just got this email Greetings Season Ticket Holders, The San Jose Earthquakes would like to thank you for your support through another memorable and historic season. As you are aware the San Jose Earthquakes have been eliminated from the 2005 MLS Cup Playoffs and will not be hosting the Western Conference Final at Spartan Stadium. As a Season ticket holder who purchased the 2005 Playoff Series any balance in your account will be automatically refunded to your credit card or a check will be issued within 30 days. For further information, please contact our Earthquakes Ticket Office at (408) 985-GOAL. without the option of letting it ride towards next season tix, it makes my stomach hurt...
Or is it a clean book-keeping break so the new owners can interact with the San Jose fans directly? Honestly, your take was my take, too.
Since last year's letter had the option of applying the balance to next year's season tickets, I can only assume the team won't be here next year. I mean, any fool writing that letter would cut-and-paste the text from last year's letter.
I just talked to Elvia in the office and she said that they haven't been told anything yet, so that is why we're getting the refund sent back.
If the team is not here next year, MLS and AEG need to be given "The-Best-Shot-in-the-Foot" award for their blind stupidity.
You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to pwave again. - at least for the first sentence. Ironically, that first sentence - the take that's apparently not your take - is my take. After all, just because AEG may or may not be here next season doesn't necessarily mean that the San Jose Earthquakes won't be. GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
Legally (per their agreements with ticketmeister and/or their credit card issuer) they may not be allowed to keep the money. (Have you ever mail ordered something from, say, LL Bean, and had them send you a card saying that your item is out of stock and you have the option of waiting two weeks or getting a refund? It's not that they want to give you back your money.) Perhaps last year they didn't adhere to the time limit for providing either goods or services (in this case, season tix) or offering a refund and had their collective hand slapped, so were trying to do the right thing this year. Let's try to be positive.
This conflicts with the letter dated October 4, 2005 that accompanied my playoff tickets. I quote: "If the Earthquakes do not host the Western Conference Final, any balance will be automatically credited towards 2006 Season Tickets or refunded if necessary or requested. If you would prefer a refund of unplayed playoff games please contact our office by Friday, November 18th." I have not received the email referred to earlier in this thread, so I have to assume that the words "refunded if necessary" have been invoked. Invoked by whom, I do not know. But if I were the buyer of the team, I would not feel that "clearing the books" would be a productive move. From an accounting point of view, all I would have to do is pay the seller for the deposit still on the books. Why send a signal to my season ticket holders that I would not be liking their deposits for next year's tickets? Sniff, sniff, boo-hoo.
Mr. Jay Hipps has stated elsewhere that the purchase of season tickets last year was not announced until the 9th of November. Relax, folks.
i.e. The opening song that'll play at the 2006 San Jose Earthquakes home opener at Spartan Stadium. GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
From what I heard from a another Quakes season tix holder, is that the season tix that he splits for the Sharks 4 ways doesn't work that way. For example, when they had the strike all last year?...They had already paid for the season tix and the Sharks said we can apply them to your next season tickets or you can get a refund. They requested the money held for the following year. So this is worrisome that we were NOT EVEN ASKED if we a/ wanted a refund b/ applied to next season tickets. In final, the QUAKES person has read my email response to apply my $$ to next season, but I have yet to get a response.
-----Original Message----- From: Earthquakes Mail [mailto:sjearthquakes@sjearthquakes.com] Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2005 3:19 PM To: Subject: RE: 2005 Playoff Game B Refunds Greetings chowhog99 Thank you for your email. We appreciate your support of the San Jose Earthquakes. Season tickets for the 2006 season are not yet on sale, so we are unable to apply your credit towards season tickets at this time. All season ticket holders who purchased the 2005 MLS Playoff Series will automatically receive a refund for the Western Conference Final match that will not be played at Spartan Stadium. Please continue to log on to www.sjearthquakes.com for news and/or updates on the status of the team and 2006 Season Tickets. Yours in Soccer, San Jose Earthquakes -----Original Message----- Sent: Monday, October 31, 2005 2:17 PM To: Earthquakes Mail Subject: RE: 2005 Playoff Game B Refunds Greetings AEG & MLS Office Instead of a refund, I would like this applied to my 2006 season tickets Cheers,
I spoke to someone in the Quakes offices, I replied to my e-mail and said "please apply my refund to my 2006 season ticket." The response I got to both was, no dice. You're getting a refund. The gal in the front office told me that as yet, no one in the front office knows the status of the team, that is, whether they will: a. be moved to some goddess foresaken hell hole, like Houston. b. be purchased by wonderful local owners!!! c. remain captives of the evil empire for another season. Still, we know that the local owners are at the table negotiating with the Prince of Darkness even as we type. We can only hope this works out well for all of us. In SSV We Trust! LONG LIVE THE QUAKES!! - Mark
It's ok with me that the season is over. It is, what it is yeah? It won't be ok with me if this is the end. If there are no more San Jose Earthquakes next season I be volcanicly angry. I will let MLS know of my displeasure in no uncertain terms. I will boycott their sponsors and encourage others to do so. I will run down the league in every forum I can find. (And I don't mean BS fora, I mean letters to the editor, sports blogs, sports talk radio, and similar venues. I'm mad as hell, and the other shoe hasn't dropped yet. When I think about AEG's complaints about San Jose it makes me sick. They have put next to no effort into the team, yet our attendance is just fine, our season ticket sales have increased over the past two seasons inspite of their continued threats and announcements, what do they want?! They had the chance a couple of years back to swing a stadium deal at Mission College, but they either didn't give a squat, or what?! They just flat out don't like our team or fans?! What am I supposed to think here? @#$ on AEG! #$%^ MLS!! In SSV We Trust!! LONG LIVE THE QUAKES!! - Mark
It all makes sense. AEG is not sure of the plans for the team and they don't want to keep your money! Hopefully it means it's not the end. I think AEG will stick around for one more year.
AEG hates the bay area because ClearChannel (nee Bill Graham Presents) controls all the venues. They'd like to have a venue here but they know they'll never pull it off.