What a complete shambles our ticket office is!!

[Saint_Donovan]

I'm a student and I'm a NUS card holder which entitles me to concession prices for my season ticket (it saves me about £95)

 

Last season I had no problems whatsoever, I had to renew my ticket face to face obviously because I had to show my card, this season has been a different kettle of fish!!

 

I popped down the ticket office Friday and told the young girl that I would like to renew my ticket to which she replied "sorry sir our system has you down as a full paying adult" I showed her last seasons season ticket which clearly had me as a student and I also produced my NUS card as proof as my student status, to which she replied "no we don't accept those" I told her that she should probably ask someone senior for clarification, she popped around the back for a minute and came back telling me that because my NUS card expires during the season it couldn't be used and that I would have to produced NEXT YEARS NUS card to get my ticket, I tried to explain that ALL NUS cards expire in August and get renewed in September so that means they would have had to decline every NUS card holder??

 

At this point I was getting alittle red faced so I decided to walk away and try the next day, when I got home I thought I'd phone the club for clarification on the subject and was told by a more helpful chap that said if I could get the college to send them an email saying that I will be a student coming into the new academic year then that will be fine as proof, this was easy enough sort and after afew phone calls all was sorted and I had purchased my 2012/13 season ticket!!!! Brilliant right?

 

Nope..

 

Nothing is that easy with our beloved football club, and please remember that I jumped through all their hoops and done everything they asked of me regards of how mindless I thought their requests were.

 

About an hour ago I received this email -

Hi Shaun,

 

I’m afraid we cannot accept emails from tutors as proof of continuation of your studies.

 

We would need to receive a copy of your enrolment letter or an official College document confirming your continuation on your course.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Awesome!!! And to top it off I go on holiday tomorrow so I have no time to sort anything, but as they've already taken my money shall I just ignore this email??!

[buctootim]

For 'shambles' read 'taking reasonable steps to ensure people are entitled to the concessions they are claiming for'. Its a pain in the arse for people who are genuinely claiming concessions but it made necessary by the ****s who arent. "A copy of your enrolment letter or an official College document confirming your continuation on your course" isnt unreasonable imo.

[Matthew Le God]

I don't see the problem, they are right to take measures to ensure people claiming concession tickets deserve them. In the past they have been far too lax on things like this, now we have people complaining when they start doing what they should have always done.

[captainchris]

I'm a student and I'm a NUS card holder which entitles me to concession prices for my season ticket (it saves me about £95)

 

Last season I had no problems whatsoever, I had to renew my ticket face to face obviously because I had to show my card, this season has been a different kettle of fish!!

 

I popped down the ticket office Friday and told the young girl that I would like to renew my ticket to which she replied "sorry sir our system has you down as a full paying adult" I showed her last seasons season ticket which clearly had me as a student and I also produced my NUS card as proof as my student status, to which she replied "no we don't accept those" I told her that she should probably ask someone senior for clarification, she popped around the back for a minute and came back telling me that because my NUS card expires during the season it couldn't be used and that I would have to produced NEXT YEARS NUS card to get my ticket, I tried to explain that ALL NUS cards expire in August and get renewed in September so that means they would have had to decline every NUS card holder??

 

At this point I was getting alittle red faced so I decided to walk away and try the next day, when I got home I thought I'd phone the club for clarification on the subject and was told by a more helpful chap that said if I could get the college to send them an email saying that I will be a student coming into the new academic year then that will be fine as proof, this was easy enough sort and after afew phone calls all was sorted and I had purchased my 2012/13 season ticket!!!! Brilliant right?

 

Nope..

 

Nothing is that easy with our beloved football club, and please remember that I jumped through all their hoops and done everything they asked of me regards of how mindless I thought their requests were.

 

About an hour ago I received this email -

Hi Shaun,

 

I’m afraid we cannot accept emails from tutors as proof of continuation of your studies.

 

We would need to receive a copy of your enrolment letter or an official College document confirming your continuation on your course.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Awesome!!! And to top it off I go on holiday tomorrow so I have no time to sort anything, but as they've already taken my money shall I just ignore this email??!

The ticket selling arrangements have been terrible at the club for quite a while - actually beggars belief on all tickets sales !!!

[Saint_Donovan]

It is when I go on holiday tomorrow and no time to sort any of that!! I done everything they asked of me which was fine at the time, they even took payment!! And now they have moved the goal posts!!

[Sour Mash]

I don't see the problem, they are right to take measures to ensure people claiming concession tickets deserve them. In the past they have been far too lax on things like this, now we have people complaining when they start doing what they should have always done.

Putting to one side whether the requirements are over the top or not, surely you can see how bad the quality of communication is to a customer trying to spend hundreds of pounds?

 

Also, I would say an Enrolment letter is easier to fake than a valid NUS card?

