Season Ticket Renewals

[SonnyandSam]

I also agree with HOF44. And Skinskai, I don't think my post was harsh at all. You admitted you got a nice upgrade last year and now you are so angry you plan to not renew. Frankly, when you first posted, I held back and did not post right away because what I wanted to say was pretty harsh. Thought my eventual post was pretty measured considering the temper tantrum of a post you made.

[SkinsKai]

I also agree with HOF44. And Skinskai, I don't think my post was harsh at all. You admitted you got a nice upgrade last year and now you are so angry you plan to not renew. Frankly, when you first posted, I held back and did not post right away because what I wanted to say was pretty harsh. Thought my eventual post was pretty measured considering the temper tantrum of a post you made.

Ok ok, did not want to come across like I was on a temper tantrum, just want to be communicated to straight forward. Even though I did not like the answer the TO office gave me in the end, I was happy to get the truth. When speaking to some of the staff there you get you are looking good, upgrades not done yet etc..... I guess I was getting my hopes up for something that you pointed out is never guranteed. I am a true Skins fan and I will hopefully be rooting them on to at least 7 wins this year. Still decided I will go to two games in the LL and get rid of what I have now. So someone else can be happy with those seats. Ready for the season to start!

[RFKFedEx]

Ten years ago I had tantrums with the TO when I was continuously told there was "nothing available" in the lower level unless I wanted to join the TG Club. It didn't matter that I had seats in 401 dating back 50 years, through all three stadiums; it made no difference that my grandmother was in her 80s (still her tickets actually) and had trouble walking up the ramps, etc. Seniority carried zero weight bc the records of tenure were lost, blah blah blah. My sense of entitlement as a spoiled rotten RFK STH made me want to strangle someone with the treatment I got in Landover.:mad:

Glad I got schooled on whats what with the ticket market bc I couldn't be happier about my ticket situation today.

:helmet:

[CitigirlDC]

So I got upgraded from section 433, row 19 to row 14 in the same section. I didn't indicate that I was willing to take a price increase, and my invoiced amount hasn't changed from the $704 per ticket. Does this mean they're giving me this year of better seats "free" and will jack up my price next year?

[SonnyandSam]

Ten years ago I had tantrums with the TO when I was continuously told there was "nothing available" in the lower level unless I wanted to join the TG Club. It didn't matter that I had seats in 401 dating back 50 years, through all three stadiums; it made no difference that my grandmother was in her 80s (still her tickets actually) and had trouble walking up the ramps, etc. Seniority carried zero weight bc the records of tenure were lost, blah blah blah. My sense of entitlement as a spoiled rotten RFK STH made me want to strangle someone with the treatment I got in Landover.:mad:

Glad I got schooled on whats what with the ticket market bc I couldn't be happier about my ticket situation today.

:helmet:

I'm still shocked the Skins lost the STH records in the move from RFK to FedEx. How could you lose such a valuable resource? Now THAT I could understand being pissed about.

---------- Post added June-24th-2012 at 07:26 PM ----------

So I got upgraded from section 433, row 19 to row 14 in the same section. I didn't indicate that I was willing to take a price increase, and my invoiced amount hasn't changed from the $704 per ticket. Does this mean they're giving me this year of better seats "free" and will jack up my price next year?

Sounds like you need to call the TO tomorrow.

[tke332]

I am unhappy with no upgrade this year.. also considering dropping my tickets next year. I have been a STH for 11 years now. My seats are in the 229 row 14 (Corner of the endzone). I don't understand how people are getting upgraded from the UL into the 100's but I was not moved forward at all.

I better not call the ticket office because if they make me the offer of a full refund, I might take them up on it.

[HOF44]

I am unhappy with no upgrade this year.. also considering dropping my tickets next year. I have been a STH for 11 years now. My seats are in the 229 row 14 (Corner of the endzone). I don't understand how people are getting upgraded from the UL into the 100's but I was not moved forward at all.

I better not call the ticket office because if they make me the offer of a full refund, I might take them up on it.

Would not hold my breath for a refund offer. They had some nice seats on the pick a seat day. They had 225 and 226 row 15 pairs for sale. Good seats. I was seriously considering picking up a pair and selling mine.

