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Season Card Q&A from club - embarrassing

Discussion in 'Sunderland' started by Dave_39, Jun 3, 2020.

  1. Dave_39

    Dave_39 Well-Known Member

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    Following Friday’s season card announcement, Sunderland AFC has collated comprehensive feedback from supporters and would like to provide further details across multiple areas of the club.

    The Red & White Army and the Branch Liaison Council both provided SAFC with numerous questions from their members, while numerous queries posted on social media have also been answered below.

    The areas discussed include the potential refunding of 2019-20 season cards, 2020-21 renewals, streaming passes and key details for commercial clients.

    Supporters are reminded that the Box Office remains closed to the public until further notice, but a further update regarding ticketing operations is available below.

    If the 2019-20 season is curtailed, some supporters have suggested donating their refunds to charity. Will this be implemented?

    A. We are aware that many supporters have expressed a desire to redirect any potential refunds to charity. Due to the wide range of personal circumstances to consider, the decision was taken to refund supporters directly so that each individual is able to make a personalised decision.

    If a supporter is eligible to apply for a refund, can the total be deducted from their 2020-21 season card when renewing?

    A. Due to the uncertainty surrounding both the current campaign and the 2020-21 season, we have opted to process each season on an individual basis, therefore this mechanism will not be put in place.

    If the 2019-20 season is completed behind closed doors, it was stated that supporters will not receive a refund and instead be entitled to a streaming pass. If a supporter does not want, or cannot access, a streaming pass, are they able to obtain a refund or an alternative voucher (such as retail)?

    A. If the season is completed behind closed doors, season card holders would be automatically entitled to a streaming pass only. No further refund would be provided either by way of cash or voucher.

    Will home and away fixtures be included in the streaming pass?

    A. The streaming pass will include home games only and represent the games included within the corresponding season card. Streaming passes for away games would be available to purchase separately.

    Will non-season card holders still be able to stream games during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 season?

    A. Yes, streaming will continue to be offered on a seasonal and matchday basis for all supporters. The availability of the service to UK and international subscribers will continue to be determined by EFL broadcasting regulations.

    Why did the club decide to proceed with renewals despite the ongoing uncertainty with regards to the 2020-21 season?

    A. Members of the club’s fan base have stated their desire to renew despite the uncertainty, so the club are offering them the opportunity to do that. However, we also appreciate that many supporters are not in a position or may not want to renew at this time. Like all clubs, we are currently operating without any revenue streams, but our cost base remains unchanged. Along with the current owners meeting their financial obligations to provide funding, it is important that the club generates as much operational income as possible to achieve security and success both on and off the pitch.

    If I don’t renew by 1st July, will I lose my seat?

    A. No, all unrenewed seats will be reserved until further notice.

    If I don’t renew my season card by 1st July, will I lose my Black Cat (loyalty) Points?

    A. No, Black Cat Points are attached to your customer number and not your season card.

    If the entirety of the 2020-21 season is played behind closed doors, would Black Cat Points be frozen until supporters are allowed to attend?

    A. Yes.

    If the 2020-21 season starts, or be played in its entirety, behind closed doors, would supporters that have renewed receive a proportional refund for the games that they are unable to attend?

    A. In the event that any 2020-21 games are played behind closed doors, season card holders would receive a streaming pass only for the corresponding games and no further refund would be provided either by way of cash or voucher.

    It was stated that if the 2020-21 season starts behind closed doors, supporters who renewed would receive a streaming pass at no additional cost. Is this as well as a refund, or would this be the solitary replacement for any games missed?

    A. No, as stated above, season card holders would be provided with a streaming pass only for any games missed and no additional or alternative refund would be given.

    If there are multiple season card holders in one household, will incentives or proportional refunds be offered for multiple renewals as opposed to offering multiple streaming passes?

    A. No, as detailed above.

    If I do not renew and the 2020-21 season starts behind closed doors, will I be able to purchase a season card if fans are allowed to attend fixtures at a later point in the season?

    A. Yes, the club would offer part-season cards priced on a pro-rata basis subject to availability. In the event that the Government reduces the club’s stadium capacity, attendance would be on a first-come, first-served basis, with supporters who renewed for the 2020-21 season taking priority.

