Private seat license

[beorhthelm]

i thought it worked liked an option. but if you have to pay for a season ticket on top (rather than allow the club to deal with that), then it really doesnt seem to be worthwhile. just pay for an unused ST in the event you cant attend for the year or two.

 

[drew]

The fact of the matter is that the PSL only come into their own if the club are successful and season tickets are like gold dust with a lengthy waiting list. The value of your PSL goes up but you only realise this if you no longer wish to or are unable to go. Most of them will be for single seats unless a group of you chose not to go.

 

[beorhthelm]

so only usful to those who would want to give up their seat as we become successfull? doesnt make alot of sence really. maybe appeal to some JCL speculators?

 

[Simontheseagull]

If a PSL is not held, does a STH have the right to renew each season for the same seat?

If the club is getting capacity crowds, some STH's do not renew, and as junior STHs become adults and need to move away from the family area, the Club will want to move people around so that they can still sit with friends and family. If a PSL is not held, STH's may find themselves a few seats further along the same row, or a few rows back. Not an unusual ocurrence where stadiums are sold out each season with waiting lists for season tickets.

 

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

Pmsl.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

The interesting one I have with a full STH ground is what happens with people who have tickets for the family stand whose kids age out and they have to move.....what happens if there are no spaces available ?

 

[Easy 10]

If a PSL is not held, does a STH have the right to renew each season for the same seat?

If the club is getting capacity crowds, some STH's do not renew, and as junior STHs become adults and need to move away from the family area, the Club will want to move people around so that they can still sit with friends and family. If a PSL is not held, STH's may find themselves a few seats further along the same row, or a few rows back. Not an unusual ocurrence where stadiums are sold out each season with waiting lists for season tickets.

STH's will always get first refusal on renewing their seat (the same seat), as they always have. Someone purchasing a PSL will not be able to oust an existing STH from their seat before that STH has had the option of renewing. Ken Brown was pinned down on this point at our presentation and confirmed it.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

maybe appeal to some JCL speculators?

I believe very much this, I have bought four for family members who live Eastbourne way and have not been since the Goldstone days, as the kids get older or after they have experienced a season or two, they will either become hooked or possibly lapse their ST. The PSL may then appeal?

Also the loyal fan who will pay money to the club because they have it and the club asks.

Agree though that I still have not heard a punchy reason why I need it, so look forward to my phone call to see how its sold and what I would be promised (always check the small print v what is verbally said).

 

[Albion Dan]

The club has got so much right in the last few years, but on this one they have got it badly WRONG and should bin the entire concept. There is no real value in a PSL unless the club has increased its ground capacity to 30k+ and we are selling out every single week. Then if you had one you "might" be able to sell for a profit.

The scaremongering around photo id etc is ridiculous. Many people have bought a ST on a share basis, are the club going to risk losing those sales entirely? The club should set up a ticket resell scheme straight away to allow ALL STH to sell individual tickets as required via the club. The club takes a commision from each sale, and actually MAKES additional money from tickets that have already been paid for once. Even Man Utd do this. It would make much more money than from PSLs that nobody wants, and mean that non STH's get a good chance of going to games.

 

[Notters]

The club has got so much right in the last few years, but on this one they have got it badly WRONG and should bin the entire concept. There is no real value in a PSL unless the club has increased its ground capacity to 30k+ and we are selling out every single week. Then if you had one you "might" be able to sell for a profit.

The scaremongering around photo id etc is ridiculous. Many people have bought a ST on a share basis, are the club going to risk losing those sales entirely? The club should set up a ticket resell scheme straight away to allow ALL STH to sell individual tickets as required via the club. The club takes a commision from each sale, and actually MAKES additional money from tickets that have already been paid for once. Even Man Utd do this. It would make much more money than from PSLs that nobody wants, and mean that non STH's get a good chance of going to games.

Excellent post. I think this is going to happen, though. Let's just hope it's well organised!

