Like I said earlier... "Soccer for all... smartphone owners." It doesn't seem all that difficult to offer a membership card AND achieve the end goal of only offering resale via the TM website...but they don't want it that way. Heck, even if there was a small processing fee for the card, such would be life, but things would be more accessible to all.
It probably has to do with the new "dynamic barcodes". Ugh. Can't have a dynamic code on a physical object. Edit: Found this interesting quote: “Most of the leagues have done this — gone out and said we’d like to figure out how to monetize the secondary (market),” Rapino said. http://www.ampthemag.com/the-real/ticketing-barcode-going-die-heres/ There's your answer--greed. This is kinda like a person buying a car and then having Ford or Toyota want a piece of your action if you become a Lyft driver.
Yes because it's still digital. Screenshots would no longer work, but digital wallets are made for this.
The answer is not greed. The answer is process improvement and cost reduction. If you can do something better and cheaper, you will. Why should a service providing company be any different? And if there is a small portion of the customer base that is adversely affected by that decision they either make that up with new customers or that the existing customers evolve with them. There is nothing nefarious going on, no one is being picked on, and ticket companies aren't purposefully trying to freeze out a segment of the population.
I'll respectfully disagree. Note that what they are talking about is "monetizing the secondary market". Basically they wish to feed at the trough any time a ticket is sold. That's like Ford telling you that you have to give them more money if you sell your used car later. I was speaking with a friend of mine today (CBJ season ticket holder of many years) and she noted that if something comes up and she cannot go to a game, if she uses the team's marketplace, she is not allowed to sell the ticket at a discount in order to recoup some of the loss--but the team still gets a cut. And when the top ticket seller also owns one of the biggest concert promoters, that's a trust. TR would have gone after it. Mind you, I have nothing against "improvements"--but if you talk to some fans it has become more difficult to attend events as the tech just doesn't always work (there were problems at a number of NFL venues this year, for example). Also, you indicate "a small portion". Close to 50% of the folks in my demographic don't have the technology. That will solve itself, of course, in the coming years. If I still have a season ticket in 20 years, I'll be pleasantly surprised (due to age). But that's a lot of folks with disposable income--and with grandkids, nieces and nephews. It's short-sighted in my view--especially in a day when the younger folks do not have as much "brand loyalty" to sports and where attendances are down.
Fair enough. For me, it depends on what you define as "solvable". Getting a smart phone is a non-starter for me. I'd be happy with a season ticket holder's card like the Jackets have--and like we used to have.
Even if the smart phone was just a device used for ticketing - not so much a "phone" but a portable wifi-only internet device with a singular purpose?
It seem It is wrong that the Crew or any business demands you buy an expensive device so that you can purchase expensive sporting tickets. I ran a business for 54 Years and made the best product at the most reasonable price possible so that I could satisfy the most customers. The ticket cards we had before last year were great and easy to use. Printing our own tickets last year took a little more effort but was fine. But when you require customers to pay for an expensive electronic devise,then expect older customers to use technology that we don't fully know how to use. I talked to my customer rep today,she is a very nice lady but truthfully she did not help me with the technology problem! She told me to put my tickets into my wallet. I told her that was for IPhones,that I had a android. She did know what to do about that. After fooling with the phone and app for the past week I believe I do have the tickets on my phone! I have a screenshot of the tickets but I also saw the words "save" on the tickets. I clicked that and I believe I was able to save the tickets. I don't believe that making customers,those that don't have expensive phones or us older folks that don't have tecknology experience, jump thru hoops to purchase your product!
Dan, I get the frustration but the reality is that the vast majority of people have a compatible device. I sympathize with Ken as well and agree it’s a cash grab for the secondary market sales but that is the reality.
It is not smart business to offend and drive off a segment of your customer base. I do understand that within the next ten years old guys in their seventies will not be around or buying tickets but don't be kicking fans out that don't want to spend their limited income on expensive electronic devises. I could afford to buy an expensive phone but wasting my money on stupid things that don't make sense is not how I saved enough money to retire comfortably!
There will be guys in their 70’s buying tickets, but they will have had a smartphone most of their lives. And they aren’t really that expensive anymore unless you are buying the newest models.
It's also the increase in monthly bill to retirees who may be living on limited incomes and/or fixed budgets.
You can buy a used iPhone 6 on Facebook marketplace for $100. Don’t activate it, go to Panera and use their Wifi.
I never thought about it that way, but I do plan on deactivating my tablet soon ish, so yeah, it would make sense. Assuming the battery on such an old phone would work more than 2-3 hours, however. My current phone (Pixel 2 XL) is about two years old and still has fantastic life. Any previous smartphone of mine and it started to go south QUICK right around the two-year mark.
I have offered to give any of the old phones in my basement to any poster here who wants one, just for ticketing purposes. That's a free device, with no monthly service fee that makes this conversation moot. But I also understand that, for some, it's the principle of the matter. If I was in Bez's chair, I'd give a ticket card to anyone that asks for it. Totally unadvertised, mind you.
I agree! If it is not costing you an unreasonable amount,you should try to make your customer happy! A customer should not have to spend extra money and jump thru hoops to buy your product!
Not according to that ticket news site I quoted. In my (and @Dan Milton's) demographic it's about 50%.
You should see Mrs KG's phone--she got a good deal on a pay as you go phone from Verison back in the day--runs about $10 a month and she still has hours of minutes left (they roll over). It's so old it isn't even a flip phone--no camera and a one line grayscale screen. I'm thinking 10 years old, maybe (might be more like 15). But Verison is dropping the 3G service "soon". I note it here, because she does now have battery issues, and this post reminded me of it. Mind you, there's not much drain on a phone with that limited display....
Not questioning the stat you found but I work with people 65+ being in the Medicare field and my experience differs. Seems the ability to text your grandkids is a motivator.
You can text that with a flip phone--I've been doing it for years. Though those are going the way of the dodo. And the research is from Pew--who are very reputable. I'll requote from the article (which was from March 2019). https://www.ticketnews.com/2019/03/dynamic-barcode-ticketmaster-consumer-concerns/ MLS has made the mistake in the past of going after certain markets that they though were a sure thing while sometimes ignoring or alienating their base. I technically now do have a smart phone (4G)--but it's difficult to access anything that's more than just basic text--it's very slow with any graphics--and has a small screen (about 2X2). I do like to use it to get updated scores. For anything else, meh. And I'm ok with that. It does the job of basic communication for a cheap price just fine.
A lot of older people have started to use smartphones or tablets to Facetime with their grandchildren even if they live a few miles down the road. I'm with you with that the people I interact with in my age group and higher are all on smartphones. That still doesn't excuse forcing people into that way of purchasing tickets.