Handling Fee on Social Club Tickets?????

saintsRrising · Sun 22 Mar 2009 12:32pm

Just booked my SC tickets for the Swans Game....

I selected Ticketfast ...and it says no fee (on top of the standard fee) on selecting the Tickfast option.

Yet on payment there is suddenly a $5 Handling Charge.

Is this a mistake?

Have others had this added?

It was certainly not charged the last few years.

So the all up cost for a family of 5 was $18 odd rather that about $13 odd.

Iceman234 · Post: # 711853Post **Iceman234** » Sun 22 Mar 2009 1:45pm

I copped the same and I'm sure it wasn't there last year. Hadn't even taken any notice until I saw the post.

Adult tickets have gone up 20c plus the $5 booking fee...

Also, booking a seat for a junior costs the same now as an adult? I don't have any tickets from last year to compare, but I'm fairly sure they were only about $1.10, not $3.60 the same as adult tix.

So four adults and one kid cost me $23, last year would have been $14.70.

Edit, just found one of last years, kids were $1.20, adults $3.40 and definitely no $5 charge.

The $5 must be so we can use our own paper and ink to print our admission tickets...FFS

No1_Saint · Post: # 711861Post **No1_Saint** » Sun 22 Mar 2009 2:22pm

I thought that there had always been a $5 handling fee. Did you select seats in the social club area on level 1?

saintsRrising · Sun 22 Mar 2009 3:26pm

No1_Saint wrote:I thought that there had always been a $5 handling fee. Did you select seats in the social club area on level 1?

Yes in SC area on Level 1.

I think many years back there wasa $5 charge if you booked on-line, but was free from an outlet.

However on-line has not ha the $5 handling charge fora while...and of course as it is computer generated with no pick-up or mailing...there is actually nothing to "handle".

casey scorp · Sun 22 Mar 2009 4:20pm

saintsRrising wrote:
No1_Saint wrote:I thought that there had always been a $5 handling fee. Did you select seats in the social club area on level 1?
Yes in SC area on Level 1.

I think many years back there wasa $5 charge if you booked on-line, but was free from an outlet.

However on-line has not ha the $5 handling charge fora while...and of course as it is computer generated with no pick-up or mailing...there is actually nothing to "handle".

I think there used to be a fee if you booked on the phone - I don't think it ever applied to internet bookings.

I booked SC yesterday - $3.60m for adult & $3.60 for concession and $1.25 for squadron = $13.45. The price was $13.95, so the booking fee must have been $5.50.

ace · Post: # 711889Post **ace** » Sun 22 Mar 2009 4:33pm

I am not a member of the social club because I can access Level 2 seating via my Melbourne Cricket Club Membership.
This has the added advantage that it works for both St Kilda home games and St Kilda away games at Jihad Stadium.
My Melbourne Cricket Club Membership subscription then gives me free access to the MCC section of the MCG for all St Kilda games home or away and all finals there, including St Kilda's winning Grand Final in 2009.

The Melbourne Cricket Club has a reciprocal arrangement with Access One at Jihad Stadium.
They can book into our area at the MCG and we into their area at Jihad Stadium.
The Melbourne Cricket club website says:

MCC Membersâ€™ Ticket Prices - Gold Reserve Level 2 Seating

MCC members: $30.50
Guest tickets
- Adult: $49.00
- Child: (under 15 years) $14.00

Prices are inclusive of GST and fees, except for a $6.60 fee for operator-assisted phone bookings and a $5.50 fee for web bookings.

I booked online last night via Ticketmaster using my Westpac Mastercard debit card.
I have printed out my ticket and one guest for round 1.
They show
My Ticket $30.50
My Guest $49.00
The total taken from my bank account is $79.50
Great value, seating in Aisle 41 row J.

No $5.50 applied.
No fee has been applied over 2004-2009.
Maybe the fee applies depending only how you obtain your ticket.
I have always used TicketFast and printed my own.
They may only apply the "handling" fee for pickup of the tickets.
Are you sure you ticked TicketFast and printed your own.

saintsRrising · Sun 22 Mar 2009 5:37pm

ace wrote:

Are you sure you ticked TicketFast and printed your own.

