Viagogo Ripoff

[melonhead]

no one is being ripped off though.

no one is forced to buy, or sell.
theyre happy to list/buy

[Wycombe Royal]

But why does this have to be outsourced so that such an odious company as Viagogo gets to keep the extra money.

Yes, it's a great service if you have a ST and can't go to games - but there's absolutely no reason this can't be done in-house by the football club, so that tickets sell for a flat fee - ideally first of all to those on the RFC database so you don't have the problems with breaking segregation rules.

What really sticks in the craw is that if supporters did this themselves they'd be prosecuted - because the resale of tickets to designated football matches is a criminal offence. But because an overseas company is paying RFC a backhander it's suddenly alright ....

Because they don't have the systems to do it and there is no financial benefit to them for forking out for a system that CAN do it. Viagogo have the system to do it and therefore it ianother facility for people to buy tickets for seats that would otherwise be empty.

Do you have any business sense at all?

What system would they need to do it though?

Person A phones up the ticket office and says I'd like to list my ticket for game X

Ticket of person A then shows up on the online ticketing system or is shown as available when people phone up to buy tickets.

Club then takes money from the buyer as normal.

Club then issues a refund or sends the seller the money.

I'm no technical expert but it doesn't seem something thats overly difficult to set up and administer, given that they already have a ticket office. I'm sure a flat admin fee of £5 would be reasonable and that fee could help fund another staff member to help run it.

I don't think the fact that using Viagogo makes the club money and is a sound business move from the club is in dispute. I think what Dirk, myself and others are frustrated with is that the club are happy to let another company and its own fanbase rip each other off when they could run a much simpler and fairer ticket resale scheme themselves, not to make a profit but to help its fans out.

If only it was that simple....if you don't understand business processes then it sometimes better to not comment at all.

[Wimb]

OK, so enlighten us? I'm not having a pop I'm just asking how is the system that I've outlined so hard to implement?

Once again, you've ignored my central point.

I didn't disagree that it made far more business sense for Reading to go with Viagogo, I'm saying that from a fans point of view the club could have put together a service that didn't make them as much money but would have provided a useful service to the fans.

If you don't understand how to have a conversation then it sometimes better to not comment at all

[Wycombe Royal]

OK, so enlighten us? I'm not having a pop I'm just asking how is the system that I've outlined so hard to implement?

Once again, you've ignored my central point.

I didn't disagree that it made far more business sense for Reading to go with Viagogo, I'm saying that from a fans point of view the club could have put together a service that didn't make them as much money but would have provided a useful service to the fans.

If you don't understand how to have a conversation then it sometimes better to not comment at all

There service would have mande no money for the club, it would have cost them money - so why would they even entertain the idea of doing it themselves when there is already a company out there that offer the service?

The volume of transactions is low and the cut per ticket they would have made is no that big. Offset that against the cost of the software development and implementation and you would be looking at a very poor investment that would have a negative NPV for many years and a payback period that would be far too long to consider.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Perhaps that is why when the club were looking in to reselling fans tickets it never happened.

I just hope that one day all the apologists get priced out of the club, wonder how you will feel then.

A free market does not mean that you get as much as you can for something, there is such a thing as profiteering, and it can be capped. Although most governments never do this.

[Royal With Cheese]

I always thought it was pissing people off by making them wait an extraordinary long time to buy a hot dog.

done on purpose to build excitement and anticipation

Failed on both counts then.

[Wimb]

OK, so enlighten us? I'm not having a pop I'm just asking how is the system that I've outlined so hard to implement?

Once again, you've ignored my central point.

I didn't disagree that it made far more business sense for Reading to go with Viagogo, I'm saying that from a fans point of view the club could have put together a service that didn't make them as much money but would have provided a useful service to the fans.

If you don't understand how to have a conversation then it sometimes better to not comment at all

There service would have mande no money for the club, it would have cost them money - so why would they even entertain the idea of doing it themselves when there is already a company out there that offer the service?

The volume of transactions is low and the cut per ticket they would have made is no that big. Offset that against the cost of the software development and implementation and you would be looking at a very poor investment that would have a negative NPV for many years and a payback period that would be far too long to consider.

That's fair WR and I'll bow down to your greater knowledge on the intricacies of the topic. On that note, check your PM very shortly....

