Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: always be witton to me on December 06, 2011, 10:12:32 AM
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I have been a season ticket holder with 3 other members of the family for over 15 years now - since the
doug ellis witton lane was re-developed. I reckon we have spent over 20k in that period following our team.
Last week i lost my season ticket and so had to get a temporary ticket from the office whereupon they informed me that it would cost a £10 "administration fee" to replace. In previous years i would have paid up immediately but in the current climate on and off the pitch i really feel miffed about this!I have only felt that i have got value for money once this season and that was the Norwich game so additional expense really grates - its hard enough to motivate myself to go as it is!This is in additon to the way the season ticket has been devalued by all the deals being offered to fill seats - Aston Villa v Liverpool FC £20.00 .Aston Villa v Arsenal £15.00 , Aston Villa v Swansea City £10.00 ,Aston Villa v QPR £10.00
As i am entering my 40s am i showing the first traits of being a grumpy old man or have i a valid point? If you lose a credit card they send you a new one so you can comtinue to spend - is this not the same?
If the concensus is that i should complain - i would love to get through to Paul Faulkener where should i send my complaint to to ensure my general dissatisfaction is noted.
The £10 is not the real issue - its the tipping point.
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If you dont ask you dont get - seems a harsh way to treat a loyal customer.
In your 40's, presumably a brummie, a H&V poster I would think you are classic grumpy old sod material.
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Don't waste your time. PF wouldn't do anything. The smug fucker. I'm fucked off with nearly everything to do with AVFC at the moment.
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I'm not sure if its a stated pre-condition of owning a ST but having to pay a tenner out in the circumstances seems a bit harsh regardless.
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I've done it before, more than once, and it's never cost me or been an issue.
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I think you are the victim of previous abuse of the 'lost season ticket' syndrome. My view is that previous ST owners would say that there ST had not arrived,was damaged or lost in order that they could have additional cards to get friends and relatives access to Holte End Suite etc.
To deter this practice I would imagine the £10 levy was introduced.
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I've lost mine twice now and had to pay the £10. Way I viewed it wss that it was my own fault for losing it, so as a pre-condition of entering into the contract I really didn't have an argument for not paying it.
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I've done it before, more than once, and it's never cost me or been an issue.
Ditto. In fact on a couple of occasions I travelled up from the south to find that my season ticket was still on the kitchen table. At no point did they charge me for it, so my advise is complain like hell.
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In your 40's, presumably a brummie, a H&V poster I would think you are classic grumpy old sod material.
Speaking as one who fits that description perfectly, I hereby salute my fellow moaning, miserable, increasingly old bastards
*clenched fist salute*
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We all have our tipping points. Mine is Chelsea away, I can afford £50 odd for a ticket and it meets my 'not on the telly' criteria for an away game. However in the same way that I wouldn't go into a Pub that charges £6 for a pint I'm not going.
There is a tiny part of me that perhaps would go under the old away team revenue rules but I'm not giving one of the worlds riches men an extra £15 or £20 than he should get.
The current performance of the team has no bearing on this, my support for Villa is cradle to grave: while I have the means to go I always will go to Villa Park whatever happens. This still doesn't mean I can't moan about it like everyone else though !
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I totally agree with the OP.
Its about the club recognisng the loyalty shown over the years and yes, the amount of money he and his family have spent in that time.
Given the amount of money the club wastes on paying off managers and paying over the odds to overrated prima donnas, it should be a given that they look after people who have contributed to the club rather than taken from it.
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ask them to take your 10% season ticket holders discount off the £10 then use your free £5 loaded onto the card. Then pay them the £4 in 1p's 2p's and 5p's.
Make sure they invoice you correctly and post it recorded delivery. Then ask for a reciept to also be posted.
Make them earn their poxy "administration" fee.
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Don't waste your time. PF wouldn't do anything. The smug fucker. I'm fucked off with nearly everything to do with AVFC at the moment.
Have you ever had any dealings with him, this being the 'smug fucker' who the Gwent Lions were praising last week?
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It is the pre-requisite of any football fan to be a miserable bugger nowadays.
In what other 'industry' (except banking), would customers be treated so overtly poorly.
