Select-A-Seat is July 16 for me. *facepalm* I have a very specific, single-item dyslexia when it comes to June and July, heh.

It sure would be nice if they stopped taking payments for another month...if the season's going to be delayed by at the very least 2 months, shouldn't our payments be delayed by the same amount? Not to mention the fact that any 2020-21 season, if it's played at all, will be shortened by at the very least 40%.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

StubHub is a pile of shit. Unfortunately these ticket reselling agencies have made a monopoly of it.

 

[krog18]

Oops, I'm an idiot. I misread June as July. Yeah, the Select-A-Seat is July 16 for me. *facepalm* I have a very specific, single-item dyslexia when it comes to June and July, heh.

It sure would be nice if they stopped taking payments for another month...if the season's going to be delayed by at the very least 2 months, shouldn't our payments be delayed by the same amount? Not to mention the fact that any 2020-21 season, if it's played at all, will be shortened by at the very least 40%.

I agree they need to address the payment situation to the broader STH group. I would not be surprised if they are handling these issues on a case-by-case basis, however, with the continued high degree of uncertainty they really should just hit the pause button for everyone at this stage.

 

[bossfan]

I'm on the 5 month payment plan and today was like Bobby Bonilla Day as I got hit with the next charge for a season that we know will be one where fans will not be in the building until possibly the last quarter of the season.

 

[Ladyfan]

I'm on the 5 month payment plan and today was like Bobby Bonilla Day as I got hit with the next charge for a season that we know will be one where fans will not be in the building until possibly the last quarter of the season.

I need to find out when they will stop with these charges. I have a 10- month plan and it is over $1400. per month.

 

[GlenFeatherstone]

I did the 10/90 and cut the check the other day for the 90%

 

[Gopher13]

I am wondering if they will take the Patriots route and allow STH to postpone a year while still holding their seats for the 2021-22 season....who are we kidding - Jacobs would never do that.

 

[Kate08]

Had my Select a Seat window this morning which I couldn't attend because, you know, I work and had a meeting at that time.

 

[bossfan]

Had my Select a Seat window this morning which I couldn't attend because, you know, I work and had a meeting at that time.

Don't worry you didn't miss out. They are limiting seat changes to within your own price category only so no upgrades are available just lateral moves within your current price category. There was very limited inventory available and unless you have a real need to move I don't think that you would have found anything better than what you have.

 

[Ladyfan]

Had my Select a Seat window this morning which I couldn't attend because, you know, I work and had a meeting at that time.

They always have bad timing for stuff. I live in NH and won't attend stuff on an off night.

Bottom line the perks for being a STH are nothing to me. The stuff they give away is cheap and insulting.

 

[SpeedyLazaro]

Don't worry you didn't miss out. They are limiting seat changes to within your own price category only so no upgrades are available just lateral moves within your current price category. There was very limited inventory available and unless you have a real need to move I don't think that you would have found anything better than what you have.

What was up the only lateral move thing??? They don't want to take more money from me if I want to move to the Loge? I wanted to see what was available.

My window was at 12 and there were a lot of middle row middle section balcony seats available. a pair in row 2 of 328 and 313 as well.

 

[bossfan]

What was up the only lateral move thing??? They don't want to take more money from me if I want to move to the Loge? I wanted to see what was available.

My window was at 12 and there were a lot of middle row middle section balcony seats available. a pair in row 2 of 328 and 313 as well.

Yes I don't know why they restricted upgrades this time. Very strange.

I guess my comment on not much available is relative to my current location. Everything available to me was either in a higher row or further from center ice than where I am now.

I would not take a Row 2 seat for anything. I sat in Row 2 balcony for a couple of years and the people in Row 1 like to lean on the glass in front of them which does a good job of blocking the Row 2 views.

 

[talkinaway]

They always have bad timing for stuff. I live in NH and won't attend stuff on an off night.

Bottom line the perks for being a STH are nothing to me. The stuff they give away is cheap and insulting.

I was taking my parents to a doctor's appointment last year during Select-a-Seat - I remember vividly, because I contemplated lugging my laptop in, but I decided against it because I thought I might be able to get in on my phone. Oops - it's Flash-based, of course. (I think - either way, it's a no-go for mobile.)

This year, I've got a very late time....3 PM. Frankly, I don't see myself moving anyway, but I'm curious to see what's there. It's weird that they're not just doing it the same way they did it all the other years, allowing upgrades and downgrades.

I bet for the next few seasons, they'll be expanding STH offerings. While the team certainly doesn't suck, circumstances sure do. I don't see myself attending any games in 2020-21, and if they ding me as a "chronic reseller" and try to charge me a higher price, then good luck to them trying to sell my seat at the price I'm paying.

And I agree - the perks are near nil. It's called Bruins. Pricing is only good if you get playoffs. Pics with the team members is kinda nice, but it would be really cool if they allowed you to bring 1 or 2 items to autograph in a separate session. They discontinued everything else that I found kinda nice - holiday ornaments and the State of the Bruins. I couldn't care less about skating on the ice or painting the Garden ice.

 

[IntentionallyWide]

They always have bad timing for stuff. I live in NH and won't attend stuff on an off night.

Bottom line the perks for being a STH are nothing to me. The stuff they give away is cheap and insulting.

Totally agree. I live in NH too. It makes it really hard when they plan events at 5PM on a Tuesday or something stupid like that.

The regular giveaways have been awful lately, too. Remember when they used to at least give a few "guaranteed giveaway" tickets to STHs? That was nice because I can never make it to the games in time, especially now since they've been significantly reducing the number of items they give away each time! I feel like if you're not lined up when the gates open, you don't get the giveaway haha.

 

[Ladyfan]

I was taking my parents to a doctor's appointment last year during Select-a-Seat - I remember vividly, because I contemplated lugging my laptop in, but I decided against it because I thought I might be able to get in on my phone. Oops - it's Flash-based, of course. (I think - either way, it's a no-go for mobile.)

This year, I've got a very late time....3 PM. Frankly, I don't see myself moving anyway, but I'm curious to see what's there. It's weird that they're not just doing it the same way they did it all the other years, allowing upgrades and downgrades.

I bet for the next few seasons, they'll be expanding STH offerings. While the team certainly doesn't suck, circumstances sure do. I don't see myself attending any games in 2020-21, and if they ding me as a "chronic reseller" and try to charge me a higher price, then good luck to them trying to sell my seat at the price I'm paying.

And I agree - the perks are near nil. It's called Bruins. Pricing is only good if you get playoffs. Pics with the team members is kinda nice, but it would be really cool if they allowed you to bring 1 or 2 items to autograph in a separate session. They discontinued everything else that I found kinda nice - holiday ornaments and the State of the Bruins. I couldn't care less about skating on the ice or painting the Garden ice.

I never attend "select a seat" because I like my seats. The only seats I would rather have are the two in front of me (on the glass) and I could NEVER afford those.

 

[talkinaway]

Totally agree. I live in NH too. It makes it really hard when they plan events at 5PM on a Tuesday or something stupid like that.

The regular giveaways have been awful lately, too. Remember when they used to at least give a few "guaranteed giveaway" tickets to STHs? That was nice because I can never make it to the games in time, especially now since they've been significantly reducing the number of items they give away each time! I feel like if you're not lined up when the gates open, you don't get the giveaway haha.

That's the point. The reason they give away 5,000 items to 17,000+ people is that they want people to get there at 5:30 or 6 on a weekday. Why? Well, the game doesn't start until 7, and you've got an hour and a half...what are you gonna do? Eat and drink. It's ridiculous.

And $10 says that they have plenty of promotional items at the fancy new entrances that whisk you directly to the Club/Suite seats.

The one promo item I actually do like is the drawstring backpack they gave away for Black Friday about 5-6 years ago. It's the perfect size for when I go to Sox games and want to pack my own water and scorecard - it makes a great defacto "man purse".

 

[Fenway]

What I have learned in our Business of Hockey section is that the Bruins are by far the worst team in the NHL concerning game-day promotions and STH perks. Over the past 5 years, they have lost many local corporate sponsors for a variety of reasons.

