Poyningsgull
Well-known member
- Apr 12, 2007
- 1,625
Hardly a debate is it....just endless whinging. Anyway you carry on. I'm out.
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Seagulls tv
- Thread starter Basey
- Start date
Hardly a debate is it....just endless whinging. Anyway you carry on. I'm out.
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,310
SUA Seagull
Well-known member
I bought the Seagulls TV annual pass a couple of weeks ago for my lad’s birthday and, like many of you, he was unable to access either the Norwich or Girona matches.
Regardless of who’s ultimately to blame for the streaming problems, the facts are that:
(a) the Seagulls TV product is exclusively sold via a link on BHAFC’s official website: https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/SeagullsTV/subscribe/
(b) the log-in access details are entered on an official BHAFC web page link: https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/my-account/
(c) even when you’re logged into the site the live match and highlights’ links are to a BHAFC page: https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/SeagullsTV/
It’s only after you’ve subscribed, when you click on the “voice bubble” at the bottom right of the screen (to ask an online question), that you see “iFollow Support”. The first I knew of iFollow was when I received a confirmation email for my purchase entitled “your iFollow purchase”.
On that basis, it is perfectly reasonable for a subscriber to argue that they bought the product from BHAFC (they did) and hence to question the club directly about their Seagulls TV experiences and it would be unreasonable of the club simply to blame iFollow for any problems and to direct subscribers to the service provider.
I suspect few, if any, subscribers realised they were dealing with iFollow until they received their confirmation of purchase email and/or raised a question on the recent streaming problems.
If you intend to raise your Seagulls TV concerns with the club you may wish to refer to the above in arguing that they should be dealing with your queries as they sold you the product. At the very least, the club should be leaning heavily on iFollow to improve:
(i) broadcasting logistics (I accept that the club relied on Girona streaming the game, but iFollow should have sorted those arrangements out days before the match itself), and
(ii) the quality of their customer communications and information flows going forward.
If iFollow aren’t up to the task then the club should replace them with a supplier that is.
And, perhaps, the club might wish to offer a goodwill compensatory gesture (free, live stream of the Atletico game?!).
NB1: BTW, for those seeking a refund, the confirmation receipt says “When you subscribed you opted to receive access to iFollow immediately and waived any specific right to withdraw from the subscription and receive a refund in the first 14 days. This does not affect your other statutory rights.” That’s a rather cheeky small print issue, so in order to succeed in your claim you will need to argue that the product hasn’t delivered what you bought it for.
NB2: For those who paid £45 by credit card, note also that the subscription renews automatically unless you cancel it by email (ifollow@efl.com) before the renewal date, so make sure you diarise that if, like me, you won’t be renewing in 2018!
GT49er
Well-known member
So, if e-mailing ifollow for a refund is not the right thing to do, what e-mail address should the complaint be sent to?
GT49er
Well-known member
Good.
SUA Seagull
Well-known member
You should email iFollow to seek a refund but if they push back and refuse a refund you should then contact the club and argue that they sold you a product (including access to live pre-season friendlies) that their supplier couldn't deliver.
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,310
Fascinating customer service. I've been in contact with them. Their policy is to not offer refunds 
and according to them the Norwich game was only available overseas.
In a nutshell I can see what has happened. Their procedures are set up to handle Football League teams and terms.
They even insisted I contacted the football league if I wanted to further my complaint.
None of their staff via chat or email seem to understand that as part of the Premier League Brighton are able to stream friendlies.
I've been told twice they are unavailable... Ain't that the truth.
Nothing from the League Clubs sites can be streamed in the UK. Even friendlies..
That has lead to
1) Norwich game app cock up. Nobody obviously thought that a Premier League team would play an FL one in a friendly.
Norwich fans couldn't buy the game in the UK, but Brighton fans could
https://www.canaries.co.uk/News/2017/july/ifollow-brighton-stream/
2) The Athletico Madrid game (I believe) has falling foul of the same confusion.
The Girona game because of being played abroad didn't have any restriction applied at all.