Yes...and yes.

I also did excatly the same as I have done for several years where no extra $5.50 was charged.

Iceman234 · Post: # 711915Post **Iceman234** » Sun 22 Mar 2009 5:45pm

saintsRrising wrote:
ace wrote:

Are you sure you ticked TicketFast and printed your own.
Yes...and yes.

I also did excatly the same as I have done for several years where no extra $5.50 was charged.

As have I

saints4ever · Sun 22 Mar 2009 10:46pm

Iceman234 wrote:
saintsRrising wrote:
ace wrote:

Are you sure you ticked TicketFast and printed your own.
Yes...and yes.

I also did excatly the same as I have done for several years where no extra $5.50 was charged.
As have I

Me too. The Handling fee was there a few years ago if you booked online, but they removed it in recent years. There has been no mention of it coming back, so fingers crossed a mistake and it will be removed for next game! $5.50 to print our own tickets is ridiculous!

I hope a mistake and will be removed. Cost me $19.90 for 4 of us to get ticketfast tix, last year was only $13.20. Didn't know the booking was going up 30c as well.... ticketmaster.......

Iceman234 · Post: # 712007Post **Iceman234** » Sun 22 Mar 2009 10:52pm

I've sent an email of inquiry to the customer service address at tm, wont hold my breath though.

Will keep all informed, but I urge everyone to do the same...

Iceman234 · Post: # 712054Post **Iceman234** » Mon 23 Mar 2009 11:35am

Wow, thanks for the reply...

Dear xxx,
Thank you for your email regarding the transaction fees for Etihad Stadium events for 2009. Please note Ticketmaster transaction fees are contractual between Ticketmaster and the venue. As such there is a $5.00 handling fee charge in 2009.

No answer to why junior costs have tripled from $1.20 to $3.60.

saintsRrising · Mon 23 Mar 2009 12:53pm

Iceman234 wrote:Wow, thanks for the reply...

Dear xxx,
Thank you for your email regarding the transaction fees for Etihad Stadium events for 2009. Please note Ticketmaster transaction fees are contractual between Ticketmaster and the venue. As such there is a $5.00 handling fee charge in 2009.
No answer to why junior costs have tripled from $1.20 to $3.60.

That does not explain why there was not a charge last year though...and that this year there now is.

Iceman234 · Post: # 712082Post **Iceman234** » Mon 23 Mar 2009 1:01pm

saintsRrising wrote:
Iceman234 wrote:Wow, thanks for the reply...

Dear xxx,
Thank you for your email regarding the transaction fees for Etihad Stadium events for 2009. Please note Ticketmaster transaction fees are contractual between Ticketmaster and the venue. As such there is a $5.00 handling fee charge in 2009.
No answer to why junior costs have tripled from $1.20 to $3.60.
That does not explain why there was not a charge last year though...and that this year there now is.

Certainly doesn't! I'm assuming management of The Dome saw a money-spinner in a name change...at our expense.

Iceman234 · Post: # 712170Post **Iceman234** » Mon 23 Mar 2009 6:04pm

Have sent further emails to Etihad and Ticketmaster.

While it's not going to break the bank, it's an absolute disgrace for the fees to have increased (moreso the kids fees tripling) and an additional charge of $5.00 for us printing off our own tickets.

I hadn't even noticed it until this post came up, I just accepted and gave my credit card number.

Now I'm pi55ed off...

Iceman234 · Post: # 712174Post **Iceman234** » Mon 23 Mar 2009 6:17pm

After much confusion from Ticketmaster, I've tried to make it as simple as possible for them now...

To clarify things,

I am a SC member of St Kilda, as is my son. We book tickets on L1 at Etihad, usually around Aisle 18-19.

I also book seats on L1 on behalf of others who I like to sit with. All are Adult SC members.

Last year an adult reserved seat booking cost $3.40 per adult and $1.20 per Concession.