[hypochondriac]

Putting to one side whether the requirements are over the top or not, surely you can see how bad the quality of communication is to a customer trying to spend hundreds of pounds?

 

Also, I would say an Enrolment letter is easier to fake than a valid NUS card?

 

I think it is more irritating that this sort of thing is not set in stone and put on the OS when the tickets are released. Our requirements seemingly change every season so how are fans supposed to keep up?

[The Kraken]

Putting to one side whether the requirements are over the top or not, surely you can see how bad the quality of communication is to a customer trying to spend hundreds of pounds?

 

Also, I would say an Enrolment letter is easier to fake than a valid NUS card?

Precisely. A fairly sensible policy by the club, but (again) very poor in actually communicating the changing requirements to a customer who has to go to the ticket office in the first place to prove eligibility.

[Saint_clark]

Putting to one side whether the requirements are over the top or not, surely you can see how bad the quality of communication is to a customer trying to spend hundreds of pounds?

 

Also, I would say an Enrolment letter is easier to fake than a valid NUS card?

 

Indeed. He even says this in the OP;

please remember that I jumped through all their hoops and done everything they asked of me regardless of how mindless I thought their requests were.

 

It's not like he refused to comply with their requests - he went along with every single one, and then was told it was wrong anyway.

[Sour Mash]

I think it is more irritating that this sort of thing is not set in stone and put on the OS when the tickets are released. Our requirements seemingly change every season so how are fans supposed to keep up?

Exactly. Make it clear what people need to do and stick with it. Would save both sides a lot of time and effort.

[Saint_Donovan]

I don't see the problem, they are right to take measures to ensure people claiming concession tickets deserve them. In the past they have been far too lax on things like this, now we have people complaining when they start doing what they should have always done.

 

You don't see the problem?? I was asked to follow a new procedure which I was happy to do........... Still following???

 

After this was done and they happily sold me a ticket, I'm now being told 3 days later that it wasn't enough!! See my problem yet??

 

NUS cards are not easy to fake, you cannot just order one off the Internet to your home address, they get sent to your college/uni and are handed to you by student services.

 

And you cannot tell me that EVERY student fan has to go through this procedure?

 

Please also remember that students only have 10 days to renew their tickets so getting your place of study to send enrolment details to the club and then to get down there to sort your ticket is a bit of a push!!

[PhilippineSaint]

It is when I go on holiday tomorrow and no time to sort any of that!! I done everything they asked of me which was fine at the time, they even took payment!! And now they have moved the goal posts!!

 

If they have taken payment they have accepted all your demands as you have accepted theirs

its in the fine print

[Sour Mash]

Well many on here love to take the p**s out of the fan on the board idea (which obviously wouldn't work in our current model), stuff like this is a good example of the need in having some sort of conduit between fans and the club to feedback on areas for improvement, things that would make fans lives easier etc.

[hypochondriac]

Well many on here love to take the p**s out of the fan on the board idea (which obviously wouldn't work in our current model), stuff like this is a good example of the need in having some sort of conduit between fans and the club to feedback on areas for improvement, things that would make fans lives easier etc.

 

It does seem we are very poor at communicating to the fans and our very rigid with certain policies to the point that it greatly inconveniences paying customers.

[Thedelldays]

are you going to be a student throughout next season?

[hypochondriac]

are you going to be a student throughout next season?

 

Even if he wasn't, the point still stands.

[Saint_Donovan]

If they have taken payment they have accepted all your demands as you have accepted theirs

its in the fine print

 

This is the angle I'm taking, I just know there will be issues!!

[HurleyBurley]

You don't see the problem?? I was asked to follow a new procedure which I was happy to do........... Still following???

 

After this was done and they happily sold me a ticket, I'm now being told 3 days later that it wasn't enough!! See my problem yet??

 

NUS cards are not easy to fake, you cannot just order one off the Internet to your home address, they get sent to your college/uni and are handed to you by student services.

 

And you cannot tell me that EVERY student fan has to go through this procedure?

 

Please also remember that students only have 10 days to renew their tickets so getting your place of study to send enrolment details to the club and then to get down there to sort your ticket is a bit of a push!!

 

 

So they've taken payment and you have a ticket and then after that they've sent an email saying they can't take your tutors ok that you're a student? But you have a ticket and have paid, right? What's the problem then?

[Thedelldays]

Even if he wasn't, the point still stands.

if people want a ST they get one....

 

or, alternatively, phone up/email the club etc..

[PhilippineSaint]

Well many on here love to take the p**s out of the fan on the board idea (which obviously wouldn't work in our current model), stuff like this is a good example of the need in having some sort of conduit between fans and the club to feedback on areas for improvement, things that would make fans lives easier etc.

 

It will never happen and the ticket thing will not change because you can produce so much fake ID and letters these days some should be lucky that they dont have to produce two birth certificates and a passport which says they were born in Wessex or at least below Winchester.