    If I have already purchased a 2020-21 season card and paid in full, what are my options?

    A. If you have already renewed and paid in full, and would like further information relating to your purchase, please email [email protected].

    Supporters have been informed that the Box Office remains closed. Can you advise when staff will return?

    A. The Box Office at the Stadium of Light remains closed until further notice. However, several members of staff returned to work on Monday 1st June to prepare for all eventualities. As per Friday’s announcement, all contact in the interim should be forwarded to [email protected].

    Some supporters renew by paying with cash and others are required to provide identification at the point of purchase. How can they do this whilst the Box Office is closed?

    A. The early-bird pricing initiative has been extended indefinitely to ensure that no supporters are penalised. This ensures that they can renew at the reduced pricing once the Box Office re-opens. The club is investigating ways to re-open the Box Office and it will do so at the right time, as the safety of supporters and staff is paramount. There are likely to be revised measures in place, including social distancing.

    The previously announced Direct Debit scheme details that the fourth and final payment will be processed on 1st January. Would the club consider moving this to February?

    A. No, the deadlines announced last week will remain in place.

    If a supporter purchased a ticket for an away game against Southend United or Blackpool, can you advise when they will receive a refund?

    A. We are still awaiting confirmation from the EFL regarding the completion of the 2019-20 season. Further information regarding this process will be provided once an outcome has been determined.

    If a supporter purchased a single match ticket for one of the club’s remaining home games, will they be entitled to a refund if the season is curtailed or games are played behind closed doors?

    A. As per season cards, supporters would receive a refund if the 2019-20 season is curtailed. In the event that games are played behind closed doors, supporters would receive a streaming pass for each fixture that they have purchased a ticket for.

    Some partners, sponsors and hospitality clients are yet to be contacted about plans for next season, while others are yet to receive information regarding their existing packages. What plans are in place to contact them?

    A. Our commercial team was in the process of contacting our partners, sponsors and hospitality clients regarding 2020-21 renewals before the country went into lockdown, which resulted in many members of staff being placed on furlough. The commercial manager has now returned to work, with some other additional members of the sales team also set to return imminently. This will resume the process and clients will also be contacted regarding plans for the 2019-20 season.

    https://www.safc.com/news/ticket-news/2020/june/season-card-qa

    Thinking of cancelling now
     
    #1
  2. Huds0n

    Huds0n Well-Known Member

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    Absolutely shambolic, but I expect nothing else from this club at the minute.

    So if the whole of next season is played behind closed doors, all we get as season card holders paying £300+ (TO ATTEND GAMES!!) is a ****ty stream that you can usually get free anyway.

    Good job they have staff back in working as I’d imagine cancellations are about to go through the roof.

    The whole club stinks. Rotten from the inside.
     
    #2
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  3. Boot Cleaner

    Boot Cleaner Well-Known Member

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    RIP Donald and Charlie
     
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  4. West stander

    West stander Well-Known Member

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    Unbeliveable that mind. To threaten potentially that my cancelling you miss out on early bird pricing and the DD scheme leaves people in a 50/50 shout as to what to do. I was of the mind to keep my DD running and hoping we would come back next season but if we dont to pay a fortune for a stream is madness. Its a two fingered salute to the fans, they have their backs up against the wall and basically saving themselves in the hope that a miracle happens and some idiot offers them £35m for the club.
     
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  5. Nathan Brazil

    Nathan Brazil Well-Known Member

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    Curious what other clubs have done/will do.
     
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  6. wearside wanderer II

    wearside wanderer II Well-Known Member

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    The club hasn’t bottomed yet, these tinpot w@nkers will take the lightbulbs out when they finally leave
     
    #6
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  7. C19RK73

    C19RK73 Red & White army!

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    What if you have more than one season card in the household? What good are multiple streaming passes?

    I’m not sure if I can support this club anymore.


    Sunderland will not offer refunds for games played behind-closed-doors
    Sunderland have clarified their ticketing policy for the remainder of this season, and 2020-21

    SHARE
    • BY JAMES HUNTER
    • 13:51, 3rd JUN 2020
    please log in to view this image

    Sunderland have clarified ticketing issues surrounding this season and next.
    Season card holders will not receive refunds for any games Sunderland play behind-closed-doors, the club has confirmed.

