Playoff Ticket Application Came Today

[Redsfanao]

I was excited to see the mail today, when the envelope on top had a return address of Great American Ballpark and read "Playoff Ticket Information - Open immediately."

I was one of those people who were sucked into buying the pro-rated full season plan for the final 19 home game. Of course I did this so I would have the opportunity to buy playoff tickets.

I really love my seats, which are in the sun/moon deck in 141. The maximum number of games throughout the playoffs at GABP is 10. So for my two seats for 10 games the price is $ 1,505.00. The Reds also give you the opportunity to purchase two bonus tickets thorughout the playoffs. So if I were to buy my seats plus the bonus seats the price is 2,985.00. This is expensive, but Major League Baseball sets these prices.

Now the part I really have a problem with. Obviously if any of these games are not played, you get your money back, right? Wrong. The Reds will not return any of your money. Instead, they will credit your 2007 ticket account. So, basically by roping me into the final 19 game pro-rated plan, I'm forced to buy season tickets for 2007 if I want the playoff tickets. This seems very deceptive and unfair.

I know Cyclone bought the pro-rated plan as well. Were you aware of this policy?

Does this seem wrong or is it just me? Oh well, hopefully the Reds will make it all the way through and win World Series and play all 10 of those games.

[Ltlabner]

Redsfano,

I'd say Cyclone knew about the policy based on this comment from his original post, "If the Reds fail to make the playoffs or fail to play every possible playoff game, no big deal, I'll just use go ahead and flip the money spent on those playoff-games-that-didn't-happen for a mini-season ticket package next season."

Also, I found this pretty quicky on the reds.com website...."For any games not played at Great American Ball Park for the 2006 DIV, LCS and/or WS, the tickets will be automatically credited to the 2007 account of the Season Ticket Holder of record."

My father and I have a 20 game mini-package. While he did the leg work for the purchase I'm pretty sure I remember him saying that whatever unused postseason tickets we have will end up credited to our account next year, not given back in cash.

I don't know if the helps or answers your question. Anyway...good luck.

[TOBTTReds]

I would think there might be something you could do. Ask them what the possibilities are if you can't get tix next year because you are moving or something. That does seem a bit shady.

[Cyclone792]

Originally Posted by Redsfanao

Now the part I really have a problem with. Obviously if any of these games are not played, you get your money back, right? Wrong. The Reds will not return any of your money. Instead, they will credit your 2007 ticket account. So, basically by roping me into the final 19 game pro-rated plan, I'm forced to buy season tickets for 2007 if I want the playoff tickets. This seems very deceptive and unfair.

I know Cyclone bought the pro-rated plan as well. Were you aware of this policy?

The sales rep I talked with told me about this policy so I knew about it before I bought my pro-rated plan. I figured it wasn't a big deal if I was forced to buy a season ticket package for a couple hundred bucks next season; I'd go to enough games anyway.

The prices are steep, though, especially for the World Series games. The LDS prices ($30) and LCS prices ($50) aren't too bad, but a $150 World Series ticket price for a seat that's $12 in the regular season is a bit ... high.

My grandfather had season tickets during the BRM days, and then he later gave me the ticket stubs for all the Reds playoff games he attended. Check out some of these prices ...

• 1970 World Series: Lodge Reserved, Aisle 307, Row 23, one seat is $8.00
• 1972 World Series: Plaza Reserved, Aisle 251, Row 9, one seat is $10.00
• 1975 World Series: Plaza Box, Aisle 254, Row 2, one seat is $15.00
• 1976 World Series: Plaza Reserved, Aisle 254, Row 11, one seat is $10.00

What a difference 30 years makes ...

[BuckWoody]

Has anyone tried to go online to pay for these yet? I tried yesterday since the extra seats you request are first come first served. The invoice amount online is different (much higher) than the invoice amount in our mailing. Just wondering if anyone else has run across this.

[KittyDuran]

I was one of those people who were sucked into buying the pro-rated full season plan for the final 19 home game. Of course I did this so I would have the opportunity to buy playoff tickets.

So it was more of a two way street? You didn't have to buy the pro-rated tickets - but your MO was to get playoff tickets... The Reds MO seems to be to get you to become a regular season ticket holder. Sounds even to me.

[KittyDuran]

Originally Posted by Cyclone792

The sales rep I talked with told me about this policy so I knew about it before I bought my pro-rated plan. I figured it wasn't a big deal if I was forced to buy a season ticket package for a couple hundred bucks next season; I'd go to enough games anyway.

The prices are steep, though, especially for the World Series games. The LDS prices ($30) and LCS prices ($50) aren't too bad, but a $150 World Series ticket price for a seat that's $12 in the regular season is a bit ... high.

My grandfather had season tickets during the BRM days, and then he later gave me the ticket stubs for all the Reds playoff games he attended. Check out some of these prices ...

• 1970 World Series: Lodge Reserved, Aisle 307, Row 23, one seat is $8.00
• 1972 World Series: Plaza Reserved, Aisle 251, Row 9, one seat is $10.00
• 1975 World Series: Plaza Box, Aisle 254, Row 2, one seat is $15.00
• 1976 World Series: Plaza Reserved, Aisle 254, Row 11, one seat is $10.00

What a difference 30 years makes ...