Edited June 25, 2012 by HOF44

[tshile]

I think some of the reason some people were moved from UL to lower level is because there are quite a few people in the UL at the 44$/seat mark. The team has kept those people at that price point, even though they're in new seats, to try to keep good PR on the fact that that they ripped those seats out and forced those people to move. By getting them to upgrade they can move them to a new, and much higher, price per seat.

Someone (I think SonnyAndSam?) pointed that out early on and I think it makes the most sense. I'm not saying it's fair, just offering what I believe the best explanation for so many UL to LL upgrades yet there being a lack of upgrades for people already in the lower level.

[SonnyandSam]

I am unhappy with no upgrade this year.. also considering dropping my tickets next year. I have been a STH for 11 years now. My seats are in the 229 row 14 (Corner of the endzone). I don't understand how people are getting upgraded from the UL into the 100's but I was not moved forward at all.

I better not call the ticket office because if they make me the offer of a full refund, I might take them up on it.

And you are participating in the auto upgrade program? You've filled out the online form from your account and and provided your preferences for the past three years? If you have, then you should call the TO and find out why. It does seem odd that no seats have opened up in section 228 in three years. Ask to speak with the manager if you do not get reasonable answers from the agent who answers the phone. Getting angry is not going to solve your problem/issue.

Your complaint about people moving from the UL to the LL has little merit for your case. All those people are being placed in sections farther from the 50 yard line than yourself. Do you have a note saying an upgrade to the 100 level is OK? (If that is something you are willing to accept) Remember, the 200 sections have fewer seats and could mean fewer opportunities to open up for you. Ask the manager how many seats opened in section 228 this year and last year.

Good luck

[tke332]

And you are participating in the auto upgrade program? You've filled out the online form from your account and and provided your preferences for the past three years? If you have, then you should call the TO and find out why. It does seem odd that no seats have opened up in section 228 in three years. Ask to speak with the manager if you do not get reasonable answers from the agent who answers the phone. Getting angry is not going to solve your problem/issue.

Your complaint about people moving from the UL to the LL has little merit for your case. All those people are being placed in sections farther from the 50 yard line than yourself. Do you have a note saying an upgrade to the 100 level is OK? (If that is something you are willing to accept) Remember, the 200 sections have fewer seats and could mean fewer opportunities to open up for you. Ask the manager how many seats opened in section 228 this year and last year.

Good luck

I was enrolled in the auto upgrade program and paid my invoice immediately when it was sent. I told them my preference was to move closer to the field and I was willing to sit anywhere.

I just called the ticket office to get an explanation, and the rep said that there was limited availability for upgrades due to strong renewals. He said that there were a lot of LL people who did not get upgrades. I guess this makes sense with RG3 coming to town. The guy was nice and didn't seem like he was blowing smoke, so I decided there is no reason to get fired up. My seats really aren't that bad.. so I shouldn't be complaining.

[Cameron]

I'm going to make a cursory observation, and then run for cover.

Aren't we all (myself included) acting somewhat like entitled children when demanding things like no-charge guaranteed annual upgrades/relocations, equality in free jerseys, and a ticket office that actually answers the phones politely and helpfully with live Redskins employees despite dealing with abuse and complaints all day long? And they aren't rerouting your calls to Hyderabad or Tijuana?

The Redskins organization is a business-- granted,it's a unique one that makes its profits from the business capital of fanaticism, loyalty, and the uncertainties of winning in professional sports-- but it is in the end a for-profit business.

Here's the cynic's point of view: we don't pay PSL's, so what has the team really promised to you in any contracted way? Do any of you (club level excluded) have paper that says you even can get your seats back next year if you decide you want them? No matter how long you've been a ticket holder, who your grandpappy rooted for, or how many times a day you check your online season ticket account, those seats annually aren't yours-- they belong to the company and are theirs to sell. Moreover, can you truly justify that the team will spend untold hours and dollar investments (staff, computer systems, etc) to try to upgrade/relocate you each and every year at no additional charge over your 10-game ticket package? Bottom line, in a strict academic business sense the team *should* simply do only what's smart to increase the business capital and the mechanism that derives profit from that capital. I think they do a lot more than that. Give them some credit now and again. They are our team and they do a pretty great job.

In truth, the upgrade system as a whole is a pretty remarkable and unjustifiable business expense. It's all part of increasing loyalty, which, yes, the Redskins have done amazing things to convert to a monetizable asset, but it's always an indirect and unquantifiable formula. They would undoubtedly make even more money by ripping away the very best seats from longtime fans and making them available to the highest bidder, as happens in professional basketball. But our team doesn't do that.

I do love my Redskins. It ruins my week every time they can't convert their talent level into a win, and steams me when I see players who don't respect their own burgundy and gold tradition. But I am fiercely proud to be part of the organization, even in some small way.

Sorry. It must be a Monday. I guess I must be bummed that my own upgrade didn't happen this year, so I'm trying to rationalize that it's really okay.

[SonnyandSam]

Cameron -- you make valid points. Many people just assume they will be upgraded when a lot of things have to happen; most importantly, there have to be seats available for you to move into. And the sideline seats are the least likely seats to empty, particularly when the club signs a shiny new QB named RG3. TO agents sometimes over promise what they can deliver. Having worked in customer service, you want to be optimistic and positive when talking with your customers. And while the TO has improved dramatically over the past three years compared to what it used to be, they still have a way to go in the information they share and the consistency of the message.

But frankly, it's not just the customer service agents' fault. The customers (fans) have a responsibility to listen and not over interpret what they are being told. People may not want to hear this, but I take what I read from a bunch of strangers posting on a message board behind fake names with lots of grains of salt. People with long accurate posting histories get a lot more respect for their opinions and reports than folks who are new and have not achieved a level of credibility. There is no guaranteed upgrade. And it's easy to create stories about how the TO is screwing you over when you have absolutely no facts to back up your story. Seat space and seniority play a big role in getting upgrades. And none of us have that information regarding our own seats. Making statements that the TO is purposely screwing over the fans is simply a huge overreach IMHO.

As I have said before, the TO is getting better and I believe the Redskins in general are taking slow but steady steps to be more customer friendly. It's not perfect but its not that bad. Stuff we complain about is trivial compared to what some NFL fans face dealing with their teams. Grass is not always greener on the other side.

[Paydirt]

DButz65 and SkinsNatsFan were upgraded to some pretty sweet sideline seats in the last couple years. I believe they were between the 30's. But is is very rare.

Add me to this list.

[LCA77]

And you are participating in the auto upgrade program? You've filled out the online form from your account and and provided your preferences for the past three years? If you have, then you should call the TO and find out why. It does seem odd that no seats have opened up in section 228 in three years. Ask to speak with the manager if you do not get reasonable answers from the agent who answers the phone. Getting angry is not going to solve your problem/issue.

Your complaint about people moving from the UL to the LL has little merit for your case. All those people are being placed in sections farther from the 50 yard line than yourself. Do you have a note saying an upgrade to the 100 level is OK? (If that is something you are willing to accept) Remember, the 200 sections have fewer seats and could mean fewer opportunities to open up for you. Ask the manager how many seats opened in section 228 this year and last year.

Good luck

I had 3 seats in section 228 row 4 that I did not renew this year, so at least 3 opened up.

[RFKFedEx]

Add me to this list.

Where did you move from and where are you now?

For those who have too much time on their hands like me, and really care to follow this stuff...

SkinsNatsFan is in the lead in the all time ES, GA relocation race. He's now in 141. DButz65 is in second place, now residing in section 103.

Edited June 26, 2012 by RFKFedEx

[DButz65]

Where did you move from and where are you now?

For those who have too much time on their hands like me, and really care to follow this stuff...

SkinsNatsFan is in the lead in the all time ES, GA relocation race. He's now in 141. DButz65 is in second place, now residing in section 103.

LOL man, even before they started doing upgrades, I wrote the Redskins from the 2nd year after FedEx opened, and asked to be moved from 112 to the Redskins sidelines. So something like 10 years then gave up...then finally one day they called me and asked if I wanted seats in 103.. I was like does a bear **** in the woods? DUH!

p.s. I did check the box to be moved this year, but only to the 200 section near where my seats are now, but wont find out if that happened or not until I receive my tickets in the mail.. getting tired of standing almost the whole game because of morons that stand down low a lot

Edited June 26, 2012 by DButz65

[tshile]

it'd be nice if the local media would do something and report on the broker stuff. the bad PR the redskins would get would probably result in a lot of us getting between the 20s and 30s

[RFKFedEx]

The WPost ran an article in 2009 all about the Redskins TO. It was in that article that a long time ES conspiracy theory was finally proven. The TO had in fact been 'selling directly through brokers, Ebay, and Stubhub', had been for years, and continues to do so today. But the same thing happens everywhere in event ticket sales departments these days, not just sports teams. The fans benefit from the practice in the long run IMO.

Don't count on many people getting between the 20s in the lower level. Prime midfields seats are the only STs in the stadium that have held their value through the downward spiral in the ticket market over the past 5 years. As a result, there are very few vacancies in those sections. Just a few years ago in the mid 2000s, almost no one was getting moved down to the lower level at all bc the demand was still stong and the TG was the only way to move down.

[RedskinzFan21]

Got my upgraded to Section 431 Row 15 Seats 11 and 12. A few sections closer to midfield, i'm hoping to begin my move down next season when I have more funds.

[robp]

woohoo. what an upgrade i got.

I asked for LL upgrade and instead got moved down one row in 433 from 8 to 7. Called the TO and they said that they couldn't have even moved me over one section closer to midfield in the UL. Of course, when i was talking to the TO a few months earlier, they strongly insinuated a move to the lower level in return for prompt early payment. what a load of crap.

kicker is they automatically upgraded me to the Green B3 lot from the gray lot, so now i have to walk clear around the stadium to get to my seats.

oh well. still excited for the season to start!

Edited June 26, 2012 by robp

[HTTR F Dallas]

woohoo. what an upgrade i got.

I asked for LL upgrade and instead got moved down one row in 433 from 8 to 7. Called the TO and they said that they couldn't have even moved me over one section closer to midfield in the UL. Of course, when i was talking to the TO a few months earlier, they strongly insinuated a move to the lower level in return for prompt early payment. what a load of crap.

kicker is they automatically upgraded me to the Green B3 lot from the gray lot, so now i have to walk clear around the stadium to get to my seats.

oh well. still excited for the season to start!

yea, thats kind of a bummer, but i do beleive i read somewhere that they did away with the grey lot...

[tshile]

the upside of b green lot is you should get out much faster. that seems to be the overwhelming opinion of that lot. so there is a bright side

[SonnyandSam]

I had 3 seats in section 228 row 4 that I did not renew this year, so at least 3 opened up.

But that opens up to someone with a need for 3 seats. Skins are not going to fill 3 seats with someone who only wants 2 seats and leave a single. As I have said before, it's not as simple as some seats are opened. How many other STHs with greater seniority and a need for 3 seats are their in his section? So the question is did tke need 3 seats and if he did were there any other STHs in his section with greater seniority.

[DButz65]

the upside of b green lot is you should get out much faster. that seems to be the overwhelming opinion of that lot. so there is a bright side

Only IF you leave out of the back towards the PG Sportsplex, if you try and get out onto brightseat, there is nothing quick about it, I parked over there for years. Of course when I started buying orange passes on the aftermarket and stopped parking there, they installed the back road to go out the other way heh

Edited June 26, 2012 by DButz65

[SonnyandSam]

LOL man, even before they started doing upgrades, I wrote the Redskins from the 2nd year after FedEx opened, and asked to be moved from 112 to the Redskins sidelines. So something like 10 years then gave up...then finally one day they called me and asked if I wanted seats in 103.. I was like does a bear **** in the woods? DUH!

p.s. I did check the box to be moved this year, but only to the 200 section near where my seats are now, but wont find out if that happened or not until I receive my tickets in the mail.. getting tired of standing almost the whole game because of morons that stand down low a lot

I think you have to blame Danny Boy as the moron who installed the Dream Seats that forces folks like you to stand because the people in the Dream Seats have to stand to see the damn field. I'm so happy about my move to 207 so I don't have to stand all game long. Now.....let's see if I ever move down the sideline.....

---------- Post added June-26th-2012 at 12:00 PM ----------

woohoo. what an upgrade i got.

I asked for LL upgrade and instead got moved down one row in 433 from 8 to 7. Called the TO and they said that they couldn't have even moved me over one section closer to midfield in the UL. Of course, when i was talking to the TO a few months earlier, they strongly insinuated a move to the lower level in return for prompt early payment. what a load of crap.

kicker is they automatically upgraded me to the Green B3 lot from the gray lot, so now i have to walk clear around the stadium to get to my seats.

oh well. still excited for the season to start!

If it was a couple months ago, that was before RG3 got drafted and raised every fan's hopes we might be competitive again. For the previous two years. lots of people did get upgraded. I wouldn't blame the TO. Blame all the fans who decided to keep their seats. TO agents can't predict the future.