So either the Norwich game was erroneously streamed to Brighton fans or the Madrid game has had a non existent restriction placed upon it.
Cock up all around and I like my subscription extended to make up for it.
Not cancelled as ifollow just did after completely misunderstanding my request. I had to get them to reactivate.
Sent from my LG-K520 using Tapatalk
and according to them the Norwich game was only available overseas. In a nutshell I can see what has happened. Their procedures are set up to handle Football League teams and terms.
They even insisted I contacted the football league if I wanted to further my complaint.
None of their staff via chat or email seem to understand that as part of the Premier League Brighton are able to stream friendlies.
I've been told twice they are unavailable... Ain't that the truth.
Nothing from the League Clubs sites can be streamed in the UK. Even friendlies..
That has lead to
1) Norwich game app cock up. Nobody obviously thought that a Premier League team would play an FL one in a friendly.
Norwich fans couldn't buy the game in the UK, but Brighton fans could
https://www.canaries.co.uk/News/2017/july/ifollow-brighton-stream/
2) The Athletico Madrid game (I believe) has falling foul of the same confusion.
The Girona game because of being played abroad didn't have any restriction applied at all.
So either the Norwich game was erroneously streamed to Brighton fans or the Madrid game has had a non existent restriction placed upon it.
Cock up all around and I like my subscription extended to make up for it.
Not cancelled as ifollow just did after completely misunderstanding my request. I had to get them to reactivate.
Sent from my LG-K520 using Tapatalk
AZ Gull
@SeagullsAcademy Threads: @bhafcacademy
There is definitely an overseas pass for Seagulls TV. This was made reference to in the club communication three weeks ago that stated that the Atletico de Madrid game would only be available to subscribers outside the UK - WATCH PRE-SEASON LIVE ON SEAGULLS TV!
When I signed up I believe there was an option to select the overseas version; I can't replicate that page now, but if I log out of the service and then click on the subscribe link my option is priced in US dollars, as shown:-
Fascinating customer service. I've been in contact with them. Their policy is to not offer refunds
In a nutshell I can see what has happened. Their procedures are set up to handle Football League teams and terms.
They even insisted I contacted the football league if I wanted to further my complaint.
None of their staff via chat or email seem to understand that as part of the Premier League Brighton are able to stream friendlies.
I've been told twice they are unavailable... Ain't that the truth.
Nothing from the League Clubs sites can be streamed in the UK. Even friendlies..
That has lead to
1) Norwich game app cock up. Nobody obviously thought that a Premier League team would play an FL one in a friendly.
Norwich fans couldn't buy the game in the UK, but Brighton fans could
https://www.canaries.co.uk/News/2017/july/ifollow-brighton-stream/
2) The Athletico Madrid game (I believe) has falling foul of the same confusion.
The Girona game because of being played abroad didn't have any restriction applied at all.
So either the Norwich game was erroneously streamed to Brighton fans or the Madrid game has had a non existent restriction placed upon it.
Cock up all around and I like my subscription extended to make up for it.
Not cancelled as ifollow just did after completely misunderstanding my request. I had to get them to reactivate.
Sent from my LG-K520 using Tapatalk
I think there are more subtleties to this.
I would be surprised if there are many, if any, restrictions on streaming what are low-key pre-season friendlies. I imagine if the club want to do it, they can do it (assuming there isn't a rights holder for the game).
So I think iFollow, in their obvious utter crapness, are using a prescribed generic script for answering these questions and don't have club specific knowledge. I imagine the people you have been dealing with just won't be aware that the Albion used their platform to stream the Norwich game, for example.
All in all it's a really great example of how outsourcing implemented badly can leave customers stuck between two organisations, often knowing more about what is going on than the supplier they are trying to deal with.
Some of this omnishambles might not be the club's fault, but their handling of it is piss poor and their levels of communication even worse. It's grating as we all know that the club monitor this site (NSC) but seem intent on fiddling whilst Rome burns.
I don't really understand why the club got into bed with this bunch of charlatans in the first place, as it seems tailor made for EFL clubs, in the same way the previous deal was. Do Newcastle have it, or have they got away with it based on only being in the EFL for a year, and thus, missing out on the previous 'deal'?
