Wild price-gouging season ticket holders?

by nathaneide on Mar 2, 2010 9:14 AM CST

Hey there Wilderness;

I received a very disturbing email from a Wild season ticket holder, and would like to get your input:

I'm getting invoiced for $95/seat for Club Sides even though the *PUBLISHED* rate for renewal is $85/seat simply because I'm a new Club STH as of this year. Not amused at all when http://myseats.wild.com -> Pricing / Arena Diagram clearly shows the rate should be $85/seat.

The insulting part is they even calculate out the savings of being a STH, which of course is complete false advertising in my case. I paid for the playoffs option to hold my seat only because I can get that money back in the highly likely chance that we're out of it, but I'm not renewing at $95/seat just based on principle.

If they want to screw me for $10/seat over what they're charging 99% of the rest of club, I'm happy to vote with my wallet and watch more games from the comfort of my couch.

Oh, and here's the proof that this person's tickets are listed at $85/seat, even though they were invoiced at $95/seat.

For a franchise that sorely needs the support of the fanbase, especially during a rebuilding process, this is a major black eye. Why are they (seemingly) randomly changing prices on an individual basis?

I've sent requests for comment to the Wild and have yet to hear from them, but I am certainly open to discussing this issue with them.

EDIT:

Here's the response from Billy Rob

Nathan:

Hi.

Thanks for your inquiry and hopefully this clears up an concerns.

Wild season ticket information was mailed and e-mailed to season ticket holders over this past weekend.

Currently the Wild do NOT offer a contract for season tickets holders. We traditionally send mailed material and an invoice to our season ticket base.

In past years, the Wild have offered a contract to club seat holders only, but that has not been the case over the past two NHL seasons (2008-2009, 2009-2010).

Glad you are a Wild fan!

Best,

Bill Robertson

Vice President of Communications & Broadcasting

Minnesota Sports & Entertainment

That's a heck of a non-answer.

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Comments

Note the new pricing zones

Double/single attack now has a pricing difference, but only for season ticket holders. Single game tickets will remain the same price for ends & corners regardless of which end of the arena you sit.

Seat/Price                    09-10     10-11     Delta   Percentage
Lower Level Sides       	$86       $88     +$2     2.3%
Lower Level Corners  		$75       $71     -$4     -5.3%
LLC Double Attack     		N/A       $75     even    0%
Lower Level Ends   	        $65       $65     even    0%
LLE Double Attack     		N/A       $69     +$4     6.2%
Club Level Sides         	$85       $85     even    0%
Club Level Ends          	$75       $75     even    0% 
Upper Sides                	$38       $43     +$5     13.2%
Upper Ends                 	$18       $21     +$3     16.7%

by SpaethCo on Mar 2, 2010 9:43 AM CST reply actions

You sit in club level, right? Did your seats cost $85 per game, or $95?

Also, since we have you as a unique resource…

I thought I remembered back in the day that Club level seats required a longer term commitment, not just one year. Is that the case? In other words, do you have to commit to buying the seats for say 3 years before you can secure them?

Now… is there a “contract” with the Wild and season ticket holders? It has been a few years since I had seats, so I do not remember exactly. I thought I remembered signing a contract with them.

If there is indeed a contract, could you scan through it and see if it says anything about price adjustments? Would love to see a copy of it if there is one.

Hockey Wilderness

by BReynolds on Mar 2, 2010 9:52 AM CST up reply actions

I am paying $95 which is the current published STH price. See: http://www.xcelenergycenter.com/seating/hockey.jsp

My seat neighbor signed a 3-year contract back in the 06-07 season for guaranteed pricing at $85/seat through the 08-09 season, but the contract itself was purely optional only to lock in pricing. In my case, I wasn’t required to sign anything other than the credit card slip when I got my season ticket package.

I just talked to my seat neighbor about buying games since the invoices just came out, and he doesn’t believe anyone in club would still be under contract as they didn’t offer contracts in the 07-08 season when the team started off blazin’ and ended up winning the division, and they weren’t going to lock people in with the tanking economy for the 08-09 season.

Last Feb/March when the renewal notices came out for the 09-10 season, the Club seats stayed at $85/75 (sides/ends) under the price freeze and prices were raised over the summer for new season ticket holders / single game ticket buyers.

