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

[WickedBruinsGirl]

The NJ Devils offered refunds, rolling over your balance to the upcoming season with your choice of incentive or donating tickets to front line workers. Personally, the Bruins could have considered offering an incentive.

Options for Devils fans included rolling their season-ticket balance into tickets for next season, and choosing one from the following incentives: parking for 10 home games, $100 toward the Devils Den Team Store, $150 in concession credit, an autographed stick or an upgrade to two all-inclusive club seats for a home game.
....
The Devils have also given fans a way to donate their tickets. The team will announce this week that they've partnered with RWJBarnabas Health to provide special access for "New Jersey's front-line heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic" by donating 10,000 tickets for the 2020-21 season for their use.

Devils give ticket holders refund, donation options

 

[talkinaway]

The NJ Devils offered refunds, rolling over your balance to the upcoming season with your choice of incentive or donating tickets to front line workers. Personally, the Bruins could have considered offering an incentive.

Options for Devils fans included rolling their season-ticket balance into tickets for next season, and choosing one from the following incentives: parking for 10 home games, $100 toward the Devils Den Team Store, $150 in concession credit, an autographed stick or an upgrade to two all-inclusive club seats for a home game.
....
The Devils have also given fans a way to donate their tickets. The team will announce this week that they've partnered with RWJBarnabas Health to provide special access for "New Jersey's front-line heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic" by donating 10,000 tickets for the 2020-21 season for their use.

Devils give ticket holders refund, donation options

Cool info - granted, the punishment for buying Devils season tickets is...they're Devils season tickets. But the option for a refund is important, and IMO long overdue.

I would kill for free parking, especially to avoid the T in the post-COVID era, but...yeah, that ain't happening.

In fact, I learned the Bruins are NOT doing a refund, which sucks. I clicked on the link. It says:

Refunds will not be processed until the 2019-20 season concludes upon the NHL deciding to play or cancel remaining games.

You have until Thursday, May 7 at 5:00 p.m to request a refund. After that point, your credit will be applied to your next payment for the 2020-21 season.

So....I guess if I take the refund, I have to pay my May payment, AND I don't get any money until they formally cancel the games, which, for all I know, could be in July, or even later. But if I don't take the refund, I at least skip my May payment (and some of June). The deal is a lot more rotten than what was presented in the email.

 

[northeastern]

Has anything been said about what the bs plan to do? I've asked and been ignored each time.

 

[Ladyfan]

I am sick of paying every month. They now owe me lots of $

 

[talkinaway]

I've heard nothing. Supposedly credit for our 6 unplayed games is being applied for May. I'll have to do the math to see if they did that. It's still bad what they're doing to us - not as bad as how Delaware North is treating their employees, with the $1.5M fund that is still (AFAIK) frozen because the games are still TBD. Get real. They're NOT happening in Boston with fans.

On the positive front, they sent out my puffy coat for the 2020-21 renewal, which should arrive Friday. Just what I always wanted - a winter coat 10 days before June. Oh, well, at least I can wear it to the playoff ga...oh, nevermind.

 

[Ladyfan]

I've heard nothing. Supposedly credit for our 6 unplayed games is being applied for May. I'll have to do the math to see if they did that. It's still bad what they're doing to us - not as bad as how Delaware North is treating their employees, with the $1.5M fund that is still (AFAIK) frozen because the games are still TBD. Get real. They're NOT happening in Boston with fans.

On the positive front, they sent out my puffy coat for the 2020-21 renewal, which should arrive Friday. Just what I always wanted - a winter coat 10 days before June. Oh, well, at least I can wear it to the playoff ga...oh, nevermind.

I renewed early and wanted the gift card... They were out and what they had was junk . How can you run out of gift cards ?? I got nothing because there was nothing I wanted.

 

[the negotiator]

Same experience....the remaining stuff was so bad I passed on taking anything

My rep. followed up three times on don't you want your gift- I suggested they try and donate it ...JJ would like the tax deduction

 

[Kate08]

A friend of mine got her hat in the mail.