I suppose you can't ask the club to run something that's costing them too much money, but in the PL I guess I'd hoped they might be able to subsidise something to help fans.

Meh, modern football etc

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Businesses do thinks that dont directly make money, B&Q CEO admitted that they lose money on plants, but they do sell them as it means that footfall is higher and they are ok with that!!

RFC could do the same with spare tickets, better to have a bum on seat, that buys other stuff, like hot dogs that to have it empty/

[melonhead]

Perhaps that is why when the club were looking in to reselling fans tickets it never happened.

I just hope that one day all the apologists get priced out of the club, wonder how you will feel then.

.

annoyed. but it wont be the clubs fault, and it wont be viagogos
it will be the people selling and buying the tickets at those prices

[Wycombe Royal]

Businesses do thinks that dont directly make money, B&Q CEO admitted that they lose money on plants, but they do sell them as it means that footfall is higher and they are ok with that!!

RFC could do the same with spare tickets, better to have a bum on seat, that buys other stuff, like hot dogs that to have it empty/

But why should they do that and lose money when someone else can do it for them without it costing the club a penny? The ticket is still getting resold so the other merchandise and concourse sales are still happening. You would have a point if Viagogo weren't around.

B&Q haven't already sold these plants once, only to buy them back and then resell them. Poor example.

[peterroyal76]

The club could do it for very little, but they choose not to. As a fan I don't like viagogo, but I can see they see it as an easy revenue stream.

[SPARTA]

One thing I've learnt about Viagogo is that kids tickets sell at adult prices. So buying a kids ST is an absolute must whether you have kids or not.

If we're still with Viagogo the next time we go up, I'm buying a couple of kids ST's and selling them at face value at adult prices. 19 home games x say £35 for a lower avg = £665. Obviously kids prices with increase in the future, but nevertheless, it's an easy profit to make.

[loyalroyaldaz]

How does it work? Do the club send the buyer a paper ticket?
Becuase of the Man City date change i have two seats going spare now becuase i will be on holiday.

[Wipped]

How does it work? Do the club send the buyer a paper ticket?
Becuase of the Man City date change i have two seats going spare now becuase i will be on holiday.

Yes, the buyer gets a paper ticket.

[Wycombe Royal]

The club could do it for very little, but they choose not to. As a fan I don't like viagogo, but I can see they see it as an easy revenue stream.

So tell us how they could do it for very little then?

[Scutterbucketz]

One thing I've learnt about Viagogo is that kids tickets sell at adult prices. So buying a kids ST is an absolute must whether you have kids or not.

If we're still with Viagogo the next time we go up, I'm buying a couple of kids ST's and selling them at face value at adult prices. 19 home games x say £35 for a lower avg = £665. Obviously kids prices with increase in the future, but nevertheless, it's an easy profit to make.

That's a shitty way of making not very much money. Besides, wouldn't you need an adult ticket sat next to it to make it any way appealing? What kid can afford to pay double the price unless they've got their dad forking out for them?

[Scutterbucketz]

Also, aren't you only allowed to resell a limited amount of tickets per season?

[SPARTA]

One thing I've learnt about Viagogo is that kids tickets sell at adult prices. So buying a kids ST is an absolute must whether you have kids or not.

If we're still with Viagogo the next time we go up, I'm buying a couple of kids ST's and selling them at face value at adult prices. 19 home games x say £35 for a lower avg = £665. Obviously kids prices with increase in the future, but nevertheless, it's an easy profit to make.

That's a shitty way of making not very much money. Besides, wouldn't you need an adult ticket sat next to it to make it any way appealing? What kid can afford to pay double the price unless they've got their dad forking out for them?

You buy a kids season ticket but when it goes on viagogo, it sells as an adult ticket. So you buy two kids season tickets as well as your adult ticket, and the kids tickets go on sale for every home game, bringing in £35 for most games and £60 for the Arsenal's, United's.. that's plenty of money to be made. It's abusing the system but the system is there to be abused. Means my ST is free plus money in my pocket.

[urz13]

Except you can only list it for 10 games a season.

[Wimb]

Except you can only list it for 10 games a season.

No, you ca list every one.

http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article ... 84565.aspx

There is no limit to the amount of games they can choose to sell – however there is no guarantee that their seat will be bought for any game.