UPDATE: Fans can drop expensive friendly match from 2011 ticket packages
I have spent much of this Monday morning exchanging emails with Sounders FC VP of Business Operations Gary Wright. This after I got my 2011 season ticket renewal email from the club and it came in at $40 more than 2010.
Season ticket holders who met a 2009 season deadline were told that their seat prices would not go up for three years (through 2011). Now I am learning that the club believes it qualified that statement (or promise) by saying ticket prices would not be raised more than 3% by the third year (2011).
"The three year promise was -- same prices for 2009 and 2010 … and no more than a 3 percent increase in 2011. It is 3 percent in 2011," said Wright in his first email response.
My 2010 $891 seats are $931 for 2011, and it isn't easy to find out why this 6% raise has happened. Wright says it is because of a surcharge for the single 2011 international friendly, which the club promises will be a "Top 5 in the world" opponent. My $24 seats are apparently $44 for that match.
"The difference is in the friendly match….the MLS matches went up 3 percent," Wright later emailed to me. "We have been promised a top 5 team in the world for the one friendly and that is where the difference is…..there was a friendly surcharge last year as well."
Wright says the club is currently searching for documentation to back up their 3% increase. (The one so many remember as a 0% promise for three years.)
When I log into my account on www.SoundersFC.com the statement is unclear. I see my seats are actually listed at $1027 for 2011. Then the club takes away $48 for the rebate promised after the May debacle against LA. Then another $48 is taken away for an unknown reason (maybe because I am one of those original seat holders?)
When the math is done I am still paying 6% more for my seats.
Sorry Sounders, but I am calling shenanigans on this. It is subterfuge pure and simple to keep MLS (league) matches the same price and then to raise the price of the friendly ticket...which we have no way to opt out of as season seat holders.
Why so many of us went along with it this season is on us, but two years in a row?
A raise in price is a raise in price is a broken promise, no matter how you try to slip it past us.
Sounders FC, you've got some explaining to do, and soon.
Fan forums light up with ticket confusion, outrage
Here's what is being said on various Sounders FC-related fan forums today.
GOALSeattle.com (not language moderated)
WeAreECS.com (not language moderated)
Comments
I don't really have any interest in seeing our boys play a Manchester United, Arsenal, Real Madrid, etc.
I would rather watch an exhibition of 2 of these teams rather than force another game on our boys.
I'd much rather see a USMNT game against a BIG club. Have the US vs. Brazil, Argentina, Germany or Spain. Now that would be worth the hefty ticket price.
I agree with your article. What made me really get upset, is that they are making you look like a liar for saying 2009 tickets prices would be locked in til 2011. I have been reading your blog daily since 2009. So thank you for calling bullsh*t on the FO.
Disney math...zero is the same as 6%. Way to go Joe Roth! This club is making money with a skimpy roster and what do they do? Slip it to the fans the week of the playoffs. Idiots!
Wow, just wow. We need to call the club on this, because if we don't 2011 will be even more expensive than we already fear. Make this right, Sounders. I too remember the 0% promise!
"Give us your Full 90...or at least your debit card number."
The beginning of the end.
"Wright says it is because of a surcharge for the single 2011 international friendly". This is wrong info. My tickets per regular season game was $20 last year and now its $22 (as per the details given in the invoice). So its basically a 10% increase in regular games alone.
I just talked to my rep, said my per ticket price is 16.50 (was 16 last year, so 3% is correct), but my friendlies are $62 a peice, which is almost 4X the cost of a regular ticket....and they were told to sell it as it's going to be a top 5 club and worth the money.
Like I say in th article, a price hike is a price hike, no matter how they try to paint it...
There was a lot of goodwill generated back in May regarding the rebate/refund. That has all gone down the toilet with this greedy money grab and utter disrespect to those that have been loyal.
I suppose it can be viewed by some as a test by the FO to see just how much the fans will take and for them to know just how much they can get away with. Unfortunate.
Whatever.
At these prices, its still a good deal.
It's not about the prices as much as it is about the way the club is trying to raise them, and the suspicion that they have broken a promise to their most loyal fans, Matt (NES).
This is what my rep told me:
"For the regular season matches (which there are 17 this season) your price went up $1/ per game. So technically for your price range that $1 increase is 4% hike (but across the board the increase was 3%). For match 18, which will be our only friendly this season, the price on your section 214 seats is $77 for that one match. "
77 for a friendly? For seats that cost 20(21) for MLS. That is not at all cool. They better fix this.
So, here's an issue I foresee regarding the friendly and pricing: We as season ticket holders are getting gouged and have no choice in the matter, well no real choice anyway. You either renew or you're out. Let's assume 35K season ticket holders next year--that's still about 50% capacity of Qwest Field. If you're going to bring a top 5 team here, you'd assume you plan on selling out Qwest--will there be enough demand and interest to pay for the other 50% of these seats?
You've got to assume that the 35K ticket holders are your key demographic and the most rabid of supporters in the area. Are there another ~33K people out there that are willing and/or able to purchase these seats for such high prices?
One has to believe that the tickets to non-season ticket holders will be at least the same if not more than the price paid by season ticket holders.
I think capacity and demand for this match will likely become a real issue and there is a very real potential for the organization to be left with egg on their face over this.