I don't really understand why the club got into bed with this bunch of charlatans in the first place, as it seems tailor made for EFL clubs, in the same way the previous deal was. Do Newcastle have it, or have they got away with it based on only being in the EFL for a year, and thus, missing out on the previous 'deal'?
I think that's just local currency pricing for the same product that U.K. fans buy for £45 per year.
If you go to a football league club you'll see a specific overseas product for, I think, c£120 (I can't check as I'm on a plane over the Altlantic and bizarrely Tapatalk works when it should only be iMessage, FB Messenger and WhatsApp) which gives away league game live streaming.
It may just be a case that as we seem to be using a FL product we initially got some standard pages and content which has now been refined to reflect that we don't have a premium/overseas product, largely due to Premier League rights being owned elsewhere.
Blue Valkyrie
Not seen such Bravery!
I'm sure the club said that once they were out of the football league they could kick out the collective provider.
That's what I thought too.
Sounds like a con to me. I had a monthly Direct Debit based subscription and in the email I was sent back in April was assured that my subscription would continue and I would be charged the same amount.
Now I find that my subscription has 'expired' and the only option is to go to the club website and purchase an annual subscription for a service that (based on other social media feedback) isn't fit for purpose.
Until I get some confidence that iFollow will provide a service that works and is proven to provide value for money I will not risk the price of an annual subscription.
I hope the club will take on board our feedback and try to put some leverage on iFollow to treat their customers fairly.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Now I find that my subscription has 'expired' and the only option is to go to the club website and purchase an annual subscription for a service that (based on other social media feedback) isn't fit for purpose.
Until I get some confidence that iFollow will provide a service that works and is proven to provide value for money I will not risk the price of an annual subscription.
I hope the club will take on board our feedback and try to put some leverage on iFollow to treat their customers fairly.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
AZ Gull
@SeagullsAcademy Threads: @bhafcacademy
I have no idea why you don't want to believe there was/is an option for an overseas Seagulls TV pass. Why would the club specifically state that the Madrid match would only be available to overseas fans? There was an overseas option, and I purchased it. But hey ho.
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,310
Quite clear on the Norwich that even their friendlies are blocked in the UK.
Where that leaves the rights for the Brighton friendly [emoji1]
If I was a Norwich subscriber I'd be making a complaint..
The mechanism abroad is different.
It's 110 for the season or you pay per game.
I stand by my point. We don't require an overseas mechanism. For what ? One random friendly with a team from abroad ?
The dollars ? NeuLion are an American company. Possibly a bug on the site.
Sent from my LG-K520 using Tapatalk
Where that leaves the rights for the Brighton friendly [emoji1]
If I was a Norwich subscriber I'd be making a complaint..
The mechanism abroad is different.
It's 110 for the season or you pay per game.
I stand by my point. We don't require an overseas mechanism. For what ? One random friendly with a team from abroad ?
The dollars ? NeuLion are an American company. Possibly a bug on the site.
Sent from my LG-K520 using Tapatalk
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,310
For how much ?
Mine and Bozzas point being we have no idea what the overseas option is for....
Sent from my LG-K520 using Tapatalk
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
What about the Crawley and Dusseldorf friendlies? We had trouble accessing them too. Crawley being a League club which would be covered by the same restriction as Norwich, but Dusseldorf was abroad as per Girona.
I think I managed 70 mins of Dusseldorf and only the second half of Crawley.
AZ Gull
@SeagullsAcademy Threads: @bhafcacademy
$57
Just because you don't know what it is for, doesn't mean it doesn't (or didn't) exist.
Blue Valkyrie
Not seen such Bravery!
I'm sure the overseas option was advertised and I think it is meant to provide streams of away games ? Might be wrong on that.
However, I'd be a little worried about it now if I was subscribing as it seems a little uncertain what it will actually deliver
However, I'd be a little worried about it now if I was subscribing as it seems a little uncertain what it will actually deliver