DN has to change its culture as the reality is a full TD Garden may not happen until the 2021-22 season

 

[the negotiator]

Having been to games in other cities I have to agree

The philosophy has been as long as the team is winning do the minimum required ( in essence check the boxes), fill the seats and count the money

With the 20-2021 season also likely to be a virtual watching experience DN faces a major challenge ....what it has done in the past no longer applies - at least short term. The world has changed and DN strength is not adapting to a new environment.

How they treat STH concerns re 20-21 games will speak volumes

 

[talkinaway]

What I have learned in our Business of Hockey section is that the Bruins are by far the worst team in the NHL concerning game-day promotions and STH perks. Over the past 5 years, they have lost many local corporate sponsors for a variety of reasons.

DN has to change its culture as the reality is a full TD Garden may not happen until the 2021-22 season

I'm glad it's not just me that's being a sourpuss about the lack of perks. Occasionally I peek on other teams' sites, and a lot of teams have more benefits, both for STHs and game-day promos. The Blackhawks come to mind - IIRC, there's a HUGE convention every summer (well, except for this one) that people actually pay decent bucks to go to. It may be a little boondoggle for the hotel (I think you have to get a room to get a VIP autograph pass?), but it seems like a nice extra. And Chicago has, at least in my memory, had a lot of pretty good promos - although I think they limit their numbers quite a bit too, just like the Bruins. You could argue that those promos are because the team's not doing well, which is a legitimate observation, but they've been pretty good for the whole decade...a decade that's included a Stanley Cup in 2010 and 2015. (I -SAID- what I -SAID-.)

There's no doubt in my mind at all that the "sellout streak", even if it is fake, will end. You'd hope that means more incentives. STHs will be wary about coming back, and will be unlikely to renew if they think they can find good tickets for cheap online, and there aren't many STH perks. I think it was either the Panthers or the Bolts (probably Panthers) who had an issue 5 or 6 years ago with giving away free (or really cheap) tickets, which riled up the STH base.

 

[Fenway]

I'm glad it's not just me that's being a sourpuss about the lack of perks. Occasionally I peek on other teams' sites, and a lot of teams have more benefits, both for STHs and game-day promos. The Blackhawks come to mind - IIRC, there's a HUGE convention every summer (well, except for this one) that people actually pay decent bucks to go to. It may be a little boondoggle for the hotel (I think you have to get a room to get a VIP autograph pass?), but it seems like a nice extra. And Chicago has, at least in my memory, had a lot of pretty good promos - although I think they limit their numbers quite a bit too, just like the Bruins. You could argue that those promos are because the team's not doing well, which is a legitimate observation, but they've been pretty good for the whole decade...a decade that's included a Stanley Cup in 2010 and 2015. (I -SAID- what I -SAID-.)

There's no doubt in my mind at all that the "sellout streak", even if it is fake, will end. You'd hope that means more incentives. STHs will be wary about coming back, and will be unlikely to renew if they think they can find good tickets for cheap online, and there aren't many STH perks. I think it was either the Panthers or the Bolts (probably Panthers) who had an issue 5 or 6 years ago with giving away free (or really cheap) tickets, which riled up the STH base.

Chicago gave every STH a coffee table book and DVD after each Cup win.

This was what they gave away this year

2019-20 Game Night Giveaways

 

[redline76]

Has anyone else basically stopped paying their STH payments for 20/21 season? I turned my card off last month figuring why should I pay for something that most likely
1-Won't happen
2-if it does happen will be a terrible experience
3-if it does happen can you even resell your ticket for face value given the high prices?

I'm surprised they didn't just do an immediate pause until they know what's going to happen.

 

[talkinaway]

Has anyone else basically stopped paying their STH payments for 20/21 season? I turned my card off last month figuring why should I pay for something that most likely
1-Won't happen
2-if it does happen will be a terrible experience
3-if it does happen can you even resell your ticket for face value given the high prices?

I'm surprised they didn't just do an immediate pause until they know what's going to happen.

You might try telling/asking your account rep as you do this. I don't know exactly what "turned my card off" means - did you dispute charges, or did you go into Account Manager and delete card info? Either way, I don't think it's unreasonable.