    The Black Cats are still waiting to find out whether the 2019-20 season will be completed or if it will be curtailed due to the Covid-19 crisis.

    If the 2019-20 season is cut short, the club has previously announced that season card holders would be refunded for the three games they will miss.

    However if Sunderland's final three home games do go ahead, there will be no spectators present and season card holders will be given an SAFSEE streaming pass to watch the action on a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile phones.


    https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/spo...nderland-not-offer-refunds-games-18355262.amp
     
    #7
  8. Guinness Guzzler

    Guinness Guzzler Well-Known Member

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    It's disgusting. We'll have a lot of (often older) fans who won't have Internet access, so if this season continues it really isn't acceptable to say its a stream and no refund, that's not what people paid for. Equally it isn't fair that it means some are paying more for the same product than others. They have to offer a refund.

    For next season they can pretty much do as they want, since they've made it clear before people proceed with purchasing (other than those who have already paid in full and are just directed to an email address that no one will be reading). But what they've proposed is a disgrace, almost no one will renew now they know that their money will only get them streams with no refund later, so a couple with two tickets in the BCB will be expected to pay £60 or whatever to watch a stream, whereas a kids ticket gets the whole season for £80 or whatever it was. That can't be right. People might previously have shown goodwill, there will be mass cancellations now. Only once have I ever been this pissed off with the club, I was near to cancelling then and they're pushing me bloody close again. I'll end up coming back when we're allowed but am I **** giving them money up front for a bloody stream, especially when they've shown that kind of disregard for fans with genuine concerns
     
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  9. 6inarow

    6inarow Well-Known Member

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    As ive said over the road, I am going to ride it out until I have to cancel and see how reactive SD is over this. As we all know he is a **** decision maker and could turn this round after he sees how much distain the supporters now have for him. Other than that it is a very sad state of affairs to be treat like this especially the older generation not been internet savvy to watch the team on the computer they havent got! I will cancel if nothing moves on from this decision by the club - after 29 years with my season ticket
     
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  10. wearside wanderer II

    wearside wanderer II Well-Known Member

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    Most online polls are looking around 75/80% cancellation.
    It’s looking like we will go from 23,000 season tickets to approx 5,000.
    That’s some drop in income for the chancers.
     
    #10
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  11. Guinness Guzzler

    Guinness Guzzler Well-Known Member

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    Its just ridiculous. The most rudimentary discussion with one of the supporters groups could have told him that this is a really , really bad idea and will see thousands cancel. Even if he goes back on this, if this is the standard of his initial decision making then it just shows yet again that he shouldn't be anywhere near our club
     
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  12. 6inarow

    6inarow Well-Known Member

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    I think I read the RAWA rep - Ghandifloss that they were emailed on Monday night about what they were doing, here we are Wednesday, not really a timeframe for detailed discussions to be had with the fans groups as stated on the club website
     
    #12
  13. Montysoptician

    Montysoptician Well-Known Member

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    I feel absolutely gutted but I have just emailed the ticket office and cancelled my two season cards. More than happy to renew once live football returns to the SOL.
     
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  14. Guinness Guzzler

    Guinness Guzzler Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, they didn't speak to RAWA or BLC, which seems daft given the clusterfuck they've presided over since!
     
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  15. Dave_39

    Dave_39 Well-Known Member

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    they threw the toys out of there pram after the fan groups did the Donald out posts so they not be talking to any of them anytime soon
     
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  16. Lozza80

    Lozza80 Well-Known Member

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    I've done the same and cancelled my direct debit
     
    #16
  17. Guinness Guzzler

    Guinness Guzzler Well-Known Member

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    Daft thing is that they've still had dialogue with them since then, but on something like this where having a fans perspective could really have helped they've gone and done something unbelievably counter productiv . It honestly seems like they are deliberately trying to piss the fans off, but I don't see what they'd gain from that!
     
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  18. Gatesy

    Gatesy Well-Known Member

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    Just done the same mate and I'll renew once we're allowed back as well.
     
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  19. BigPete

    BigPete Well-Known Member

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    Piss take
     
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  20. Sid

    Sid Well-Known Member

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    Four cancelled here. Never did I think that I'd cancel my season ticket.
     
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