In the past 12 months I have accidentally put my travel card in the wash twice (yes I'm an idiot). This is worth over £400. Both times the travel company have replaced it with no charge.
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I imagine its a bit like rats deserting a sinking ship at the moment any season ticket holder with a grievance should get top priority by the club - send a nice letter I'm sure they'll waiver the £10 and see what happens you might even get something in compensation for the inconvenience - a game at right back in the Cup should suffice.
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Administration fee simply means "inconvenience fee"... you losing your season ticket it is an inconvenience as someone in the ticket office has to find another 5 mins in their day to do something to help you.
Maybe we should all start invoicing the club with our own inconvenience/admin fees when a game we paid for in June gets switched to a Sunday or Monday, or Saturday mid-day – the effect these changes have on a lot of our lives causes far greater inconvenience than you've just put the ticket office through. Saturday's later kick-off for instance meant I lost money on a ticket for something else I had originally planned Saturday night, and the Liverpool Sunday kick-off has caused a family row that will eventually cost me money making up to people!
Yes I know I'm a grumpy old bugger too, but football needs to start taking note of us grumpies because in future years they may find that the jester-hat/foam-finger/clap-at-any-old-shit brigade don't turn out to be quite so loyal.
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Administration fee simply means "inconvenience fee"... you losing your season ticket it is an inconvenience as someone in the ticket office has to find another 5 mins in their day to do something to help you.
Maybe we should all start invoicing the club with our own inconvenience/admin fees when a game we paid for in June gets switched to a Sunday or Monday, or Saturday mid-day – the effect these changes have on a lot of our lives causes far greater inconvenience than you've just put the ticket office through. Saturday's later kick-off for instance meant I lost money on a ticket for something else I had originally planned Saturday night, and the Liverpool Sunday kick-off has caused a family row that will eventually cost me money making up to people!
Yes I know I'm a grumpy old bugger too, but football needs to start taking note of us grumpies because in future years they may find that the jester-hat/foam-finger/clap-at-any-old-shit brigade don't turn out to be quite so loyal.
I like the cut of your jib.
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Wait till you get to your 50's - old sod definitely doesn't do it justice after the 5 appears as the first number.
Go back to them and negotiate - they, like many EPL teams, need to understand the true value of loyalty.
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Complain.
Call the ticket office and ask to speak to the manager on duty and if don't have any joy ask who, above them, you need to get in touch with. I'd deffinatley use DeKuip's argument if you get a negative response, try tugging at their heart strings a bit.
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If the General still showed any interest, he would have said 'speak to Nicky Keye'.
That would be my first move. Going above Heads of Department to Paul Faulkner may bring success but Nicky should be approached first, unless you have done so already.
Welcome to the ranks of miserable old gits, by the way.
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Don't waste your time. PF wouldn't do anything.
Do you know that for a fact?
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Yes I know I'm a grumpy old bugger too, but football needs to start taking note of us grumpies because in future years they may find that the jester-hat/foam-finger/clap-at-any-old-shit brigade don't turn out to be quite so loyal.
Ha ha, that made me laugh quite a bit.
That's twice today the gloom has been broken by this site.
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I wish I could feel smug that I gave up my season ticket after realising that the quality of the football would head back down towards DOL levels. However, it would be much nicer to regret missing some scintillating pass-and-move attacking play, solid defending (especially from set-pieces) and surprisingly good scorelines.
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In your 40's, presumably a brummie, a H&V poster I would think you are classic grumpy old sod material.
Speaking as one who fits that description perfectly, I hereby salute my fellow moaning, miserable, increasingly old bastards
*clenched fist salute*
I'll drink to that. Mind you how they justify charging over £3 quid for a pint is beyond me - I remember when......
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Do yourself a massive favour and don't bother getting it repaced. It will do wodners for your mood and give you some free time to do somethign far more enjoyable every other week.
Bad enough that you bought one in the first place, let alone paying another tenner. Count yourself lucky to have liost it.
I still have mine you jammy bastard!
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I had to pay a tenner when I lost mine and that was well before Lerner, Faulkner etc took charge. I agree it does seem excessive but apparently they get dozens every week.
