The Kraken

Perhaps you could provide the time machine to go back to April 1st, but this time with the knowledge that fans actually need to save (rather than continue to use the instalment scheme as detailed in the club's customer charter). All very good advice for next year, but too late to prepare for this year.

I don't think this will happen. As badly as the club have handled the PR of this whole exercise, the one thing Cortese does understand is the bottom line; profit. Most people who really want a season ticket will find a way to get one. Investment in the team will mean that individual match tickets will be in demand. A good start to the season and all of this will be largely forgotten by most. The club has handled this very poorly, but it has been taken as a business decision and I don't think it will affect the club in a major way.

No, you don't NEED to have a barcode/swipe system at all. Just start the installments in April and run them through to August, the cost is completely paid off before the start of the season. Or as I previously suggested, start the installments in May, qualify for the first half season ticket before the start of the season, receive the second half after the next 3 month's payments. No huge extra charge, and the club end up going through with what they said they would do in their customer charter. Most people seem to have grasped that this issue isn't just about taking away an interest free payment scheme; it's much more about giving no notice whatsoever that the scheme was being ditched and offering no other alternative for some than to pay up front a large sum of money in a short space of time, or get a credit card which a signifiant proportion of people may justifiably not want to do.

What sort of size, and for what purpose? Orange Rooms used to have the upstairs available for reserving for private parties; think Mono also used to do the same. If its bars you're looking for, that is....

This is the key part. I agree with the rest of your post, it was clearly a business decision and nothing else. However, the club have to understand that a football club is a little more than "just a business", its not as if we have the choice to use other local competitors. A little bit of communication and transparency would have gone very far with this decision.

And balance the costs by needing less staff to man the turnstiles. Failing that, barcode the tickets and have barcode readers at each turnstile. There's plenty of options, the club clearly just don't want to bother with it.

Thinking about it, there's such an easy way to make sure this didn't happen again. It just would have required the club to have released prices last month (say May 1st). Payment for season tickets can still be paid over 6 months; 3 payments must be received by the start of the season (May, June, July). Then a half-season book of tickets is sent out. Following the August, September and October payments the following half-season book is sent out. Therefore ALL games are paid for up front and there's no chance of those previous shenanigans. Too easy.

Unsurprising; just a shame that instead of finding a more secure way to make sure this can't happen again the club has decided to scrap it altogether.

I get the feeling the changes were made by those above him and he doesn't neccessarily agree with them...

Just received a further response from David Luker, as to why the club gave no notice for the cancellation of the payment scheme. Dear Dav Thank you for your response. We are naturally sorry if you feel that we haven’t given enough notice. I do understand the point you are making Again, thank you for taking the time to contact us Kind regards David

I prefectly accept that there are some administration costs associated to such a scheme. However, to claim that there is a "risk" from losing money to the defaulters is just not there; see Steve's response above for the answer to that. Seriously though, the whole "cost" issue doesn't stack up when you consider Cortese has claimed the club are seeking the maximise the customer service levels across the board for the customers. Yet instantly a scheme with minor associated costs but major customer benefit has been removed with no consultation. Costs haven't been an issue for the new training ground; for the new catering team; for binning thousands of programmes; or for our action in the transfer market. It's therefore very strange that we "can't afford" a payment scheme the likes of which Exeter and various other teams in our league can and do operate.

Cheers Steve. But I think Bridgey is having a "fingers in ears" moment. Besides, this whole "defaulters" argument is only a rumour. The official line from the club is that it is "increased administration costs of running such a scheme".

Seriously, what "risk" is there. The club cannot lose money from this; payments are all made within the first few months of the season. It's even been suggested that the club could have structured the payments from April to August such that the price is paid full before the season starts. There is NO risk of the club losing money. They perhaps need to police it stricter if there are defaulters and they slip through the net. However, the club are still entitled to re-sell those defaulters tickets. This "risk" issue doesn't exist, I'm afraid.

A booking fee for away tickets is, to be fair, understandable. The club don't make any money from the sale of away tickets but still have to provide the facility to sell them, so it could be argued that it's a good business principle to charge a fee for these. Booking fees for home tickets however ( and especially via the online system), is very disappointing.