How much was grandfather making salary wise then? It's all relative...

[KittyDuran]

The BRM were playing in Riverfront which would account for approximately an extra 10,000+ tickets that could be sold. A sell-out w/SRO tickets sold would be 55,000 IIRC. A sell-out w/SRO tickets sold at GABP would be approximately 43 or 44,000.

[Cyclone792]

Originally Posted by KittyDuran

How much was grandfather making salary wise then? It's all relative...

http://www.cjr.org/tools/inflation/

$15.00 in 1975 is approximately $50.00 in 2002. Not exactly close to $150.00.

Also, those seats he had in 1975 were row 2, green level seats behind the visitor's on-deck circle. What I have would be roughly equivalent to red level reserve seats.

The pricing is all supply and demand, though, and that's just the way it goes. If I had to guess, there's likely more companies and organizations that are season ticket holders now than there were 30 years ago, and those are the types of season ticket holders that can just write out the check without worrying about the cost too much. Get more of those types onboard, and the demand becomes much greater, thus the price being much higher.

[Reds Nd2]

Originally Posted by KittyDuran

So it was more of a two way street? You didn't have to buy the pro-rated tickets - but your MO was to get playoff tickets... The Reds MO seems to be to get you to become a regular season ticket holder. Sounds even to me.

It sounds very unprofessional of the Reds IMO. In Redsfanao case, the Reds are requiring him to hand over $1505.00 with no guarantee of any post season games being played, then holding any unused money (interest free) as credit toward season tickets he may not want in 2007. BTW, the Athletics, Dodgers, Tigers, and the Yankees all give ticket purchasers the option of a refund or a credit toward 2007 season ticket plans.

[Newman4]

Wow. I don't agree with that policy. It kind of slaps you in the face for being a season ticket holder in a way. You should at least get a refund on the WS $150 ones. C'mon Bob make things right.

[BCubb2003]

Originally Posted by Cyclone792

http://www.cjr.org/tools/inflation/

$15.00 in 1975 is approximately $50.00 in 2002. Not exactly close to $150.00.

Also, those seats he had in 1975 were row 2, green level seats behind the visitor's on-deck circle. What I have would be roughly equivalent to red level reserve seats.

The pricing is all supply and demand, though, and that's just the way it goes. If I had to guess, there's likely more companies and organizations that are season ticket holders now than there were 30 years ago, and those are the types of season ticket holders that can just write out the check without worrying about the cost too much. Get more of those types onboard, and the demand becomes much greater, thus the price being much higher.

Inflation is a tricky thing. The team payroll in 1975 was $2.8 million. With inflation, it should be $16.4 million by 2005.

[Ltlabner]

Originally Posted by Reds Nd2

It sounds very unprofessional of the Reds IMO. In Redsfanao case, the Reds are requiring him to hand over $1505.00 with no guarantee of any post season games being played, then holding any unused money (interest free) as credit toward season tickets he may not want in 2007. BTW, the Athletics, Dodgers, Tigers, and the Yankees all give ticket purchasers the option of a refund or a credit toward 2007 season ticket plans.

I am under the impression that season ticket holders are offered discounted season ticket prices. I've gotten conflicting information between the various threads on the subject.

IF that is true, and the ST holders get a discount on the postseason tickets, I don't see how the Reds holding your money for a 2007 credit is "unprofessional". They are doing you a favor by offering tickets for sale, at a reduced cost, way before anyone else can purchase them. You'll have all the postseason tickets while others are scrambling trying to see if they can get any, and pay more to do it. In return for this favor, the Reds want you to use that unused money on future game purchases.

If you don't want to be locked in the answer is really quite simple. Wait till the tickets go on sale to the general public, pay more for them and hope you can get some of the games.

Then you woln't be locked into anything in 2007.

[Reds Nd2]

Originally Posted by Ltlabner

IF that is true, and the ST holders get a discount on the postseason tickets, I don't see how the Reds holding your money for a 2007 credit is "unprofessional". They are doing you a favor by offering tickets for sale, at a reduced cost, way before anyone else can purchase them. You'll have all the postseason tickets while others are scrambling trying to see if they can get any, and pay more to do it. In return for this favor, the Reds want you to use that unused money on future game purchases.

It doesn't matter if the season ticket holders are getting reduced prices on their post season tickets. Season ticket holders have fronted the Reds cash in advance for games they will attend in the future. That is the favor the ST holder is doing for the Reds. The perk for doing this is the guaranteed availability of post season tickets. That is the favor the Reds are doing for the season ticket holders. It's a nice even trade for both sides and I don't have any problem with it.

The problem is the Reds are selling tickets for post season games that may not be played and refusing to refund any unused monies, forcing people to purchase season tickets they may not want for 2007. The Reds should have given the season ticket holders a choice like at least four other teams did.

[BuckWoody]

For the record, full-season ticket packages are discounted (we pay $30 for $36 seats) but there is no discount for the playoff tickets. Those are full price. The perk is that you can order your regular seats and a like number of reserve seats for the playoffs.