US Soccer Supporters Club Frustrations

Discussion in 'USA Men: Fans & Travel' started by RoleModel83, Mar 1, 2013.

  1. Semblance17

    Semblance17 Member+

    United States
    Apr 27, 2013
    Lighthouse Point, FL
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Apparently even AO is starting an online membership portal next year, so it will be pretty pathetic if USSSC can't implement a portal, especially since there was one before the sloppy revamp.

    AO Portal.png
     
    wixson7 repped this.
  2. Taurus24

    Taurus24 New Member

    Jan 3, 2017
    New York
    Hi,

    Signed up today and this is the first post.

    Specifically came to this thread because I became a US Soccer Member in March 2016. I attended one Copa America match and bought the ticket through US Soccer at the pre-sale event. Figured the 1 game I attended should be on record and it's not. I literally emailed them proof at least 10 times over the last 3 weeks to update with exactly zero replies back, yet I get numerous emails for donations.

    It got me thinking, should I even renew? I have zero confidence they can keep track and is the heavy factor why I joined in the first place.

    Seems like it's growing pains so I'll hold out a bit longer.

    Thanks for history.
     
  3. wixson7

    wixson7 Member+

    May 12, 2009
    boulder
    No doubt they lack the caps tracking competency and their response rate is amateur hour at best. But to answer your question, if you want to ensure you get access to some big upcoming game and WC '18, then I don't know if you have a ton of options.

    Do it, get the scarf, and hold your nose.
     
  4. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Honestly it's only worth it to get access to hard to get tickets. Whether they will provide priority to World Cup tickets is mere speculation at this point. So far the only advantage I've ever gotten out of the program is USA Mexico tickets.
     
  5. Semblance17

    Semblance17 Member+

    United States
    Apr 27, 2013
    Lighthouse Point, FL
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I generally only go to matches in my state, so the tickets don't mean much to me.

    I joined the club mainly to get field-level access to the public training sessions, which unfortunately is becoming a less valuable perk. U.S. Soccer now seems to hold practices open to the public far less regularly than they do when I joined, and even when they do there's no guarantee that being on the field will actually give you a better chance to meet the players afterwards, as I learned in Orlando.

    I'm hoping that after it gets its act together U.S. Soccer makes it up to members and pays them back for their patience and loyalty.



    Of course, first I have to be given a chance to show faith. Today I tried calling to get my email with the renewal instructions I was supposed to get two weeks ago, only hear a message that the person in charge of the USSSC questions is still away from the office until two days ago. Another voicemail left; another email sent. Odds of getting a response to either: not good.
     
  6. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I probably wouldn't bother then really.

    I also had to re renew around 2011 with just a whole new account because they wouldn't let me renew my existing one.

    It's kind of a running joke.
     
  7. UnitedBorn

    UnitedBorn Member+

    Dec 7, 2015
    301
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Officially a member and of course my caps are wrong but I'm sure an email to them will things resolved. More importantly I'm getting pre sale emails and my scarf came.
     
  8. Semblance17

    Semblance17 Member+

    United States
    Apr 27, 2013
    Lighthouse Point, FL
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Are you a betting man?

    I just renewed my membership for the 5th year and I was wondering how they had "shipped" something as intangible as a membership renewal. I received a package from them a few days later and realized it was the scarf. Of course I was a little disappointed to be stuck with the exact same scarf I got in March of last year, which I didn't even particularly care for the first time I got it.
     
  9. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    God I love how shitty this organization is. So entertaining
     
  10. UnitedBorn

    UnitedBorn Member+

    Dec 7, 2015
    301
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    As an update to this post...

    After one email with receipts my status and # of caps have been changed to reflect the # of games I have actually attended. Just want to point out that all isn't bad.
     
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  11. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Everyone I've heard from got their caps updated easily so you're right. At least they are good at one thing :)
     
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  12. Semblance17

    Semblance17 Member+

    United States
    Apr 27, 2013
    Lighthouse Point, FL
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #162 Semblance17, Feb 23, 2017
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2017
    I just found out from an email that a "milestone match" is the apparently the match after the actual milestone. So for instance, my Silver Status milestone match won't be until my 11th match, even though it's technically the 10th match that will make me a Silver Status member on the basis of caps.

    http://membership.ussoccer.com/caps/

    Makes about as much sense as anything I've heard/seen from the USSSC in the past year...
     
  13. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I won't even get any milestone matches lol
     
  14. Semblance17

    Semblance17 Member+

    United States
    Apr 27, 2013
    Lighthouse Point, FL
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You might if you ask for them; surprisingly they are allowing me to redeem my Red Level status milestone match benefit at my upcoming tenth match even though my sixth is long past.
     
  15. Eddie Stiel

    Eddie Stiel Member

    Sep 27, 2011
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    At last night's epic match, I noticed a guy with a 2017 Membership Scarf, which he said he received a few weeks ago. Anybody else get one? I sent an email inquiry to US Soccer.

    I poked around for a minute on the website and discovered that one can buy Gold Tier status for $500: http://membership.ussoccer.com/development-fund/.
     
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  16. Semblance17

    Semblance17 Member+

    United States
    Apr 27, 2013
    Lighthouse Point, FL
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If you hear back please let me know what they say. Thanks.