Almost as thin as the blanket, and was ripped at the seam.

 

[Ladyfan]

A friend of mine got her hat in the mail.

Almost as thin as the blanket, and was ripped at the seam.

It is sad that they treat the STH like that. I passed on the blanket too.
I would rather they give us nothing than insult us with junk.

 

[DKH]

A friend of mine got her hat in the mail.

Almost as thin as the blanket, and was ripped at the seam.

I been putting together quite the man cave area with Bruins stuff I’ve accumulated as far back as the 60’s. One thing I noticed was how much outstanding stuff I got from around 2004-2012. After that not as much and often poor quality.

My experience going back to 1983 as a season ticket holder the best times were when they were really good or really bad. When they sucked you got treated great, no lines, lot of cool stuff and events, very unplugged atmosphere. My daughter started out around 2004 going and she has seen them go from season ticket cookouts with entire team where they only wanted your love to events where they are pushing everything

 

[talkinaway]

I been putting together quite the man cave area with Bruins stuff I’ve accumulated as far back as the 60’s. One thing I noticed was how much outstanding stuff I got from around 2004-2012. After that not as much and often poor quality.

My experience going back to 1983 as a season ticket holder the best times were when they were really good or really bad. When they sucked you got treated great, no lines, lot of cool stuff and events, very unplugged atmosphere. My daughter started out around 2004 going and she has seen them go from season ticket cookouts with entire team where they only wanted your love to events where they are pushing everything

This makes sense - I thought the extra revenue with 13(!) extra games, including a SCF Game 7 last season, we'd get a few bonuses for this season. Nope, not really. If anything, STH benefits were cut - and I'm not just talking about the biggest one, access to playoff games at a price that (usually) aren't quite as bad as what you find on StubHub. I'm talking about little ones that barely cost a thing, like the STH town hall. And no more ornaments. The "blanket" I got as a gift this winter went straight into the trash - it smelled kinda funny, and looked like if I washed it it would evaporate. I'm jealous hearing about teams like CBJ that have autograph sessions...until I remember that they're CBJ fans.

Granted, the Bruins aren't getting that sale of 2019 Stanley Cup Champion merch, and demand for tickets was high enough that the Bruins can basically tell STHs to kick dirt if they don't want to pay up - there's (supposedly) a waiting list. Maybe now we can reciprocate the sentiment when stuff opens up.

I initially wanted the ultra-pass to the meet-and-greet...I wonder how THAT'S going to be handled.

 

[BruinsFan0877]

I didn't renew right away either (I don't like to take these price increases without objecting as if the Bruins become a middle of the road team I will be underwater next year..if we have any games to go to) so I ended up with the Bluetooth speaker and the no-cord phone charger. The Bluetooth speaker is tiny and the sound quality is quite poor but I could see it working in limited settings. The no-cord phone charger only works with a cell phone case less than 4mm (almost all of them are thicker than that) and even when I took my case off it basically just showed it was charging but in the course of a few hours the % on my phone didn't go up, it just sustained around what it was.

So yes, my STH gifts were essentially trash as well. Good on you guys who declined because I don't feel bad about the cost to the Bruins, obviously, but the environmental impact of shipping this plastic trash to houses of Bruins fans is not negligible.

 

[IntentionallyWide]

This email from the Bruins made me laugh today, particularly the 2nd paragraph:

We hope you and your family are staying safe and healthy during these unprecedented times. The NHL announced the cancellation of our remaining six home games for the 2019-20 regular season. The opportunity to re-purchase your seats for these games is no longer possible.

Did you resell a cancelled game? If you resold a cancelled game and already received your profit as a direct deposit, that total is owed to the Boston Bruins. It is now added to your 2020-21 invoice. To view your 2020-21 invoice, please log into Account Manager. If you resold a cancelled game and have not received your profit, that total will now be nullified.

If you made a profit, it's ours now!

 

[talkinaway]

This email from the Bruins made me laugh today, particularly the 2nd paragraph:



If you made a profit, it's ours now!

No, it's actually not theirs...the person who has the ticket has to be paid money, too. So, they're basically resetting EVERYONE to zero. Seems fair to me.

I buy a ticket for $40. Now the cash flow is:
Bruins: +40
Me: -40

I sell a ticket to Bob for $60. Now the cash flow is:
Bruins: +40
Me: +20
Bob: -60

If the Bruins pay back the full price of the ticket, but let me keep the profit, the cash flow is:
Bruins: 0
Me: +60
Bob: -60

See the problem there? Bob is PISSED. Now, if the Bruins undo my sale to Bob, and then undo their sale to me, everyone's back at 0 - and that's what they're doing, as I understand it.

Also, this policy is great for sellers who may have sold at a loss.

 

[Ladyfan]

This email from the Bruins made me laugh today, particularly the 2nd paragraph:



If you made a profit, it's ours now!

yep. I sold one game and that is what they did.

 

[GlenFeatherstone]

I sold 2. They did the same. Math was right by my calculations.

 

[IntentionallyWide]

No, it's actually not theirs...the person who has the ticket has to be paid money, too. So, they're basically resetting EVERYONE to zero. Seems fair to me.

I buy a ticket for $40. Now the cash flow is:
Bruins: +40
Me: -40

I sell a ticket to Bob for $60. Now the cash flow is:
Bruins: +40
Me: +20
Bob: -60

If the Bruins pay back the full price of the ticket, but let me keep the profit, the cash flow is:
Bruins: 0
Me: +60
Bob: -60

See the problem there? Bob is PISSED. Now, if the Bruins undo my sale to Bob, and then undo their sale to me, everyone's back at 0 - and that's what they're doing, as I understand it.

Also, this policy is great for sellers who may have sold at a loss.

I hadn't thought about them paying the purchaser back HAH. You're totally right. It was just their wording that threw me off.

 

[talkinaway]

I hadn't thought about them paying the purchaser back HAH. You're totally right. It was just their wording that threw me off.

I agree - the email definitely should have emphasized that EVERYONE - the Bruins, the primary STH, and whoever bought a ticket on the secondary market - was getting reset to zero.

That said, we're still getting screwed. The STH package was originally 3/44 of junk preseason tickets. Now it's 3/38 garbage, basically boiling off the good games and concentrating the junk. Not to mention that the BIGGEST single perk of being a STH - access to playoff tickets at a price that is merely terrible and not abjectly horrific - is gone. Granted, we only get that perk half of the time on average, but I think it's fair to say that after 2019, a playoff appearance was expected.

 

[Fenway]

38 years ago

 

[DKH]

This makes sense - I thought the extra revenue with 13(!) extra games, including a SCF Game 7 last season, we'd get a few bonuses for this season. Nope, not really. If anything, STH benefits were cut - and I'm not just talking about the biggest one, access to playoff games at a price that (usually) aren't quite as bad as what you find on StubHub. I'm talking about little ones that barely cost a thing, like the STH town hall. And no more ornaments. The "blanket" I got as a gift this winter went straight into the trash - it smelled kinda funny, and looked like if I washed it it would evaporate. I'm jealous hearing about teams like CBJ that have autograph sessions...until I remember that they're CBJ fans.

Granted, the Bruins aren't getting that sale of 2019 Stanley Cup Champion merch, and demand for tickets was high enough that the Bruins can basically tell STHs to kick dirt if they don't want to pay up - there's (supposedly) a waiting list. Maybe now we can reciprocate the sentiment when stuff opens up.

I initially wanted the ultra-pass to the meet-and-greet...I wonder how THAT'S going to be handled.

Hopefully I’ll be on the next Advisory Board. I put in for next one . I was on the one back in 2005. The team was a mess but we had a lot of great ideas and the Bruins were phenomenal.

At some point the Bruins won’t be dominant and I expect fan friendly changes.

to the Bruins fan friendly means more (expensive) food and beer options or escalators

The Red Sox from 2003-2011 owned the city and made you feel special if you were lucky enough to spend an entire day in a virtual waiting room in early December with a chance to buy a Monday night game in early May against Kansas City.

