50 Bucks a seat to get on the waiting list??
 

Anyone else not lucky enough to get season tickets get the e-mail from True North yesterday?

The gist is that they moved 2500 people off the season ticket waiting list - presumably they got season tickets I guess. You can now buy your spot on a waiting list for $50. Not get tickets, not really any tangible benefit (aside from a few perks like 15% off in the proshop) but simply get on the waiting list.

IMO, it's great the team is doing well, and the demand is there for tickets, but doesn't this rub anyone else the wrong way? You have fans lining up to get their hands on tickets, and you want to charge them $50 for the privilege of maybe one day being able to buy?

To me, this is akin to charging someone to wait in line at a really popular restaurant.

It would rub me the wrong way if it weren't for the fact that it is just how business is done in North America these days. Everyone does it ... gouge the customer for as much as possible and for the minimal amount of service and satisfaction.

Would you ever see this from an NHL, NBA, NFL etc. team?:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...c-thiago-silva

this is standard precedure for any season ticket sell-out sports team.

You also are given an advance shot at getting gameday tickets and acess to the jets ticket resale hub.

8000 people were willing to pay for it. if it rubs you the wrong way, don't buy it.

It does give you early access to tickets that become available the day of, and also the discount at the jets gear store (which is less important).

I went to 2 or 3 games because of knowing somebody on the waiting list, its definitely worth the 50 bucks considering I only had to pay cost for the tickets and not the mark up from somebody selling their season tickets.

Well, when there is scarcity (limit of 8k) and demand there is the ability to extract cash from those wanting the product.

BTW it was mostly people not paying the $100 for the next year (this amount would be held to pay for your tix once you get off the list), 128 got tickets.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/spo...165699486.html

You think $50 is a ripoff for a waiting list spot? Compare that to the Oilers, who charge $210 for the privilege of being on their wait list. Or the Canucks, who charge $150/seat as a deposit, plus $50 as an annual membership fee (half of which is applied to a future purchase). They don't have the fees on the Leafs site, but I'm guessing that's even more of a gouge.

Like Grind said, if it rubs you the wrong way, your wallet is the most effective rhetorical tool.

So because others do it, it's okay?
I won't buy, but mostly because I don't need to. Through work and friends, I made it to 15 games last year and didn't pay for one.

It doesn't really effect me at all, it just rubs me the wrong way, and seems like a money grab.

At the end of the day, 8k people at $50 a piece is only $400k, or about half a game's payroll. It's not going to break them, or make them rich. Why do it?

Because you can't just allow anyone and everyone on the wait list for free... or you'd have 700,000 people on the list. Those people on the list are paying a nominal fee as a demonstration of good faith, as a sign that they will also willingly pay for season tickets if given the chance.

8k people at $50 a piece PLUS the interest on all the money they're going to be holding onto.

It's a brilliant idea. Nothing wrong with it whatsoever.

Besides, think about this point: if there was no financial commitment from people on the waiting list, how many people do you think you would see signing up just for kicks? Probably a bunch. And then when time comes to make calls to people on the list, they waste their time with a bunch of people going "oh, nevermind, not interested."

That's a valid point.

It's also important to note (as far as I remember) that the annual $50 you pay to be on the waiting list is deducted from your season tickets cost once/if you get your seats.

Edit: Beaten to the punch

Pretty much sums up what I was going to say. Winnipeggers are renown for looking for a bargain whenever they can, $50 compared to the other prices that you listed is exactly that, a bargain.

Looks at Cneely's avatar...

Boston Bruins' waiting list is $100 per seat. Just FYI.

It's a revenue stream available to them, why wouldn't they? As others have noted, the demand is clearly there, and it separates the serious buyers from the tire-kickers.

Of course it's a money grab. They're a private business, they're going to latch on to any "money grab" they can avail themselves of. As others have mentioned here, the waiting list spot does appear to have some value (priority access to tickets). That's great that you have work colleagues and friends who can hook you up with tickets, but many aren't as fortunate.

This is just like the TSN Jets "price gouge" debate we've had several times before. True North and the Jets run a business, not a charity. Furthermore, they're operating in a small market where the margins are going to be tight.

Out of sheer curiousity, what would you consider a fair price for a spot on the waiting list? What would you offer as far as perks for being on the list?

My waiting list fee was literally the best money I think I've ever spent. Being on the waiting list allowed me to scoop last minute tickets to the home opener, the Selanne game and at least six other games that I really wanted to go too.

Waiting list fees are not only industry standard, I'm willing to bet the Jets provide more perks than almost all other sports teams.

Reminds me of the the Playstation 2 was coming out... everyone wanted one and at the local EB Games there was a reserve list (No money down) and a pre-order list. The reserve list was massive and the pre-order list was crazy as well.

The reserve list never did get phone calls from what I recall as the shortage of units didn't even cover the pre-order list. Kind of reminds me of the Jets season tickets right now.

So at the end of the day... want to be on the list... drop the $50 or $100 (for 2 seats)... don't want to be on the list, think it's too much. Watch the games on tv or get tickets from people etc.

I got on the waiting list. :)

I'm just jealous you guys can go on the waiting list...
Jets aren't coming to Vancouver this season :(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(

Damn, I'm going about this all wrong. I'm paying $190 a pair and only made it to 11 games. :sarcasm:

it also shows those on the list are serious about making a long term commitment.... as you can see 2500 were not serious and have dropped out after only 1 year...

Obviously the extra money is nice for the team, but the real reason these policies initially came about was people with little intention of ever buying tickets would camp on the list.

Look at it this way, how would you like being someone who wants to get onto the wait list if there was no yearly fee. If there was no fee do you think over 2300 people would have dropped off the list this year?

This system is a lot better than the Packers for example, their waiting list is almost 100,000 deep and because there's no annual fee it's common to put a baby's name on the list shortly after they are born.

A fair price to me would be zero.

I'm well aware that they're a private enterprise, and are in it to make a profit. The problem is they run the risk of alienating customers.

Take the new Famous Dave's on Reenders for example. I was involved with the organization building and opening that store, and I understand there has been 2 hour wait times for lunch and dinner. Do you think it would be acceptable for the owners of Famous Dave's to charge a fee for the privilege of waiting in line? Do you think there would still be 2 hour line ups if they did that?

I'm a capitalist, and a business man. I understand the concept of supply and demand. The problem is that given the history of the Jets in Winnipeg, True North shouldn't take their customers for granted. The team is new and shiny right now, but they can't afford to alienate any of their potential paying customers.

I understand the desire to have only serious buyers on the list, but I don't see it as a big deal. If there are 100,000 people on the list, and a ticket comes free, you start calling. If they aren't interested, you move on to the next name.

It sounds to me as if you are just complaining for the sake of it. Others are apparently willing to pay that fee and as such can see value in doing so. You conversely do not see the value. Such is life.

No one is being forced to pay the fee.

I don't.
But it's not only that. As a native Manitoban, and hockey nut, I have a vested interest in seeing the team succeed. I don't like this move, and if others feel the same way, as I said, the team runs the risk of alienating customers.

Long term, they cannot afford to do that, so I believe that this is a bad move.

Not complaining per se, as this doesn't affect me at all. It just concerns me.

Now I get it. :laugh: