Season ticket payments - refunds/credits due by June 19th

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

And this is why me and my City Matters colleagues get so frustrated. No communication. Not a call or email, even to me, to let me know what's going on.

It may be that there's a reason why they have to collect the payment. I think there's an automated process whereby cards get cancelled after a certain time if the payment hasn't been made. Also we don't control changes to the SeatGeek software, which is done by the vendor. So we could potentially be faced with a scenario whereby 25-30,000 cards get cancelled if they don't collect the DD and they then have to manually reinstate all of them and take a payment before they can reactivate or renew. And as TROTD said just above, if you stop a DD then it doesn't just automatically restart. It has to be set up again from scratch.

So there might be a reasonable logistical reason for this but they should bloody well tell us.

The technicalities are beside the point in my view. There are no games so any money they take is just going to have to get refunded in some way.

They have to way up the technicalities v's the PR / fan engagement. What they should have done (about a week ago) is notify all fans that there would be no further payments and further comms once football was to restart. You can guarantee that once game start up again they will be after as many fans as they can get and the last thing they want at that point is a long running feud over payments / refunds.

 

[lancs blue]

I’ve removed my credit card from booking.com for the hotel as that’s non cancelable so I won’t be paying for that.

Unless booking.com have changed their procedures recently that won't work as the card details are forwarded to the hotel at the time of booking and they check its validity.

 

[SPIDERBOY]

The FA/Premier League just need to come out now and say "its over",simple as that.
Players must be well within their rights to say "behind closed doors or not....fuck that,I ain't playing"
There will be no more football this year....IMO.

 

[Gray]

And this is why me and my City Matters colleagues get so frustrated. No communication. Not a call or email, even to me, to let me know what's going on.

It may be that there's a reason why they have to collect the payment. I think there's an automated process whereby cards get cancelled after a certain time if the payment hasn't been made. Also we don't control changes to the SeatGeek software, which is done by the vendor. So we could potentially be faced with a scenario whereby 25-30,000 cards get cancelled if they don't collect the DD and they then have to manually reinstate all of them and take a payment before they can reactivate or renew. And as TROTD said just above, if you stop a DD then it doesn't just automatically restart. It has to be set up again from scratch.

So there might be a reasonable logistical reason for this but they should bloody well tell us.

It is the complete lack of communication that bugs me, very poor by the club. I have had several other things cancelled or in jeopardy and every body involved has been in touch.

• Chethams Library tour 19th March - They offered a refund but I have told them I will use my tickets when they are back to normal.
• Bridgewater Hall Concert 25th April - They have rescheduled it for the 29th November.
• East Lancs Railway Lancashire Lunch 26th April - They offered a refund which I have applied for.
• P&O Cruise to Baltic 31st May - Not yet cancelled but when it is they will give me a 125% cruise credit for my next booking.
• Dentist appointment for filling 18th March - They rang and asked if I could pospone it if not in pain, I agreed.

All the above apart from the Dentist communicated by email without any prompting from myself.

But our beloved MCFC not a bloody thing, disgraceful.

 

[SPIDERBOY]

The annoying thing for me is...If the season does go on to be completed,(and I hope it doesn't for the sake of ALL player) no fans will be allowed anyway.
So from a fans prospective,the season is most certainly over.....what's the point in taking the money to give it back?

 

[ancoats]

The FA/Premier League just need to come out now and say "its over",simple as that.
Players must be well within their rights to say "behind closed doors or not....fuck that,I ain't playing"
There will be no more football this year....IMO.

more reports today that the EPL are hoping they can get restarted in may even if it means lockouts and behind closed doors ? truly shocking if that is the case. and football will mean nothing and fans could turn the back on the game for good if they are told sorry you can not come in

this season will mean nothing if players are told to play without fans. its wrong on both sides and the greedy EPL and tv companies can go and fuck themselves if that happens. the world is in panic and people are dropping dead and they want football to be played ?? come on please don't let this happen to our game. its always been based around fans and just like the theatre and music gigs you need the fans to perform at your best

just leave it alone please. let the season go and void playing to unhappy players and fans nobody. going to win from playing in empty stadiums and it will only show our sport in a bad light and greed before anybody else

 

[Maldeika]

Peo has put in a million Euros, Sane 500,000 and Bernado has paid for may thousands of PPE masks. Us Bluemooners don’t tend to have anywhere near that level of wealth but can you talk me what you are contributing to the efforts to tackle the pandemic. I’m sure it’s lots.

If you mean Wekickcorona, the foundation Kimmich and Goretzka started - as much as I know this two gave 500,000 - and the others that followed like Sane and others 100,000
But Sane like the other German national team players and the German FA donate together another 2.5 million.

Gündogan in a private project donated to organize shopping help for older citizens in Heinsberg, the region that has the biggest numbers in Germany - and donated to give presents to doctors, nurses and medical staff in that area.

 

[Stiff Little Wingers]

As many have said, very disappointed with the lack of communication over this. If there is very good reason to take the money then tell us.
If there isn’t good reason then with what many fans will be going through I think it’s a disgrace.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

If you mean Wekickcorona, the foundation Kimmich and Goretzka started - as much as I know this two gave 500,000 - and the others that followed like Sane and others 100,000
But Sane like the other German national team players and the German FA donate together another 2.5 million.

Gündogan in a private project donated to organize shopping help for older citizens in Heinsberg, the region that has the biggest numbers in Germany - and donated to give presents to doctors, nurses and medical staff in that area.

Thanks Maldeika. It’s good that so many of the players are helping out.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

The technicalities are beside the point in my view. There are no games so any money they take is just going to have to get refunded in some way.

They have to way up the technicalities v's the PR / fan engagement.

I agree that they need to weigh things up but I don't agree that the technicalities are beside the point. My work involves huge payment systems and the technicalities are really quite important.

I don't know enough about the SeatGeek software but it may not even have the ability to suspend payments without cancelling seasoncards completely and, if they're cancelled, then it probably won't be possible to renew or reinstate them at all or to do so without people having to ring up and make the remaining payment, set up new DD's etc. That could take weeks before everyone has been processed, which could cause a whole different set of issues.

So it's possible that taking this final payment, then refunding the unused portion, might be the least bad option in the wider scheme of things, from the point of view of technicalities. But if that is the case then the club should come out and communicate with any seasoncard holders on the DD scheme, setting out what their plan is, why they've chosen to take that path and what the consequences might be if you can't or choose not to make the final payment. That's the minimum I'd expect to see from a public or private sector organisation. Bu they've not even got in touch with City Matters over this, let alone me, as the supposed representative of those people affected. That's what's most annoying. I've said to the club that ifthey give me a good reason for something, then I'll go out to bat for them. But I just can't do that if I don't have the information.