Ticketing Troubles Continue To Plague Whitecaps
When it comes to ticketing issues, Vancouver Whitecaps haven’t had their troubles to seek this year.
AFTN has inadvertently become the champion of ticket holders, as we try to bring the issues to light in the hope that the Caps FO can act accordingly to remedy the problems.
You just have to click the “ticketing problems” tag below to get the gist of all the stories we’ve covered this season.
To their credit, the Whitecaps have responded well but none of the issues should have happened to start with, if properly thought out, planned and contingency plans had been put in place.
We thought with the season coming to an end, we wouldn’t have any more stories to write about this subject until maybe next year. We should have known better.
The latest fuck up is frustrating, inconvenient and just leaves you shaking your head. On the other hand, it is also the most hilarious!
At the start of the season, both Vancouver Whitecaps and the CFL’s BC Lions issued season ticket holders with tickets to only cover the games at Empire Field.
This took the Lions up to the September 10th game against Toronto and the Caps to last night’s Cascadia Cup clash with Seattle.
The Whitecaps sent season ticket holders an email on September 9th advising that delivery and pick up of the remainder of tickets for the four games at BC Place would commence on September 14th.
And what a fucking disappointing rip off that email content provided.
Caps fans could choose four options for getting their tickets.
Firstly, they could experience the inconvenience and time of having to go downtown to collect their tickets in person from the Whitecaps office in Gastown.
Alternatively, they could print them off in the comfort of their own home using Ticketmaster’s Ticketfast system – except that would cost you an additional $1.95 PER TICKET.
You could also get them couriered to your home or work, but this would also be at additional cost.
Sorry, but what are all these excessive admin fees and services charges that we pay on our season tciekts actually for then?
Whitecaps – you are a disgrace.
The BC Lions sent me my remaining four tickets for the CFL regular season free of charge, by mail and at a whopping cost to them of $2.06 postage (really nice tickets as well incidentally, with “Welcome Home” emblazoned on them).
The Caps aren’t exactly short of cash judging by the way they’ve become corporate whores this season.
The final option for picking up your tickets was in person on gameday and this was the preferred option of many.
We were advised that we could pick them up at the Seattle game last night. The last match before the new tickets would be needed.
Even this was a clusterfuck for the Club.
They only gave fans a two hour window before the match, with no chance to pick them up after the game.
The potential was for it to become a gongshow, with huge lines and tetchy supporters.
As it turned out, it was, but not for the reasons we imagined.
Fans turning up at the start of the two hour window at 5.30pm were bemused to find that things were not ready.
This bemusement turned to incredulity and anger when it became apparent that they wouldn’t be able to pick up their tickets there and then.
The Caps issued an email of apology last night after their latest ticketing shambles. It stated:
“For those of you who tried to pick up tickets this evening for the remaining 2011 matches at BC Place, we apologize that we were unable to deliver this service. Empire Field had significant issues with internet connectivity today, and as a result we were unable to connect to additional Ticketmaster systems for printing. We made every effort resolve the problem in a timely manner, but as it became clear that we would not be able to do so, we made the decision to discontinue ticket pick-up. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused you.”
What it conveniently misses out is what appears to have caused the problems in the first place.
Two fans who went at the start of the pick up window have confirmed to AFTN that the reason that the tickets couldn’t be printed was that they didn’t bring along a long enough cable to allow this to happen.
You couldn’t make this up.
Fans watched in amazement as staff unrolled a cable and saw that it didn’t reach. Unbelievable.
Those who were in line at the early stages of proceedings were offered two options – free courier of their tickets or delivery of their tickets to their seats during the Seattle match.
For those that turned up later, we were offered a free courier of our tickets to our home or work – how it should have been in the first place.
Fans just have to email or phone their ticket rep on Monday to arrange this.
The email from the Caps later on indicated that there would still be a courier charge but for their sakes they better not go back on their words to the people like myself who stood in line.
Make sure you call or email your ticket rep and demand your tickets be couriered and free of charge as they promised.
We’ll keep you posted but will probably end up picking them up from the Caps office tomorrow as it looks like I’ll be downtown in the afternoon now.
After all, I don’t want them just dumped and left on my doorstep again like last time.
