Away Ticket Refunds at Exeter
Is anyone else trying to claim back their over-charged ticket from Exeter away in January? Ticket prices were £17 to stand or £23 to sit, but on the night the club decided not to open the terrace, and let people with £17 tickets into the seated area, whilst still charging £23 to everyone else. We were told if we wrote to the club after the match, they would refund the £6 difference.
Having subsequently contacted Exeter City FC, I received a quick and pleasant response, saying that they were indeed happy to refund the £12 for our two tickets purchased and that someone would be in touch in due course. However, almost three months later, I still have not been contacted by the club and, when I chased them up a few weeks ago, they said the delay was being caused by the 'high level of Wycombe fans claiming refunds'. Given that I have not heard any real talk about it since the match, I am not convinced that there would be that many fans also claiming refunds. We only took 148 down there, some of whom hadn't overpaid anyway! I was just wondering if anyone else has been having the same problem?
Comments
Most people surely will have paid on the day, as I did and most of the relatively small number who paid in advance would probably have paid to stand. Hard to believe there is more than a handful who pre-booked seated tickets.
Frankly I don't see why morally or legally you are due a refund but if you can get one,!good luck to you.
Paid the lower price on the night - surely WWFC can vouch for any pre-sales?
Is it really that important?
I'm all for saving money where possible, but surely you either chase it to conclusion at the time, or write it off.
By the time you add up all the "contact" with Exeter, you've probably eaten a fair hole in that £12!
Have you tried putting a picture of yourself holding the ticket on Twitter?
I'd be up for booing the Exeter ticket office staff every time they issue a ticket while I'm in the queue at next season's away fixture, if it helps.
@QuarteredChair
Yes. This affected me on that evening, as well. I spoke to a chap called Richard Knight, who introduced himself as the "Exeter City Supporter Liaison Officer", at the time and he advised me that their club would indeed be prepared to make refunds due to the inequity of people being placed in a position of having pre-paid a higher price than they were, in the event, required to pay on the day for identical accommodation as it were. His e/mail address is as follows:[email protected]
In the end I had to send umpteen e/mail messages to him (about one a week) for around two months before he managed to sort it out. The excuse which he kept trotting out was that the delay was due to the high number of claims being submitted by Wycombe Wanderers supporters. I would agree that of the 148 of us who attended the game at least half (probably significantly more) would have paid on the gate. Of the 75, or so, who may have paid in advance I would doubt if more than 20 or 30 would have bothered to claim. I only did so myself because Mr Knight invited me to do so ( I claimed refunds for three of us) and "morally" it seemed a reasonable argument. I don't know why the ever pedantic DevC needed to mention the legal position because this is clearly irrelevant. Eventually I received a cheque through the post drawn on the Exeter City FC bank account. It has subsequently cleared through the banking system.
If you still wish to pursue the matter I'd suggest you send an e/mail to this chap. While he seems pleasant and helpful enough I suspect that the difficulty lies with the level of efficiency and, maybe, the availability of funds withing the ECFC operation. Banging off a few e/mails costs nothing after, all and the frustration lies merely in the probable need to keep chasing them. Being a persistent old bugger, like me, is an advantage.
Good luck!
"High number of claims".
As if we had tonneloads of supporters going there, let alone affected by the switch, and let alone bothering to pursue it!
In reply to Dev C I am in the same position. Legally & morally they should refund the difference because the ticket office booth were charging the wrong price.
The admission price for away fans had been reduced as the terrace had been closed for this match. Exeter then charge the terrace price although you get a seat. After 20 minutes or so the ticket booth were told & started charging the reduced rate. They were unable to refund the difference on the night and told people to contact them after the match.
It shouldn't have been hard to organise as the total amount probably wouldn't have exceeded £300-400. It's just one of those situations within an organisation where somebody in charge needed to take the situation in hand and deal with it.
Think that's a different situation Mr W.
As I understand Mr Quarteredchair, he decided to go to the game some days earlier, went to Exeter's website (or possibly ours), decided not to stand at £17 but to buy a seated ticket at the advertised price of £23.
He arrived on the night as agreed, sat in his seat as agreed, got the entertainment he paid for as agreed and went home.
On the night, either to save stewarding costs and/or n sympathy with those standing outside as it was a foul night, Exeter decided to allow those who had paid to stand to sit instead. Not sure I see how that affects Mr QC either way or therefore why he is entitled to a refund.
If I understand your case right, you were mistakenly denied the opportunity to purchase a £17 ticket. Different situation.
Either way though, given its hard to believe more than a handful of £23 tickets were sold not sure it is worth the PR issue for Exeter to argue to much.
Thank you Cyclops and A_Worboys for your considered responses. Dev C, you have evidently misunderstood me: I did not buy a ticket in advance. I bought a ticket from the ticket office upon arrival at St. James's Park and was still charged £23.
Cyclops, Richard Knight is the man I have also been in touch with. It is encouraging to know that your persistence eventually paid off - I will keep chasing!
Ah, then I have indeed misunderstood you. my apologies.
By the time I arrived, they were selling tickets for £17 in the stand. I thought given the weather, it was very impressive customer service to do so. Wasn't aware they had changed their mind midway though the evening.