[Saint_Donovan]

So they've taken payment and you have a ticket and then after that they've sent an email saying they can't take your tutors ok that you're a student? But you have a ticket and have paid, right? What's the problem then?

 

I haven't received my ticket, so obviously now my worry is that either I won't get it in the post at all and I'll get a refund after its too late to renew and I'll be left high and dry!!

[HurleyBurley]

I haven't received my ticket, so obviously now my worry is that either I won't get it in the post at all and I'll get a refund after its too late to renew and I'll be left high and dry!!

 

 

Ahh ok... Bit of a pain that then... Must say you're very lucky as a student to be able to attend games, when I was a student I 1. couldn't afford it and 2. had a job on saturday's and in the evenings. Hope it all works out for you young man

[The9]

are you going to be a student throughout next season?

 

He said "I could get the college to send them an email saying that I will be a student coming into the new academic year then that will be fine as proof, this was easy enough sort and after afew phone calls all was sorted" so it seems very likely.

[hypochondriac]

if people want a ST they get one....

 

or, alternatively, phone up/email the club etc..

 

I don't understand you. What has that got to do with the OP?

[Saint_Donovan]

are you going to be a student throughout next season?

 

I should finish next april/may so unless I drop out of the course etc but my NUS privileges run for 12 months regardless.

[Thedelldays]

I should finish next april/may so unless I drop out of the course etc but my NUS privileges run for 12 months regardless.

I don't believe you

[channonball]

I ordered 3 season tickets and got sent 5. Says it all really.

[rshephard3]

Putting to one side whether the requirements are over the top or not, surely you can see how bad the quality of communication is to a customer trying to spend hundreds of pounds?

 

Also, I would say an Enrolment letter is easier to fake than a valid NUS card?

 

Exactly. Making customers jump through hoops to proove their concession status is a by product of people cheating the system which tragic cases will always try. The main point, though, is that as usual noone at the place is reading off the same page. The happy clappers can moan at the OP all they want but offering up money on a plate as an honest student only to be messed around is s**te service. I have personally never had anything but shambolic service from the club, right down to their inability to fix my simple date of berth login for this coming season meaning I paid £2.50 too much for my ST by only allowing me to pay over the phone. Not one apology. Not one offer to waive the extra charge. Cheers. I love the football club dearly but they've always been archaic in their administration.

[boxosponge]

The web site says at https://purchase.processticket.com/sfc/faq.html

 

12. What are Concessions?

 

Concessions include over 65’s, students and young adults (aged 17-20).Proof of age must be supplied at time of purchase.

 

For a student discount customer must provide valid student ID at the time of purchase.

 

Have you a valid student ID?

[hypochondriac]

The web site says at https://purchase.processticket.com/sfc/faq.html

 

12. What are Concessions?

 

Concessions include over 65’s, students and young adults (aged 17-20).Proof of age must be supplied at time of purchase.

 

For a student discount customer must provide valid student ID at the time of purchase.

 

Have you a valid student ID?

 

I think they are arguing the definition of valid.

[Saint_Donovan]

The web site says at https://purchase.processticket.com/sfc/faq.html

 

12. What are Concessions?

 

Concessions include over 65’s, students and young adults (aged 17-20).Proof of age must be supplied at time of purchase.

 

For a student discount customer must provide valid student ID at the time of purchase.

 

Have you a valid student ID?

 

Of course!!

[buctootim]

Of course!!

 

Did your tutors email come from the college /university email account with job title etc ? - eg jbloggs@southampton.ac.uk

[Saint_Donovan]

I think they are arguing the definition of valid.

 

But ALL NUS Student cards run out 08/12 and get renewed early sept so none are valid if that's the case!!

[Saint_Donovan]

Did your tutors email come from the college /university email account? - eg jblooggs@ Southampton.ac.uk

 

Yeah of course!!

[hypochondriac]

But ALL NUS Student cards run out 08/12 and get renewed early sept so none are valid if that's the case!!

 

Yes I agree with you it is ridiculous.

[Saint_Donovan]

I don't believe you

 

Neither did they!!

[Thedelldays]

Neither did they!!

did you look them in the eye when talking to them...?

[S-Clarke]

Seems like the club are being a little difficult here, not sure why they need to be so fussy. Surely they're not going to ask every single student for a copy of their enrollment letter??

 

(and to be fair, this is much easier to forge than an email from your tutor or an NUS card!) Bizarre by the club.

[Minty]

I think it is more irritating that this sort of thing is not set in stone and put on the OS when the tickets are released. Our requirements seemingly change every season so how are fans supposed to keep up?

 

This annoys me any and every organisation out there. If there are conditional requirements for buying/accessing something, make sure everyone is aware of it well in advance so that questions can be answered, and ambiguities can be sorted out well in advance of when it is actually available.