Hopefully the five month off season will allow the Whitecaps ticketing department to get their shit in order for the 2012 season.
We won’t hold our breath.
Is it really so hard for the Whitecaps to get things right first time? Apparently so.
Previous Article
Next ArticleLeave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I have been so very disappointed with the front office. I'm glad some has finally started to bring this bush-league shit to light!
I have been so very disappointed with the front office. I'm glad some has finally started to bring this bush-league shit to light!
This is a cash grab. We paid agreed-prices for our season tickets only to find that we were supposed to pay another $1.95/ticket to print the ones for the last four games: an $8.74 extortion per season ticket, if we couldn't, or didn't want to, line up for ages to pick them up pre-game on Saturday.
Now they conveniently fuck up the pick-up. And guess what? We have to line up with thousands of others pre-game on Oct 2 to get our tickets. Or…print them for $8.74 each. Which we'll do, probably.
Why the f- they can't email them to us for nothing is beyond me. If I can print them on-line I can print them from an email.
I sent a complaining email to the sales department before Saturday's mess. But now, I'm livid.
They should make this right. Right now.
C'mon the hoops
C'mon the hoops
Just called Whitecaps sales and I can confirm that the courier is free.
I was in the line at 5:30 when we were informed of the two option for ticket delivery. To have them delivered to our seats during the match or couriered at no charge to our home or office.We chose the seat delivery option. The line from that point moved quite quickly. Then part way through the second half our tickets were delivered to our seats with an apology.
I was in the line at 5:30 when we were informed of the two option for ticket delivery. To have them delivered to our seats during the match or couriered at no charge to our home or office.We chose the seat delivery option. The line from that point moved quite quickly. Then part way through the second half our tickets were delivered to our seats with an apology.
We all know that the team needs an influx of more talented players in various important positions. They obviously also need to recruit office staff that can take their heads out of their asses. The accumulation of f-ups this year is inexcusable. They can start by poaching some people from the BC Lions, who actually know how to handle 20k season ticket holders.
Personally, I said from the beginning of the year that the Lions and Whitecaps were going to be competing for my season ticket dollars in 2012. The decision could not be any easier. I'll always support this team, but the organization does not deserve my money. Sort it out!
I hate to compare the BC Lions and Whitecaps FO but its hard not to when your a season ticket holder of both and one keeps making it hard for you to go to games. The Caps are really looking like they are run by tight wads who are nickle and diming there way through year 1.
I hate to compare the BC Lions and Whitecaps FO but its hard not to when your a season ticket holder of both and one keeps making it hard for you to go to games. The Caps are really looking like they are run by tight wads who are nickle and diming there way through year 1.
I was in the line to get my tickets on Saturday. I was offered the free courier service. I asked them to deliver my tickets to work as I would be at work during the day. There was no mention of needing to further call anyone and really why should there be? I was there, I gave my name and the address of where to courier the tickets. What more is needed? Why do I need to call anyone further? Anyway, it is now Thursday, tomorrow being the last day to receive the tickets at work before the next game this Sunday. They have not arrived yet, so I decided to call the “Account Manager” whom I bought my seasons tickets from to follow up on the situation. After leaving several messages I finally get a call back and he says I “missed the cutoff for the tickets to be couriered”, if you can believe that! After explaining that I was there on Saturday and no mention of this need to further call was conveyed to me at that time, that I expect them to courier these out to me as promised and before the end of the work week. Several hours later I received a phone call saying that they would courier them out but no mention as to when I should expect them. I have been waiting to see what my seats are like in BC Place before renewing my seasons tickets for next year. If my tickets do not arrive before end of day tomorrow I will not be renewing my 4 seasons tickets for next season. This is not the way to try to build support for a football club. I really hope they get their acts together and soon.
Anon
That's awful but not that surprising.
They messed up with my tickets and had to reissue them and a friend picked them up yesterday.
Just as well really as despite them telling me they were printed and sent by courier, the original ones have never arrived.
Why don't they open up more seats at BC place stadium? I tried to get 2 tickets yesterday but could only get singles.
I think the idea is to create a “hot ticket” element to the team by creating an artificial demand due to not enough cheap seats being available.
It may look good for TV, but it's the fans that lose out.