Email back from David Luker, and my response. I'll update if I get a further response, though given the generic nature of the first one I'm not expecting it. Dear Dav Thank you for your email. I appreciate and understand the comments you have made. The Club has decided against offering an installment payment option this year due to the increased costs of administering such a scheme. We hope this answers your query. Kind Regards David Luker Mr Luker, Many thanks for your response to my previous email. However, your response does not fully answer my query. I have to question why, if the club were not going to offer the instalment payment option this year, was this not conveyed to fans at a much earlier opportunity in order to allow for more time to prepare and save for the required full amount to be paid? The cancellation of the payment plan (despite being in the previous season's fans charter) was announced with literally hours to go before season tickets went on sale. This has put us in a very frustrating position in that we had set our hearts on using the club's payment system to buy our season tickets. I'm sure you will understand that we are unwilling to have to resort to using credit cards for the purchases, therefore we are disappointed to have to re-evaluate our previous intention. It is very sad that, in our period of new ownership, a simple factor of lack of communication and transparency with the fans has led to this situation. I hope that, in future, the club can recognise that there are many of us whose disposable income levels mean we have to budget in advance for club tickets. I understand you have made a decision to remove the instalment system, and that is the club's prerogative; however I'm struggling to find a logical reason why you could not have announced this to the fans some time ago. I look forward to your further response. Best regards, Dav Edit to say; clearly he used my proper name; Dave and I aren't on THAT intimate terms just yet....

And that's my only issue with the whole thing really (aside from the booking fee!). I think the price rises are acceptable across the board, and if the club had decided that the payment scheme wasn't for them then they really should have given notice of it some time ago, and not hours before the tickets go on sale. I've said it a few times, I think most people who really want a season ticket will find a way to get one. Some will miss out, sure, but most will find a way. I just find the lack of engagement with the fans in helpiing to find alternative options to be thing that sticks in the throat, and the silent delay before announcing their plans just made it doubly worse.

It is simplistic, and rather than say "clubs like Exeter" I'd probably say that pretty much all clubs need to shift as many STs as possible. We're in an enviable position in that we are currently cash rich, but still the business model will still call for an early take up of ST fees. I guess I'm not being clear with it; and you're right, there is clearly a cost for the club to bear otherwise it would a no brainer. That said, compared to the investment that is being put into the club in all areas, I can't believe that this payment scheme has been shelved with no notice given and no discussion. It is a minimal cost and effort scheme that has been taken up for many years by some fans, and all of a sudden its now gone. For a club that claims to be striving for the ultimate customer service in all areas, its a very poor move. Yes, there are probably some cost arguments the club could make, but I think in the general scheme of things the costs are very, very minor. And this is a poor statement to be giving out to customers.

We are investing all over the place. We are spending money on a new training ground. We have just brought in a new, high-end catering team. Cost cannot be the reason for this. If money were the true over-riding issue, we would not be going sponsorless for the season. We wouldn't be spending a huge amount on catering as we'd just continue with the hot dogs and flat beer that will make money anyway. We certainly wouldn't be going ahead with a new training complex if we can't afford to spend a few thousand at most to ensure fans get the type of ticket purchasing options they were originally promised. For the club to dress this up as merely a cost issue is completely disingenuous.

I'm afraid that argument just holds no weight when you consider that many other clubs in our division offer exactly the same type of scheme as we did. Christ, if Exeter can afford to run exactly the same system as ours last season can we really claim that we can't afford it?!

Depends how its done. If you go through a credit card billing system (eg Barclaycard Merchant), then yes the charges can be high. However, standing orders are direct transfers into bank accounts, and do not incur a charge.

I sent an email this morning asking why the installment scheme was being discontinued, and why the club had left it to the very last minute to inform the fans. No response.

Booking fee is per booking, not per ticket. And being as we were paying £35 for a ticket when we were in the Prem 5 years ago, I don't think the price is over the top. Then again, I live close enough to the club that the booking fee is not an issue as I can just pick up tickets from the club. I don't agree with it though.

Do they HAVE to provide installments? No. Did they produce a new customer charter last year saying that they WOULD provide an installment plan? Yes. Have they announced, before tickets went on sale, that the instalment plan was on the way out? No. That's just poor customer service. As for your comments about price, the revenues are irrelevant. You've previously stated you think ST numbers will be roughly the same as last year, if so this just means that the club's cash flow will be skewed to receiving money now rather than throughout the season. Being as we are a cash-rich club anyway, this will have little impact on business operations.

I couldn't care less what the "admin charges" are; read again what I actually said.... "For whatever reason it is, whether it truly is administration costs or too many people milking the cancellation system, the club had an obligation to announce the change in policy some time ago and not leave it until a few hours before tickets went on sale." The lack of payment scheme is completely secondary in this for me; it is the club's complete refusal to engage with the customer and advise of changes to the payment system that is the problem, as far as I'm concerned.

David Luker has already said by email that the scheme has been ditched because of admin costs rather than anything else, so the cancelled ticket issue is just hearsay at the moment. But despite that, the club should have made an announcement a long time ago. For whatever reason it is, whether it truly is administartion costs or too many people milking the cancellation system, the club had an obligation to announce the change in policy some time ago and not leave it until a few hours before tickets went on sale.