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In your 40's, presumably a brummie, a H&V poster I would think you are classic grumpy old sod material.
Speaking as one who fits that description perfectly, I hereby salute my fellow moaning, miserable, increasingly old bastards
*clenched fist salute*
I'm with you all the way.
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ask them to take your 10% season ticket holders discount off the £10 then use your free £5 loaded onto the card. Then pay them the £4 in 1p's 2p's and 5p's.
Make sure they invoice you correctly and post it recorded delivery. Then ask for a reciept to also be posted.
Make them earn their poxy "administration" fee.
What about paying half of it by cheque. Make sure the cheque is stapled to a letter as well.
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i moved seats up one this season and the club were still dozy enough to send out my 2 paid for and 2 being in the old seats, so i now have 4!
i was pissed off with non season ticket holders going in the holte suite on old tickets and told the club, they said "well at least we are filling it every week", i now take all guests in there on illegitimate tickets!
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I had to pay a tenner when I lost mine and that was well before Lerner, Faulkner etc took charge. I agree it does seem excessive but apparently they get dozens every week.
Know what you mean. Annoying as it is, if I lose something and it causes work for someone else, I can understand there being an administrative charge.
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Yes I know I'm a grumpy old bugger too, but football needs to start taking note of us grumpies because in future years they may find that the jester-hat/foam-finger/clap-at-any-old-shit brigade don't turn out to be quite so loyal.
It's late. I've had a shit day at work. And I have just spent the last 3hrs trying to get a laptop and a desktop with blue screens to boot. That has sent me to bed with a wry smile.
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ask them to take your 10% season ticket holders discount off the £10 then use your free £5 loaded onto the card. Then pay them the £4 in 1p's 2p's and 5p's.
Make sure they invoice you correctly and post it recorded delivery. Then ask for a reciept to also be posted.
Make them earn their poxy "administration" fee.
Fantastic. Made me actually chuckle.
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In your 40's, presumably a brummie, a H&V poster I would think you are classic grumpy old sod material.
Speaking as one who fits that description perfectly, I hereby salute my fellow moaning, miserable, increasingly old bastards
*clenched fist salute*
Welcome to the club. :(
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The club should offer to replace the first one free of charge, but then charge if you loose the replacement.
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The club should offer to replace the first one free of charge, but then charge if you loose the replacement.
Is the right answer.
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If you dont ask you dont get - seems a harsh way to treat a loyal customer.
In your 40's, presumably a brummie, a H&V poster I would think you are classic grumpy old sod material.
Wait 'til you get to your 50's!!!
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A £10 administration fee ? How incredibly small time is that ?
I once turned up at the ground realising I had brought my old season book from the previous season. Probably about 10-12 years ago, definitely during the so called`bad old days`of Doug. During the times we used to hear all sorts of moans about the inefficiencies of the ticket office and surly attitude of some on the other side of the counter. However, in fairness I was provided with a ticket to get in - no problems, no quibble, no charge.
Well maybe these days things are in the main run more efficiently, and maybe we are served with a more professionally pleasant manner. On the other hand with such an experience as yours, you start to feel its all done purely in order to maximise income from the revenue stream known as regular ground attending patrons - ie. you and me.
This is the sort of story you expect to hear from a season ticket holder at St Andrews if they have such things.
To paraphrase John Barnes, this may be acceptable at Birmingham but it is not good enough at Aston Villa.
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Guys
Thanks for all your responses , especially the humerous ones!Just catching up after a lively flight bacjk from Glasgow last night!
I think i may write a letter, rather than an email , for the first time in 10 years and attach this thread to it.
Then they can hunt all of us posters down and tell us how lucky we are to be allowed to watch this dirge every week. In the meantime i will not re purchase my season ticket card but will go to the ticket office every game and get them to print me a ticket out each time until they get pissed off with it..
If they can piss 1.5 m up the wall on Jenas after 3 months they can piss a tenner up the wall on me after 15 years......
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If they can piss 1.5 m up the wall on Jenas after 3 months they can piss a tenner up the wall on me after 15 years......
Best of luck with that.