Question about MLS team policies on season ticket renewal

Discussion in 'MLS: General' started by JasonMa, Jul 19, 2017.

  1. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The Rapids this year (actually I think they started last year) are going to an "opt-out" policy for season ticket renewals. If the current season ticket holder doesn't inform the Rapids ticket office in a 21 day window starting next week that they don't want to renew for 2018 they will be automatically renewed. If at a later time they realize this happened and want to cancel whatever has been charged is non-refundable but can be put towards single-game tickets next year.

    The ticket reps are claiming this is becoming standard practice in MLS, I'm just wondering if that's actually the case with other teams.

    (My tickets are through Centennial 38 which is not, and will never, do auto-renewals like this but other members of our fan base are dealing with this and I'd like to get them some accurate info)
     
    Gamecock14 repped this.
  2. Daniel from Montréal

    Aug 4, 2000
    Montréal
    Club:
    Montreal Impact
    Nat'l Team:
    Canada
    That wasn't the case in Montreal for 2017, but we haven't received anything for 2018 yet.
     
    JasonMa repped this.
  3. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    VB, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It's how the league does MLS live, FWIW.
     
  4. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You don't have a limited 21 day window to opt out of MLS Live. And MLs Live is less than $100.
     
  5. Bradford Towne

    Bradford Towne New Member

    Colorado Rapids
    United States
    Jul 19, 2017
    In regards to MLS Live, I am not being asked to renew for 2018 today. I do not get charged until sometime in 2018 (thinking February). And it is less than $100.00
     
  6. newtex

    newtex Member+

    May 25, 2005
    Houston
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    The Houston Dynamo started a program in 2015 that included a price-lock and then automatic renewal for at least 3 years. Season ticket holders did not have to sign up for it but if you did then have until July 15 to opt-out for the following year. If you don't then you get charged in August. My understanding at that time was that you could still go year-to-year and avoid the automatic renewal but you ran the risk of higher prices for your seats.

    That applies to season tickets in the Supporter Section as well. I did the price-lock at that time so I don't know if they have instituted a new program since then or not as far as automatic renewal for all season ticket holders. I have not heard about it. This deal goes until the renewal for the 2018 season so I might not hear anything new until the 2019 renewal period.
     
  7. Bradford Towne

    Bradford Towne New Member

    Colorado Rapids
    United States
    Jul 19, 2017
    There are multiple issues with this, even ignoring the bad optics of rolling this out when the Season Ticket holder base of the Rapids are getting really restless given the string of soccer since 2014.

    It is a tactic that exploits the very fan base it is supposed to be trying to serve. It preys upon those that mistakenly forget to respond (this is what crap service providers and gyms will do through "free-trial" offers. Secondly, it preys upon the psychological fact that it is tougher to have to "opt-out" of something (negative affirmation) than to "opt-in". Add to the fact, they are giving only 21 days for STH's to decide.

    This is a type of negotiating tactic you might use on a one-off transaction (car sales for example). Not where you are trying to build a loyal customer base.
     
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  8. Bradford Towne

    Bradford Towne New Member

    Colorado Rapids
    United States
    Jul 19, 2017
    This is different from this standpoint. Houston's model asks if you want to "Opt-In" on this program....what the Rapids are doing is equivalent of registering everyone for the Price Lock, and then forcing them to have to "Opt-Out" or they will automatically charge you.
     
  9. Placid Casual

    Placid Casual Member+

    Apr 2, 2004
    Bentley's Roof
    That's a disgrace
     
    JasonMa repped this.
  10. Bradford Towne

    Bradford Towne New Member

    Colorado Rapids
    United States
    Jul 19, 2017
    It would be nice to know whether this is really becoming more common to MLS. My ticket rep mentioned that this is being driven in part by the League office, which wants to get STH renewals numbers for each team by end of the year.

    I am guessing, he meant "fiscal year", which could mean 9/30/2017 fiscal year-end. However, given the season does not cross calendar years, this seems odd. I would expect a fiscal year-end to be 12/31/2017.

    And if December is the fiscal year-end, then the explanation provided falls on its face. If September 30, 2017, it could make some sense, as maybe the main office (this is single entity), is trying to lock-in forecasted revenues for likely budgeting purposes for the next fiscal year.

    I wreaks of a program implemented by the head of the business side of KSE based on some consultant/study that shows that renewals will be higher with this "Opt-Out" feature.
     
  11. Gamecock14

    Gamecock14 Member+

    May 27, 2010
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    If this is a team move, it is petty. If this is an MLS move, this is disgusting.
     
    The Franchise, JasonMa and sitruc repped this.
  12. Yoshou

    Yoshou Fan of the CCL Champ

    May 12, 2009
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The Sounders started an opt-in process in 2015 and a majority of Sounder fans opted in.
     
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  13. Bradford Towne

    Bradford Towne New Member

    Colorado Rapids
    United States
    Jul 19, 2017
    What is an "Opt-In" program entail? What happens if you "fail" or "forget" to reply to the decision?
     
  14. Yoshou

    Yoshou Fan of the CCL Champ

    May 12, 2009
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    People had to opt-in to the auto-renewal program. Basically, sometime in September people in the program will get an email saying that their season tickets will automatically renew on XX date. They have the option to renew prior to that date, cancel the renewal, or to allow it to automatically renew.
     
  15. EvanJ

    EvanJ Member+

    Manchester United
    United States
    Mar 30, 2004
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Can you pay with a check so that the club can't charge you on their own? Alternatively, you could change credit cards every year so an attempt to renew your charge won't work. I realize that changing credit cards is an inconvenience. I'm just making suggestions.
     
  16. Placid Casual

    Placid Casual Member+

    Apr 2, 2004
    Bentley's Roof
    The Crew have informed us that if we renew for 2018 an added "benefit" is auto renewal.

    https://www.columbuscrewsc.com/autorenewal
     
    sitruc, Ismitje and JasonMa repped this.
  17. doog

    doog Member

    Jun 11, 2006
    The Timbers just sent out their season ticket renewal letter today. They've never had default (opt-out) auto-renewal and unless I'm missing something the option to opt-in to auto-renewal doesn't exist.
     
  18. aperfectring

    aperfectring Member+

    Jul 13, 2011
    Hillsboro, OR
    Club:
    Portland Timbers
    Same here. I'm guessing that the Timbers aren't concerned with whether individual people renew or not, since they have a >10,000 person waiting list for just over 15k season ticket slots, and have had high 90s% renewal every year.
     

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