They could respond in one of three ways (after giving you a "hey, buddy, pay up" type notice):

1) Ignore it until they announce what happens for the 2020-21 season. Probably what you want, and probably the most humane way to deal with things. Of course, they don't get their money - they still have to pay rent and the salaries of the folks in the box office. That's why they didn't do an "immediate pause", which I agree is a more humane action. But I'm frankly not that sympathetic to the Boston Bruins Professional Hockey Association with respect to paying their bills - they have the money.

2) At some point, they could cancel your seats. They give you back all the money you already put in, and you no longer have season tickets because of lack of payment according to their agreement. Not just this season - forever. They may put back at the end of the STH "waitlist" line (if that even exists anymore), or they could put you on the "persona non grata" list and not offer you tickets because of a history of nonpayment. But that seems unnecessarily punitive, and a PR nightmare.

3) They might not cancel your money, but they theoretically could send it into some kind of collections deal where you're forced to pay and take the tickets, because you did order the tickets back in March, and they haven't cancelled the games (yet). Again, unlikely - if a STH can't pay for their future tickets, I imagine their usual remedy is to say "no more tickets". This is an absolute nuclear option.

I 100% agree with you on 2020-21. It's either not going to happen, or we're going to get hosed as STHs in terms of pricing. I know the plans for next season haven't been announced, but they need to communicate better with STHs what they're planning to do. The best way to handle this, IMO, is the Patriots model: any STH can pause their account. Keep, say, $100 down per seat (that's what waitlist folks have to put in), and you can skip attending the 2020-21 season, and come back in 2021-22. The Bruins have the right to sell your seat just for the 2020-21 season, or to use it to reduce capacity. If the season happens, it won't include fans at the Garden at 100% capacity for 44 games.

 

[redline76]

My card expired so I just didn't update the card. My wife was asking why I'm paying for tickets when there isn't going to be a season in october. Our reps don't have an answer either so I decided let it go and see if they contact me. So far 2 months nobody has contacted me which i've found odd. Give the price increases for next season we in the balcony were already looking at a lot of games with bad resale values. Not sure how this will work given you can't exactly socially distance in those tight seats up there.

 

[bossfan]

My card expired so I just didn't update the card. My wife was asking why I'm paying for tickets when there isn't going to be a season in october. Our reps don't have an answer either so I decided let it go and see if they contact me. So far 2 months nobody has contacted me which i've found odd. Give the price increases for next season we in the balcony were already looking at a lot of games with bad resale values. Not sure how this will work given you can't exactly socially distance in those tight seats up there.

This is in the Season Ticket Subscription Terms and Conditions:

Payment. You agree to pay in full the amounts set forth on the Invoice and any subsequent Invoices by the date such payments are due. Failure to pay by the invoiced dates may result in cancellation of Season Tickets and any additional benefits.

Just a guess but you could end up having your season tickets canceled for non-payment. Whether you get a warning notice or call first or if they take into consideration the extraordinary circumstances is a gamble that you are taking. It is almost a certainty that there will not be fans in the building for October through December and probably into January and February there is a good chance that no fans will be allowed. A refund will come eventually so unless money is tight I don't see a reason to screw around with not making payments unless you don't care if you lose your season tickets.

 

[Gopher13]

This is in the Season Ticket Subscription Terms and Conditions:

Payment. You agree to pay in full the amounts set forth on the Invoice and any subsequent Invoices by the date such payments are due. Failure to pay by the invoiced dates may result in cancellation of Season Tickets and any additional benefits.

Just a guess but you could end up having your season tickets canceled for non-payment. Whether you get a warning notice or call first or if they take into consideration the extraordinary circumstances is a gamble that you are taking. It is almost a certainty that there will not be fans in the building for October through December and probably into January and February there is a good chance that no fans will be allowed. A refund will come eventually so unless money is tight I don't see a reason to screw around with not making payments unless you don't care if you lose your season tickets.

The Bruins are hoping you don't pay so they can grab someone off the STH list and have them pay more than you are probably paying per seat.