Looks like this year they also set the renewal pricing for Club to remain at $85/75, unless you just bought in over the 2009 summer — then you get suckered for 12-13% more than the folks sitting next to you.

by SpaethCo on Mar 2, 2010 10:30 AM CST up reply actions

Let me see if I have this then. The table you included in your first post says $85 for club level sides. The website you included says $95.

The $85 is for people who had contracts in place previous to the summer of ’09. The $95 is for people who were not locked in? Which is what it sounds like the rep told the emailer.

Now. In the link included from the original email, which is the site season ticket holders were sent, it says $85.

I am seeing that someone screwed up and didn’t put the right pricing on the STH site. If the Xcel site says they are $95, and the Wild send the price as $85… who wins? Interesting.

Hockey Wilderness

by BReynolds on Mar 2, 2010 10:45 AM CST up reply actions

Both myself and my seat neighbor are not under contract. He just got his invoice for $85/seat, mine came in at $95/seat.

If we’re both not under any kind of contract, then why should that pricing be different?

In particular, why would the Wild send me a sheet that shows me I save $905 as a Club season ticket holder (vs buying single-game tickets) at $85 a game and include it in the very same envelope with an invoice billed at $95/seat?

by SpaethCo on Mar 2, 2010 11:08 AM CST up reply actions

figure premium game prices also

ah im not sure but are u guys taking in to consideration the premium games included that is still 95 if u average those in because face value for those how ever many games are over 100 dollors for the same seat

by geekernonsleeper on Mar 3, 2010 12:50 PM CST up reply actions

No premium games for STH

Premium game pricing only applies to single game sales.

by SpaethCo on Mar 3, 2010 4:23 PM CST up reply actions

Well it looks like I’ll luck out with no price change, assuming thats what I get charged. If they did that to me I definitely wouldn’t renew.

by Chris Winner on Mar 2, 2010 9:52 AM CST up reply actions

Check out the edit with a response from Billy Rob

Not much of an answer, to be honest. Looks like the site is simply wrong.

Proprietor of Hockey Wilderness - We take Minnesota hockey WAY too seriously.

by nathaneide on Mar 2, 2010 10:50 AM CST reply actions

I don't get Bill Robertson's response

The guy got invoiced $95 a ticket for club-level sides, but the website says the 2010-2011 season-ticket price for those seats are $85.

Why all this talk about a contract? I know there used to be contracts for club-level STHs but that’s not the issue here. It seems like Robertson is using the contract issue as a distraction, because he didn’t answer the real question:

Is the invoice in question wrong and the website right or is the invoice is right and the website wrong?

by buddydave on Mar 2, 2010 11:07 AM CST reply actions

Ahh yes

Now this is the question. Is the invoice wrong or is the site wrong or are they arbitrarily choosing what to charge people?

Proprietor of Hockey Wilderness - We take Minnesota hockey WAY too seriously.

by nathaneide on Mar 2, 2010 11:11 AM CST up reply actions

He was answering questions about contracts because the club level used to have long term contracts available that locked in a price for blocks of years at a time. Not sure if Nathan sent him any questions about contracts, but I did, so that answer was likely directed to me.

Hockey Wilderness

by BReynolds on Mar 2, 2010 12:07 PM CST up reply actions

Any LL Single Attack corner STH here?

Did your renewal invoice reflect the $4 drop in pricing?

by SpaethCo on Mar 2, 2010 11:52 AM CST reply actions

According to another season ticket holder

So it appears that my tickets were increased $5 per ticket. Compared to last year’s invoice, $812 invoice increase.

This increase is for Lower Level Sides. She also says:

My Wild Season Tickets have increased 67.5% in 10 years. Any guess why I don’t attend anymore?

Wow. That’s insane.

Proprietor of Hockey Wilderness - We take Minnesota hockey WAY too seriously.

by nathaneide on Mar 2, 2010 12:48 PM CST reply actions

Look on the bright side

The team also announced season ticket pricing for the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs will remain the same as the 2008 playoffs.

Given that we’re not going to make the playoffs, this represents a 100% decrease in pricing compared to 2008.

by SpaethCo on Mar 2, 2010 12:59 PM CST up reply actions

OK, I just spit my Coke out a little there.

