DC United front office, or lack thereof

I was a bit surprised that the game Saturday didn't sell out. Maybe they should advertise.

 

That's too much work. They can do like the other DC football team and start claiming sellouts for the next 3 decades or so.

 

I believe there was an ad for tickets for the Dallas game during the ESPN broadcast of the Chicago game the week before.

 

I dont know if this has been discussed previously, but I "discovered" in the last few days just how absolutely shady the ticketing situation is.

I put two tickets for last nights game up for sale (got club seats for some friends that are visiting). I posted them with the team app and on stubhub.

I found my seats posted on seatgeek for almost $250 MORE than what I had them listed on the app and SH. I am damn sure that had they sold on SG they were not going to give me any of that additional difference.

So they charge the seller a fee if they sell and they charge the buyer service charges, and then take our tickets and if they sell them for more on another "market" they will not tell you and not give any part of that markup.

I know its the new "way of the world" and it gonna change, but its sketchy as hell and another sign that the machetes (and the league) have no shame.

 

Did they go completely unsold on SeatGeek?

Seems like you at least got your $ back... right?

On a related note, in my section (125), seats routinely go for twice what we pay as Season Ticket Holders if not more. If I wanted to make a good deal of $ selling my seats, I bet I could.

What I don't get is why there are so many empty seats pretty much every game if there are not that many seats for sale for most games. Maybe they're being shady on the ticketmaster site like you say.
One thing's for sure... they definitely put in-person scalpers out of business. I can't say I've seen anyone trying to sell (or buy tickets on the way into the stadium) at the four games I've been to.

 

Some of the empty seats are no shows. Last night we were responsible for 3 of them.

 

We were responsible for two of them. First time we've missed a home game in many years.

 

Sorry I missed you guys in Lot H/I. Maybe on Sunday, I'll have the whole family in tow. Don't worry, they are far more well behaved than me

 

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I resent that

 

One thing's for sure... they definitely put in-person scalpers out of business. I can't say I've seen anyone trying to sell (or buy tickets on the way into the stadium) at the four games I've been to.[/QUOTE]

That's 'cause there are almost no paper tickets anymore. I had to scream in order to get paper tickets, which are these little printouts on tiny slips. I think this was one of the points in going to electronic tickets. At RFK, there were usually two or three guys trying to sell tickets (don't know for how much) so I really don't see how this was ever much of an issue.

 

This is a free market system. Profit (theirs) and loss (yours) is the norm. No worse than the automobile trade, real estate commissions, pawnbrokers, or auctioneers. Nothing to stop you from going into business yourself at a lower rate with more ethical practices. Seems like a real jewel of a business plan if they only broker the sale and don't assume any risk by purchasing your ticket for their inventory. Ever try E-Bay?

 

That's 'cause there are almost no paper tickets anymore. I had to scream in order to get paper tickets, which are these little printouts on tiny slips. I think this was one of the points in going to electronic tickets. At RFK, there were usually two or three guys trying to sell tickets (don't know for how much) so I really don't see how this was ever much of an issue.[/QUOTE]
I seem to recollect that most of the "scalper" sales at RFK I encountered were just a guy from one of the SG's trying to sell deeply discounted tickets. I equate scalping with selling a commodity in short supply for a profit. Tickets for RFK United matches were rarely ever in short supply.

 

I get little slip tickets every game at the box office as I do not take a phone to matches.

 

me as well, weekday matches are impossible with my work schedule.

Their "digital ticketing" experiment does not as they claim "make it easier" for me.

 

I have paper tickets because I only have an antediluvian flip phone and couldn't join the modern era even if I wanted to. Aside from one match when the ticket wouldn't scan, I've had no problem, but it was clear that the FO really didn't want to have to print tickets for me or any other cave dweller.

 

Yes but us cave dwellers are the backbone, not these young punks with their "smart phones". Lol

 

I agree completely, but my backbone is getting a bit bowed.

 

How do you sell them on both StubHub and in the team app without accidentally selling the same tickets twice?

 

Blockchain it's the solution to all the world's problems -- just ask the folks who are selling it.

 

That seems like a lot of pointless busywork. What are you afraid will happen to your phone?

 

I don't take any device to a match. I want two hours of soccer with zero distractions possible.

 

You could also turn it off once you enter the stadium.

 

No that does not remove the temptation. I know myself and I have to remove the temptation.

 

I don't know whether this is a front office thing or a CSC thing, but yesterday they were aggressively checking tickets going into the supporters sections (elsewhere in the stadium too? dunno.). In the era of paper tickets, I would be fine with this. But in the smartphone ticket era, a decent fraction of the folks at games don't have tickets themselves anymore, because on entry to the stadium the tickets are accessed via the smartphone+app of the spouse/S.O. that actually has season tickets. At one match, I saw one person taking care of entry for a group of about 20 people. In a situation like that, is he supposed to give an escort every time someone needs to use the bathroom?