For years they were fat and happy but it only took Bobby Valentine as manger in 2012 to kill it. Ironically they have won two WS (2013 & 2018) since but they have not got that hypnotic Sox fan back.

They are now offering all sorts of deals - many outstanding value

For $50 I got the Bruins Night at Fenway in a decent section that included 2 Cokes and hot dogs and the really cool Tuuka Rask bobble head as a catcher

the Sox have been creative because they have to the Bruins give you a chincy blanket that I would swap for a large popcorn if they had given me a choice

 

[Fenway]

 

[talkinaway]

That's absolute scum. I saw it this evening, and from the teaser, I thought it was going to be one another of those "If you bought tickets from StubHub, they can't refund you until the game is officially cancelled" things. But no - StubHub has changed their guarantee from "Full refunds if your game is cancelled" to "120% store credit if your game is cancelled".

Not to mention that many "games" are one-time concerts, and many users on StubHub might not be frequent fliers, and hence might have little to no interest in buying another ticket. Plus this change was made in late March (March 25 IIRC), but they're applying it to tickets bought BEFORE that date....unless it happens to be illegal in your state. And, in Massachusetts, it IS illegal to change refund policies post-purchase.

Honestly, I get SH's policy, because if a date is changed, you can't depend on the person who bought the ticket to say "Oh, take this back" and then not use the ticket. They have the QR code or whatever - they can get in if they're sneaky. Plus, SH wants that buyer to have to resell..conveniently, they can do that on StubHub, too, so SH gets fee for two sales! How convenient.

On the Bruins front, it looks like Select-A-Seat is next week. I got very late Thursday. I'm curious to see how open the selection will be - if people got fed up even pre-COVID (and there was PLENTY to be fed up with!), or fed up with the response to COVID, or simply stopped paying because they couldn't afford tickets.

They honestly need to do another pause in the collections. I get that they need money to operate, but there's a very good chance that the 2020-21 season will be an abbreviated 2021 season, and that some or all of those games won't be in front of fans. The Boch Center, which is the Schubert (1600 capacity) and the Wang (3500 capacity) likely won't be opening until April 2021.

Boch Center CEO Joe Spaulding Talks Reopening, Fall 'Ghost Light Series'

Safe to assume that the Garden, with 17K+, will likely open after the Wang.

 

[bossfan]

I've been off and on looking at posts on the Stubhub Community pages. Stubhub is a mess and there are a lot of angry customers. They have also changed seller payments from a few days after ticket delivery to 5-8 days after the event has actually taken place. So when it's time again to attend sports if you sell Bruins tix in October for a game in say January you won't get paid until 5-8 days after the January game date.

I'll be interested to see if there is going to be any long term affect on Stubhub sales when we come out of this covid mess.

 

[talkinaway]

I've been off and on looking at posts on the Stubhub Community pages. Stubhub is a mess and there are a lot of angry customers. They have also changed seller payments from a few days after ticket delivery to 5-8 days after the event has actually taken place. So when it's time again to attend sports if you sell Bruins tix in October for a game in say January you won't get paid until 5-8 days after the January game date.

I'll be interested to see if there is going to be any long term affect on Stubhub sales when we come out of this covid mess.

Hopefully they'll revert to the old system, but they probably will only if their bottom line is hit. I sort of get why they have to do it this way now - they're in a huge mess because there are literally almost no tickets to sell, and the ones that are being put up are probably for so far out that nobody wants to buy yet (either because they're afraid of cancellations or they want to wait for a price drop) - hence, no fees to collect.

 

[krog18]

On the Bruins front, it looks like Select-A-Seat is next week. I got very late Thursday. I'm curious to see how open the selection will be - if people got fed up even pre-COVID (and there was PLENTY to be fed up with!), or fed up with the response to COVID, or simply stopped paying because they couldn't afford tickets.

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