 

The 7 P's spring to mind.

[Saint_Donovan]

did you look them in the eye when talking to them...?

 

I tried but the sweaty forehead and clammy palms were a massive tell!!

[The9]

This annoys me any and every organisation out there. If there are conditional requirements for buying/accessing something, make sure everyone is aware of it well in advance so that questions can be answered, and ambiguities can be sorted out well in advance of when it is actually available.

 

The 7 P's spring to mind.

 

"Miss Gorse" was also not 100% impressed with his service - take the ST as is or wait until July 7th...

[PhilippineSaint]

Exactly. Making customers jump through hoops to proove their concession status is a by product of people cheating the system which tragic cases will always try. The main point, though, is that as usual noone at the place is reading off the same page. The happy clappers can moan at the OP all they want but offering up money on a plate as an honest student only to be messed around is s**te service. I have personally never had anything but shambolic service from the club, right down to their inability to fix my simple date of berth login for this coming season meaning I paid £2.50 too much for my ST by only allowing me to pay over the phone. Not one apology. Not one offer to waive the extra charge. Cheers. I love the football club dearly but they've always been archaic in their administration.

 

Are you the QE II then and where do you want to park ???

[Georgie]

I renewed my student season ticket on Saturday. I got the same thing saying they need a letter to prove that I am still studying for 2012-13. I did however have my student card which entitles me to the NUS card and they accepted this, as the expiry date was 2014.

 

Have you not got a college/uni card with an expiry date on it which you can show them?

[PhilippineSaint]

This annoys me any and every organisation out there. If there are conditional requirements for buying/accessing something, make sure everyone is aware of it well in advance so that questions can be answered, and ambiguities can be sorted out well in advance of when it is actually available.

 

The 7 P's spring to mind.

 

The five F's are much better as you probably already know

[Saint_Donovan]

I renewed my student season ticket on Saturday. I got the same thing saying they need a letter to prove that I am still studying for 2012-13. I did however have my student card which entitles me to the NUS card and they accepted this, as the expiry date was 2014.

 

Have you not got a college/uni card with an expiry date on it which you can show them?

 

Nope I'm down on the marchwood marine campus, so we don't get any of that. I believe that's just for main Brock students

[Sour Mash]

I think they are arguing the definition of valid.

A valid NUS card is a valid proof of concession, is used everywhere else and is very difficult to fake. The OP was then told directly what to do by the club, did it, and was then told that was still wrong.

[Lord Duckhunter]

My wife is a student midwife, and she has a NUS card.

 

She qualifies in the next couple of months and (fingers crossed) starts with the NHS in Nov, where she will be earning pretty decent money. If the ticket office just accepted her NUS card, she would be getting a consession price for the whole season. Surely it's only right that students prove that they are going to be a student for the whole (or large majority) of season?

 

I would say the ticket office have done the right thing.

[Saint_Donovan]

My wife is a student midwife, and she has a NUS card.

 

She qualifies in the next couple of months and (fingers crossed) starts with the NHS in Nov, where she will be earning pretty decent money. If the ticket office just accepted her NUS card, she would be getting a consession price for the whole season. Surely it's only right that students prove that they are going to be a student for the whole (or large majority) of season?

 

I would say the ticket office have done the right thing.

 

I think you're missing the point, I was happy to prove the continuation of my course into next year and I did so by the exact method they requested, my complaint is about the fact that after payment was taken and I'm due to go on holiday they are telling me that what I sent them isn't good enough!!

[The Kraken]

My wife is a student midwife, and she has a NUS card.

 

She qualifies in the next couple of months and (fingers crossed) starts with the NHS in Nov, where she will be earning pretty decent money. If the ticket office just accepted her NUS card, she would be getting a consession price for the whole season. Surely it's only right that students prove that they are going to be a student for the whole (or large majority) of season?

 

I would say the ticket office have done the right thing.

 

No-one is really disagreeing with that though. The point is that the communication from the club as to what constitutes "valid ID" has been non-exsitent. Also that this lad, after going down to the stadium and talking to ticket staff, then proceeded with the exact steps they laid down for him to prove his student status. And after providing exactly what they asked for was then told that, in fact, the club requires something different from him.

[Sour Mash]

My wife is a student midwife, and she has a NUS card.

 

She qualifies in the next couple of months and (fingers crossed) starts with the NHS in Nov, where she will be earning pretty decent money. If the ticket office just accepted her NUS card, she would be getting a consession price for the whole season. Surely it's only right that students prove that they are going to be a student for the whole (or large majority) of season?

 

I would say the ticket office have done the right thing.

You're missing the point. It's how they communicate that how to their paying customers that is the problem, not the choice of ID in itself necessarily.

 

And as a separate point lots of people that qualify for a concession ticket could be earning pretty decent money and plenty that don't qualify for a concession have hardly any money at all.