Hockey Wilderness

by BReynolds on Mar 2, 2010 1:19 PM CST up reply actions

hold out a glimmer of hope

by geekernonsleeper on Mar 3, 2010 12:51 PM CST up reply actions

Happiness = (Reality) – (Expectations)

by SpaethCo on Mar 3, 2010 4:22 PM CST up reply actions

I haven’t gotten anyhting in the mail yet, so I’m not sure whats going to happen with me

by Chris Winner on Mar 2, 2010 2:25 PM CST reply actions

Just think guys, for couch-change we could get Wolves season tickets next year!

by TylerDurdenUMD on Mar 2, 2010 3:41 PM CST reply actions

And the final

Proprietor of Hockey Wilderness - We take Minnesota hockey WAY too seriously.

by nathaneide on Mar 2, 2010 3:54 PM CST via mobile reply actions

The final word from Billy Rob

I know it may be confusing, but we have Wild club level pricing at $85.00 and $95.00. The $85.00 price is for existing season ticket holders who purchased tickets prior to the 2008-2009 season as we guaranteed that price for their commitment. The $ 95.00 price is for new club season tickets holders who came on board this season (2009-2010) or last year (2008-2009). There are two (2) separate prices for that particular club location depending when the season ticket holder purchased their season tickets.

Our season ticket renewal web-site will hopefully show and reflect these prices in the very near future. The printed materials that were sent to season tickets holders last weekend have their correct individual prices.

Proprietor of Hockey Wilderness - We take Minnesota hockey WAY too seriously.

by nathaneide on Mar 2, 2010 3:55 PM CST via mobile reply actions

Which seemed to be what the rep was trying to tell our dear reader.

So basically, they raised the price of the tickets, but had already made a commitment in prior seasons, and decided to honor that agreement. I don’t have an issue with that.

I understand why the original emailer is not happy about it, but it looks to me like Brian Rolston settles it again: “It is what it is.”

Hockey Wilderness

by BReynolds on Mar 2, 2010 4:12 PM CST up reply actions

The bigger issue

Has to be that the website on which the STH’s are meant to manage ther accounts had inaccurate pricing. That’s the fatal flaw. I’m a
bit surprised they don’t honor the incorrect price, but if they go by what the invoice says, it is what it in fact is.

Proprietor of Hockey Wilderness - We take Minnesota hockey WAY too seriously.

by nathaneide on Mar 2, 2010 4:21 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

That's great, except..

The printed materials that were sent to season tickets holders last weekend have their correct individual prices.

This just ain’t true.

I’ll try and scan my renewal materials later. For me, I personally wouldn’t have an issue with it if they just mailed out a deal saying the price was $95, but the info in the packet they sent only references the $85 price. The renewal invoice is just a lump sum for the season with no reference to per-game pricing, so you only really notice it if you do the math to realize the invoice doesn’t match up with $85/seat.

by SpaethCo on Mar 2, 2010 4:29 PM CST up reply actions

That’s the invoice — all one lump sum, and deceptive when all the provided supporting documentation lists an $85 per-game price.

by SpaethCo on Mar 2, 2010 4:37 PM CST up reply actions

Not true

The printed materials that were sent to season tickets holders last weekend have their correct individual prices.

I’m a STH, and the printed material I received doesn’t have $95 listed anywhere, including that particular location. It matches what is on the website.

It’s all very confusing. If the price is $95 for new club STHs, then the material sent to STHs should have the new price, not the old one.

Someone dropped the ball on this one, and they deserve all the upset phone calls and emails they must surely be getting.

by buddydave on Mar 3, 2010 7:02 PM CST up reply actions

I expected an increase this year

We’re going up $4 per, being “Lower-Level End Double Attack Zone” while the aisle directly across from us stays the same. I’m sure I’ll hear about it first thing Sunday from our aisle neighbors :)

I can’t find last year’s information, but I’m pretty sure this “Double Attack Zone” idea is new? (Maybe someone paying more attention can clear that up.) I understand the logic, but sure makes the choices for new season ticket and single game buyers that much more confusing. Assuming they aren’t just going with, “give me the cheapest seat you got,” of course. With computers behind the scenes, I’m sure there is very little overhead to manage a different price for each seat, but I sure though the old pricing was pretty simple and clean. Just an opinion.

That sucks about the confusion regarding the club level seats; I’m glad they honored their previous commitment, but I’d probably be miffed it wasn’t spelled out clearly in the materials, too.

Let's Go Wild!

by redheadzeb on Mar 2, 2010 8:16 PM CST reply actions