Our tickets havenâ€™t changed, so in 2008 to book seats for 4 adults and 1 concession cost me $14.80.

This year I have been charged $23.00 for the same booking, my sonâ€™s ticket has cost me $3.60 to book a seat, exactly the same as an adult.

PLUS a $5.00 fee â€“ and Iâ€™m not sure whether this is from you or Etihad - so I can use my own paper and ink to print the tickets...a fee I DID NOT pay last year.

Regards

xxx

Is that not too difficult to answer?

saintstime · Post: # 712254Post **saintstime** » Mon 23 Mar 2009 9:10pm

I think there is some mistake

As well as being a social club Member (So i can get finals tickets) I also hold access one mebership. My First tickets booked this year included an extra $5.50 booking fee per transaction. On prompt complaint to ticketmaster I was told this was a mistake and they had recieved numerous complaints - booking fee refunded next day.

the upshot complain because i think its a computer error

Teflon · Post: # 712319Post **Teflon** » Mon 23 Mar 2009 11:31pm

just tried to book my seat for sat night and yep 5.50 booking fee.....what a farce.

total charges of 9.10 to book a ticket for a game - what sort of admin costs and increase in costs could really justify this???

some sort of joke - wheres the media publicity on this disgrace?

saintbrat · Post: # 712330Post **saintbrat** » Mon 23 Mar 2009 11:39pm

they are asking for media atc
why not ask them about embrassing the supporters

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/afl/classified/feedback.aspx

or try Game day
http://au.sports.yahoo.com/afl/game-day

saintsRrising · Tue 24 Mar 2009 12:49pm

Iceman234 wrote:
Also, booking a seat for a junior costs the same now as an adult? I don't have any tickets from last year to compare, but I'm fairly sure they were only about $1.10, not $3.60 the same as adult tix.

:

On my 5

2 Adults were$3.60
1 Concession was $3.60.
2 Juniors were $1.25

Plus the new handling fee.

saintbrat · Post: # 712571Post **saintbrat** » Tue 24 Mar 2009 5:34pm

SEN contacts

Morning Glory
morningglory@sen.com.au

Hungry for Sport
hungryforsport@sen.com.au

The Good Oil with Mark Doran
thegoodoil@sen.com.au

The Run Home
therunhome@sen.com.au

Evenings with Mark Fine
evenings@sen.com.au

Iceman234 · Post: # 712587Post **Iceman234** » Tue 24 Mar 2009 6:47pm

saintsRrising wrote:
Iceman234 wrote:
Also, booking a seat for a junior costs the same now as an adult? I don't have any tickets from last year to compare, but I'm fairly sure they were only about $1.10, not $3.60 the same as adult tix.

:
On my 5

2 Adults were$3.60
1 Concession was $3.60.
2 Juniors were $1.25

Plus the new handling fee.

Yeah mine was concession too at $3.60, not junior.

Also I'd been calling the handling fee $5 when it's actually $5.50

My bad

Iceman234 · Post: # 712881Post **Iceman234** » Wed 25 Mar 2009 12:34pm

I copied Ticketmaster in when I sent an email to Etihad and TM has again replied with the following:

Dear xxx,
Thank you for your email regarding your dissatisfaction with the transaction fees for Etihad Stadium events for 2009. Please note Ticketmaster transaction fees are contractual between Ticketmaster and the venue. As such unfortunately, fee prices cannot be revisited.

So I'm still not sure where the fees are coming from, Etihad or TM...

saintsRrising · Fri 27 Mar 2009 12:13pm

This was queriod with the saints Membership Department.

This is their reply:

Ticketmaster have now incorporated a $5.50 handling fee for online purchases. This year to avoid the handling fee, you must book a ticket at an outlet.

If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Bernard Shakey · Fri 27 Mar 2009 12:39pm

How can anyone justify an online handling fee, when online means no handling?

Book through an outlet and there is no handling fee, although there was handling.

Solar · Post: # 713730Post **Solar** » Fri 27 Mar 2009 12:42pm

bloody disgrace is all I can say about it