 

[Easy 10]

The club has got so much right in the last few years, but on this one they have got it badly WRONG and should bin the entire concept. There is no real value in a PSL unless the club has increased its ground capacity to 30k+ and we are selling out every single week. Then if you had one you "might" be able to sell for a profit.

The scaremongering around photo id etc is ridiculous. Many people have bought a ST on a share basis, are the club going to risk losing those sales entirely? The club should set up a ticket resell scheme straight away to allow ALL STH to sell individual tickets as required via the club. The club takes a commision from each sale, and actually MAKES additional money from tickets that have already been paid for once. Even Man Utd do this. It would make much more money than from PSLs that nobody wants, and mean that non STH's get a good chance of going to games.

I dunno if the club have got it "wrong" as such, as we were told in January that they'd sold nearly 200 PSL's at that point - thats just short of another £100k going straight into the clubs coffers. Like most on here though, I'm just very dubious as to their true value to fans, but if some people are willing to part with an additional £500 on top of their season ticket cash then the club would be daft to turn it down.

I totally concur with your thoughts on sharing and selling individual season tickets on a match-by-match basis though. The club MUST find a way to facilitate this.

 

[Brovion]

The only real advatages that I can see are either:

a) you can pass on the right to the seat to a member of the family if the STH dies or decides they no longer want a season ticket. Without the PSL, you don't have that right.

b) you think Brighton will do really well and you want to make a profit by selling your right to a season ticket for that seat at some future point for more than it's face value. The example they give online is using the ticket exchange to seel your seat rights for £3k or so. If Brighton do get to the Prem and you have a good seat, and tickets are scarce, you'll be able to sell on your seat for a premium. But for most fans, if the Albion are doing that well, you'll want to go to the games.

Can't see the value for me personally.

One tiny extra potential (but as yet unclear) benefit
c) you'll be able to legitimately sell your seat on a game by game basis for a profit via the clubs ticket exchange (if they make one). the club will charge you a premium for this. If you don't have a PSL then you will not be allowed to sell your seat match by match.

I think there's a lot of truth in that. IF we get to the Prem and demand way outstrips supply then you could get a good return on your investment by selling your PSL. Also when you die you can bequeath your PSL in your Will; in both cases it effectively allows your chosen recipient to bypass the lengthy waiting list.

I think your point c is a good one. If the club start to get heavy with STHs making private arrangements for mates to have their tickets (which is technically against the Conditions of Sale but all clubs admit they turn a blind eye to it) then they could say that the only way for a 'non-holder' to attend is if they've bought the ticket on the official exchange, thus the club have benefited from the resale. PSL holders would be exempt from that. There is the whole problem though, as Easy says, of enforcing it. Potential for future "I wasn't allowed in on Saturday!" binfest threads!

 

[Simster]

The club has got so much right in the last few years, but on this one they have got it badly WRONG and should bin the entire concept. There is no real value in a PSL unless the club has increased its ground capacity to 30k+ and we are selling out every single week. Then if you had one you "might" be able to sell for a profit.

The scaremongering around photo id etc is ridiculous. Many people have bought a ST on a share basis, are the club going to risk losing those sales entirely? The club should set up a ticket resell scheme straight away to allow ALL STH to sell individual tickets as required via the club. The club takes a commision from each sale, and actually MAKES additional money from tickets that have already been paid for once. Even Man Utd do this. It would make much more money than from PSLs that nobody wants, and mean that non STH's get a good chance of going to games.

Good post, and I agree entirely.

I asked Insider about a ticket exchange a while back, and trust them to do the right thing:

Ticket exchange?

 

[Jam The Man]

The interesting one I have with a full STH ground is what happens with people who have tickets for the family stand whose kids age out and they have to move.....what happens if there are no spaces available ?

I've asked this question Dave, and the answer was...:

"We don't really know yet!"

I got told that if (Devil's Advocate) we went to the Premier League / became incredibly successful and, for example, my lad then became an adult or just didn't want to go anymore, then i'd more than likely be put on a waiting list.

