viagogo on watchdog

[TFS]

City should fuck this company off yesterday.
Introduce their own system on their own website. The club are missing a trick.

This ^ correct mate a thought they were business men.

It shouldn't even be that difficult for City to run their own ticket exchange. It's hardly any different to what happens for FA Cup games, where unclaimed season ticket seats are put on sale to other members. They'd just need a system for SC holders to make their seat available and then some means of reimbursing them if sold on. It's got to be worth it and would surely result in more seats being filled if we got rid of the extortionate mark-up at viagogo.

Also, it is only platinum SC holders that are allowed to list on viagogo at the moment. Gold members can't do this, which probably accounts for a lot of seats that aren't sold on, whatever your feelings about viagogo and their fees.

 

[john1155]

Twice to my certain knowledge Viagogo have enticed Platinum season card holders into registering by dangling the carrot (or pie) of a free match day pie on production of the card at their stand outside the Etihad before PL games. On each occasion the 'offer, proved to be a con. There was no stand, obviously no pies, and the club knew nothing about the promotion. I did complain to MCFC but never got a reply. Surely the owners have got to bin off these con artists if they are to maintain the integrity and respect they have built.

 

[hello]

The club should be offering this service themselves really say 10 full time employees and a bit of additional hardware for access to the ticket system less than 500k a year but they recoup from the difference between season ticket prices and full single ticket prices plus enhanced image of fewer\no empty seats and individual matchday revenue as non attending season ticket holders spend sweet FA.

You really think in a season the turnover for these types of tickets will be nearly £500,000???? Even if they make an average of £10 per ticket and say 1,000 tickets per game that is still only £380,000. Correct me if I'm wrong but Viagogo only provides tickets from season card holders who can't go, right?

Initial setup would be about 100k assuming it was separate to normal ticket office. Reality the staff could do both. The difference between normal face value and typical average season ticket price is about £20 which over 19 league games would be an average of 1300 seats through an exchange scheme which is certainly plausible. Add to the fact an empty season ticket holder spends fuck all, but an occasional fan that can only get to 1 or 2 games a season is likely to make a day of it, have a pint in city square, browse the shop before kickoff buy a program etc etc. 500k was a very generous guessimate realistically 10 full time staff with benefits and all that would cost about 250k max and such a scheme would certainly break even at minimum and in likely turn a weeks of yaya wage profit on base sales alone.

If they wanted to franchise something like this out as a wholly affiliated operation with zero risk I for one would snap their hands off in a heartbeat

 

[CatMan]

Networking is the key to denying Viagogo their market! Simply put, Seasoncard holders should introduce themselves to all those sat immediately around them and make an agreement that they will let them use their ticket for a nominal charge if they can't attend.

Last season I let my ticket go for nothing to the fella next to me for the 2 games I couldn't attend (money spent anyway so no genuine hardship) and later used his and his son's ticket, once again free of charge for one game they couldn't make!

Problem is today that people can't seem to bring themselves to speak or introduce themselves to strangers. No wonder it's like a bloody doctor's waiting room sometimes.

Value Gold again for me next year and I have no idea where I will be however I guarantee if I'm not in my seat someone else will be even if I give it away.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Networking is the key to denying Viagogo their market! Simply put, Seasoncard holders should introduce themselves to all those sat immediately around them and make an agreement that they will let them use their ticket for a nominal charge if they can't attend.

Last season I let my ticket go for nothing to the fella next to me for the 2 games I couldn't attend (money spent anyway so no genuine hardship) and later used his and his son's ticket, once again free of charge for one game they couldn't make!

Problem is today that people can't seem to bring themselves to speak or introduce themselves to strangers. No wonder it's like a bloody doctor's waiting room sometimes.

Value Gold again for me next year and I have no idea where I will be however I guarantee if I'm not in my seat someone else will be even if I give it away.

Great post MaineRoadBlue.

This can work in most cases. However, we do have a small number of "fans" who will only release their ticket via Vianogo. One sits next to me.

If rather the Club focus on winning more trophies and making us self-sustainable than messing about tying to sell tickets for people who don't turn up.

 

[Aguero_Element]

getting an absolute slating.
over charging, selling tickets which don't actually exist, not telling customers what they are legally obliged to, selling the same tickets to multiple parties.
hope you're watching city.

yep, city get ur own ticket site for flips sake

 

[dawlish dave]

Networking is the key to denying Viagogo their market! Simply put, Seasoncard holders should introduce themselves to all those sat immediately around them and make an agreement that they will let them use their ticket for a nominal charge if they can't attend.

Last season I let my ticket go for nothing to the fella next to me for the 2 games I couldn't attend (money spent anyway so no genuine hardship) and later used his and his son's ticket, once again free of charge for one game they couldn't make!

Problem is today that people can't seem to bring themselves to speak or introduce themselves to strangers. No wonder it's like a bloody doctor's waiting room sometimes.

Value Gold again for me next year and I have no idea where I will be however I guarantee if I'm not in my seat someone else will be even if I give it away.

Spot on, I did this when my seat was in 324 and on moving to 204 a couple of seasons ago at the first game I spoke to the guy in the next seat and since then we have exchanged tickets many times. With living in Devon and my "swop" living in Northants it works a treat.
City should bring in a system of their own and also have some self service points around the ground for the use of Blue members this will allow walk ups as when the ground is extended seats will be available for more games.

 

[tidyman]

Am I missing something? The programme said it was illegal to sell football tickets at a marked up price yet whenever i have treied to get a ticket from them it comes to nearly double the price on the ticket. However, you advertise this, is this not illegal? And why is iot only football that this appliet to and not gigs or theatre or other sporting events!

As far as I know it isn't illegal to sell tickets to any event at whatever price you like. Except for football. Where it is illegal for any unauthorised person to sell or dispose of a ticket to a designated football match.

Viagogo are authorised by City and so can legally sell them for whatever they want. Whereas if I sold you a ticket for one pound, I would be breaking the law.