    I renewed in January and, a few days later, was disappointed to receive the same scarf I got last year, especially since I wasn't even crazy about it the first time I got it. I put it back in the packaging on the off chance that they'd let me send it back in exchange for a 2017 one [if they even made one] somewhere down the line. I wouldn't have minded waiting to get my annual scarf until a new/different one was released, but I didn't have that option.
     
  17. Eddie Stiel

    Eddie Stiel Member

    Sep 27, 2011
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    US Soccer replied today: "We apologize that you had not received your scarf yet, you should have received it in the mail. We have sent another and you should receive it by the end of next week via UPS."

    Last year, I received the USSF relaunch member box with the scarf, etc. without a problem. For at least the two previous years, I had to contact US Soccer to get the scarf and yearbook (now eliminated as a perk). They have an unresolved problem with their swag distribution system.

    Contact them at membership@usssoccer.org or supporters@ussoccer.org to try to get a scarf, if you haven't received it yet. I'm glad I noticed the guy with the 2017 version.
     
  18. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I never got one but don't particularly care. It's par for the course really.
     
  19. Semblance17

    Semblance17 Member+

    United States
    Apr 27, 2013
    Lighthouse Point, FL
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Thanks for the update. When you get the scarf let me know if it's the 2017 version you saw. If you get the new one I may email them to see if I can swap my old one out.

    Right now my focus is on getting my RSVP for my Matchday Field Pass in Frisco next week. One problem at a time...
     
  20. Eddie Stiel

    Eddie Stiel Member

    Sep 27, 2011
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    I received the scarf today. It is indeed a new one for 2017.
     
  21. wixson7

    wixson7 Member+

    May 12, 2009
    boulder
    maybe time to change the thread title..... :) Lots of compliments on here recently.
     
  22. Semblance17

    Semblance17 Member+

    United States
    Apr 27, 2013
    Lighthouse Point, FL
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This club seems to have a Mr.-Hyde-and-Dr.-Jekyll [reverse order intentional] quality to it based on your level of effort and persistence. In my experience the email communication level they prescribe seems to have a 50% success rate. Phone calls are much more effective, but only when you get an answer. They seem to be slow to respond to voicemails, if they respond at all.

    I had to go through quite a bit of rigamarole to RSVP for my pre-game field pass for the game in Frisco. For a time I thought I was blacklisted by U.S. Soccer from receiving any emails that were not related to presales for some USMNT match. But the person I talked to, a certain Jason LoRusso, whom I could only reach through the human operator, was very nice over the phone and did get the problem resolved eventually [just in time]. After a typo correction ["D as in dog"] and the resolution of some undisclosed IT issue, I received a flood of emails, most of which I didn't even see until after the game. Ironically the field pass I worked so hard to obtain only brought me about 5 feet closer to the players before the game than my normal seat would have.

    I called the other day about the scarf. After getting stopped at her voicemail many many times in the past, I finally got through to the default "For Supporters Club Press 2" person Lindsey [Ma.....]. She was extremely friendly and helpful. She explained that the new scarf each year is now rolled out in March. She then:

    1) Ordered a 2017 scarf sent to me, saying that I could keep the one I received in January
    2) Put a note on my account so that going forward I will receive my scarf in March rather than immediately upon renewal in January, so that the problem doesn't repeat indefinitely &
    3) Changed my email address per my request from the flaky 90s ISP one I've been using until now [and blamed the RSVP fiasco on, in part] to what I hope is a more reliable gmail one and sent an email to it summarizing our conversation to confirm that she had transcribed it accurately [Jason hadn't done so].

    I was very impressed.
     
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  23. wixson7

    wixson7 Member+

    May 12, 2009
    boulder
    Warning: positive comments about USSC below..

    I got a call from USSC today, randomly, sort of a 'thank you for being a USSC Gold member' type of thing. We talked shop and I have to say I was quite impressed. The person I spoke to knew her stuff. Couple notes:

    - Orlando game to be officially announced today (Oct 8th, US/Panama), but we already knew that.

    - Azteca: FMF are completely playing games. Game time, # of tickets, and ticket price have not been made official yet. We are at the mercy of the away team, that's how it always is unfortunately. They will make individual tix avail the moment the details are finalized.

    - WC Tix: probably very similar process as in the past, they are working on the early details now. 5 pods for the US lottery like last time (outside of the normal FIFA lottery). Gold/Silver and package buyers will be in top bucket and then rolled over to the next bucket if needed.

    - AO/Sammers relationship: has been much better in recent years. Obviously AO yields major value for USSoccer, and in return are given access to tickets and preferred sections. Same with Sammers, they try to be fair and equal to them as they would any other group.

    I think that's about it, nothing earth shattering. I gave my concerns around a few things to ensure that we can't be taken for granted. Oh well...back to work now.
     
  24. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think their ticketing this year has been pretty good. My only complaint is favoring the package buyers.

    Thanks for posting
     
  25. wixson7

    wixson7 Member+

    May 12, 2009
    boulder
    US Fan Council voting started yesterday. Check my name if you don’t know who else to add: Chris Wixson

    <Apologies for the unsolicited post.>
     

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