The same thing is happening to mine, but then again I'm not renewing my season tickets, but I'd be pretty upset if I was.
what's Gary Wright's email address so that we can all write him about our concerns about not coming through on the 3 years with no price increase promise? When I mentioned that the front office promised me that I would have three years without a price increase my ticket rep acted like I was crazy and had a poor memory. I'm glad everyone else is remembers this promise and can back it up.
garyw@soundersfc.com
hysterical timing: I just got a rave green "ring" in the mail from the Sounders, asking me to rewnew my vows. I kid you not. Anyone else thinking I need a pre-nup?
Nobody complained last year because the year before we got Chelsea and Barcelona as the friendlies. OK, so they jack the price a little to make sure we can get some great teams to come in again. I don't like it but whatever. This year? We get a load of steaming crap. Three games that I wouldn't have paid a dime for, another price increase and some BS line about a 3% increase hoping their ticket holders didn't graduate the 4th grade and can't do the math.
UNTIL THE FO RELEASES THE LIST OF 'TOP 5' TEAMS, this is a pointless promise.
Barcelona
Manchester United
Inter Milan
Bayern Munchen
Arsenal
Still pointless IMO, They made a promise to their fans and now look like a bunch of lying money hungry bags of crap.
I just spoke with my account rep. What I was told is the MLS tickets games when up 3% (about $1 a ticket for me), but there are now 2 extra games due to two new teams. The big increase comes in the friendly surcharge in an effort to get a big team to come in (hopefully at year one quality). Since I have a tight budget and rarely have interest in the friendlies my rep was willing to drop the friendly and credit me the difference. It was also helpful to see a breakdown of the costs.
Let's set the 'reset' button on this whole renewal campaign and get clear answers and way less of that stupid Kasey Keller preacher schtick.
the friendly should be season ticket optional, if it's going to hold an expensive price tag. Granted one could sell it on the market, but thats not supporting the players.
Mine are showing approx $240 total more for 4 seats...I need a decoder for this invoice! At leats the Seahawks mail out a detailed description on tickets!
Please remember in all of this that this club once preached about "Democracy in Sports," and then fell flat on that in the off season. Now this. Love the players, but hold the front office to their WORD!
Well, I was borderline anyway, but now consider two seats...cancelled.
I found an error..the ticket manager is adding on the price of the deposit of 144.00 instead of subtracting it...so it makes my invoice looks higher than it is.....but its still all screwed up my original 2 seats go up $91...my newer seats went up $72? makes no sense
TFC Season Seat holder since day one, hour one (before the Becks to MLS bs), and it pains me to see another great fan base being abused by the owners. If any of you have read about what we have gone through in the past 1 month, no, past 4 years, then you know that we TFC supporters feel your pain.
If management says one thing then does another they break our trust. If they raise prices by putting the increase in a mandatory friendly/MLS Cup ticket then they really insult our intelligence and exploiting our passion for our respective teams for pure naked greed.
Sounders fans, it could be worse. At least you know who Drew Carey is. Our team is mostly owned by a teachers pension fund which only cares about profits. You can pick out your owners in a crowd... we can't. Good Luck from TO!
Our FO sucks. Terrible decisions being made left and right. Scheduling a friendly (against a team that I could care less about, for 3x reg season price) in the home stretch, talking about limiting traveling supporter sections for Portland and Vancouver to league minimum (which means there's no way we'll be able to bring the 500+ fans down to Portland next year), and now this B.S.? Fine, I'll pay up. But now I'm going to refuse to buy any merchandise and will sneak my own booze in to offset the cost and deprive you money grubbers of any more of my hard-earned cash.
We all agreed last night as a family...we will NOT renew our Sounders ST's in 2011.
They have broken their trust with us.
This is the final straw for me. I love this team but I can't tolerate broken promises and stupid, greedy decision making by the owners. I'm not renewing.
The money doesn't even matter, it is all about principle. They won't see another cent from me. If I want to go to a game I'll just buy from a scalper outside the stadium - those tickets were available all season at below face value.
You people have to be kidding me -
Ticket prices go up. Thats the way the market works.
If you are considering cancelling you season tickets after a 3% increase...please do it. There are hundreds of people who are waiting and are actual supporters of the club who want your seats.
You are the minority here - this is a non issue for people who know and appreciate sports.
For starters... I totally disagree with your "blog." As all good teams should do they should raise ticket prices to help pay for the club to get better. As you know, we have 3 alloted "designated player" roster spots. Currently we are holding 2. Maybe with the ticket price raise we will see that 3rd slot used? We are one of the only MLS stadiums selling out... a pretty surprising feat for a 2 year old team and I am proud to be a ticket holder of those 2 years. I am happy to continue supporting my club even at a higher cost. As we watch NFL, NBA and MLB ticket prices raise why would you or any of these "commenters" be so naive as to think it wouldn't happen here. Just be happy it is only 3% or 6% and not much more... enjoy the product they are putting on the field and stop crying about your extra $40 you are paying. So, please stop wasting Gary Wright's time that I'm sure he can spend on more important things than email exchanging with you and figure out more exciting articles to write than bitching about a team you "claim" to support. PLEASE! I for one, NEVER remembered a "zero" percent increase and shouldn't expect one...
You're wrong. Many remember it, AND expect it. Further, if you think for one minute that this new ticket revenue is going to player salaries, then you must also believe all of the politcal commercials you are currently seeing!
There's one born every minute.
You can "support" a club and still hold them accountable. Just ask the ECS...
Yeah, Falk. You go, girl.
Good piece, Falk. Do we really need friendlies? Friendlies are boring, because the player and coaches don't take it seriously.
SSFC, please remove friendlies.
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