Hence I paid more and got me and the boy tickets in the WSU.

 

[Albion Dan]

I dunno if the club have got it "wrong" as such, as we were told in January that they'd sold nearly 200 PSL's at that point .

When I meant wrong, I relate to the insinuation that allowing ticket resales would only be "legitimately" facillitated for those with a PSL and sold as a direct benefit of the scheme. OK, the club may have blagged a couple of hundred grand from 400 odd gullibale people who would probably buy Ice of a salesman if they lived in the Arctic, but lets be honest its a poorly thought through (and borrowed) commercial initiative that is trying to rip off loyal customers by offering very poor value. The alternative was always to set up a ticket exchange facility right from the off that meant the club would make healthy money on all resales, keep fans happy, and mean the ground is always full. If this facility is now offered I would imagine a few PSL customers would feel a little deceived.

 

[Titanic]

I've asked this question Dave, and the answer was...:

"We don't really know yet!"

I got told that if (Devil's Advocate) we went to the Premier League / became incredibly successful and, for example, my lad then became an adult or just didn't want to go anymore, then i'd more than likely be put on a waiting list.

Hence I paid more and got me and the boy tickets in the WSU.

The simple answer to this, if there really are no spare seats elsewhere, would be to move the older kids towards the centre line... and shrink the 'family stand' by a few seats.

 

[Easy 10]

When I meant wrong, I relate to the insinuation that allowing ticket resales would only be "legitimately" facillitated for those with a PSL and sold as a direct benefit of the scheme. OK, the club may have blagged a couple of hundred grand from 400 odd gullibale people who would probably buy Ice of a salesman if they lived in the Arctic, but lets be honest its a poorly thought through (and borrowed) commercial initiative that is trying to rip off loyal customers by offering very poor value. The alternative was always to set up a ticket exchange facility right from the off that meant the club would make healthy money on all resales, keep fans happy, and mean the ground is always full. If this facility is now offered I would imagine a few PSL customers would feel a little deceived.

If people have bought a PSL on the basis that they believed it was the only way of guaranteeing they'd be able to renew their season ticket for the same seat, then they have been sold a pup. Some direct questions at the presentation cleared this up quite easily, ie existing STH's will ALWAYS get first refusal on renewing their seat. Frankly thats all I wanted to know, and I dismissed ever bothering with a PSL from that moment.

I had this conversation with (I think) Storer 68 on here a few months back, who has purchased a PSL. His line of argument for owning one is that the club can never move you on from your seat, its always yours as long as you renew. When I said about the first refusal element that ALL STH's already have on their seat anyway, it was kind of "well, you never know what the club might do in the future in terms of moving fans around". Which I suppose is true to an extent, but its a heck of an expensive insurance premium to pay out, on the offchance that the club might for soem reason try and move you one day in the dim and distant future. I'm in the middle of the WSU, can't see why they'd want to bump me elsewhere.

 

[Wozza]

Will STHers actually have to RENEW each season?

Given that payment is by direct debit, I assumed the season ticket will be ongoing until you CANCEL?

(That's a big admin saving for staff)

 

[Easy 10]

Will STHers actually have to RENEW each season?

Given that payment is by direct debit, I assumed the season ticket will be ongoing until you CANCEL?

(That's a big admin saving for staff)

Good point.

Kind of like car insurance, I expect you'll get something sent through the post confirming the price for the new season, and if you are simply renewing then it'll be a case of "YOU NEED DO NOTHING". They'll just kick-off the new d/d from 1st April again, or whatever.

Works for me (assuming they don't suddenly start taking the piss with the prices, which I'm sure they won't).

 

[8ace]

Will STHers actually have to RENEW each season?

Given that payment is by direct debit, I assumed the season ticket will be ongoing until you CANCEL?

(That's a big admin saving for staff)

You'd hope so, if anyone was in two minds about renewing there's a good chance they'd take the lazy option and not bother to cancel. This is what Sussex do with the cricket membership.