Patriots end ticketExchange, go with NFL-wide TicketMaster scheme

Nunchucks · Apr 18, 2018

It doesn't say if the season ticket sellers will get any of the "profit" from reselling. Likely not. As a season ticket holder, I never had a problem selling my tickets on the exchange. I liked that Patriots fans were the ones who were supposed to have access to it.

This new system has a lot of things to dislike about it.

DaBronxPats14 · Apr 18, 2018

I could never get tix except for a Hook Up or Stub Hub anyway.

XLIX · Apr 18, 2018

Nunchucks said:
It doesn't say if the season ticket sellers will get any of the "profit" from reselling. Likely not. As a season ticket holder, I never had a problem selling my tickets on the exchange. I liked that Patriots fans were the ones who were supposed to have access to it.

This new system has a lot of things to dislike about it.

The Patriots may very well do things different from other teams, but right now on TicketMaster the seller sets the price and they get the sale price less Ticketmaster's (I think) 15% cut, so there is certainly potential profit for the sellers

supafly · Apr 19, 2018

XLIX said:
The Patriots may very well do things different from other teams, but right now on TicketMaster the seller sets the price and they get the sale price less Ticketmaster's (I think) 15% cut, so there is certainly potential profit for the sellers

Yep, I believe it’s basically the same general setup at sites like StubHub and SeatGeek. The biggest issue will likely be an increase of prices, of course.

I bought 2 tix this way from TM’s verified resell list for Brady’s return from suspension game in CLE back in ‘16, and I think we paid around 400 per ticket. I know this option has been available for all NFL teams who sell on TM for quite sometime. It sounds like the organization has simply decided to use this permanently as an alternative for the season ticket waiting list. Since I never had the opportunity to use the waiting list, I don’t know if people jacked up the prices in the same manner that they do on TM, so that would be my concern.

Blaizer · Apr 19, 2018

The prices will definitely increase on the TM site. The Season ticket exchange only allowed the tickets to be sold at face value in theory to other Patriots fans either on the wait list or season ticket holders looking for additional tickets. The last 2 years or so in my experience it was almost impossible to get tickets from that site. It was taken over by the ticket brokers. I posted tickets on there a few times and they would literally be instantly sold as soon as they were posted. I would receive 2 simultaneous emails. The 1st saying the tickets were posted for sale and the 2nd saying they had been sold.

supafly · Apr 19, 2018

Blaizer said:
The prices will definitely increase on the TM site. The Season ticket exchange only allowed the tickets to be sold at face value in theory to other Patriots fans either on the wait list or season ticket holders looking for additional tickets.

This is what I had assumed, so it seems as though it comes down to this:

PRO—More tix will be available. As a matter of fact, no one will go without any longer. There will be plenty of tix available for all of the fans. No more refreshing and waiting for a pair in the nosebleeds to finally open up after days or even weeks of waiting.

CON—no more tix at face value, so there will be an obvious increase in the cost of what it takes to see a game in this manner. Be prepared to pay double or even much more, depending upon where you wish to sit.

bresna · Apr 19, 2018

I wonder what this means for season ticket holders when a buyer of your ticket does something stupid and gets ejected? Will the season ticket holder still be in jeopardy of having their tickets revoked like it was before? This was the main reason a lot of season ticket holders used the Ticket Exchange and not brokers like Ace Ticket or Stub Hub.

Darrone · Apr 19, 2018

So i spoke to some season ticket holders from another team that is already on the ticketmaster system. They are able to sell their tickets on TM for a profit, minus the fee Tm charges (same as stubhub, 10% of the whole sale price).

I loved the ticket exchange 5 or 10 years ago, but its been increasingly difficult to get tickets. Mostly because scalpers have been buying them up, and they are pretty open about it. Here is one scalper lamenting the end of the gravy train on Twitter:

It really is a shame that there is no system for one STH to sell to others and waitlisters. It was a great premise, but from the teams perspective: They aren't making money on it, their fans are complaining that scalpers are snatching up the tickets and the actual fans are getting frustrated/complaining about the lack of availability, and the scalpers are making a mint. So why keep it going? It was undoubtedly more of a headache for them than it was worth.

QuantumMechanic · Apr 19, 2018

I still want to know how scalpers got tickets from ticket exchange. Did zillions of scalpers actually sign up to be on the waiting list? There's a 4 ticket purchase limit, so you'd need a lot of accounts to buy and meaningful number of tickets. Then again, looking at the waiting list application you could easily give any name you wanted so long as you had a credit card in that name to pay the deposit, so I suppose they did just that.

bresna · Apr 20, 2018

The new system is up & running. Crap seats in the noise bleed section for the final game are almost $400. Yeah, right.

Like I said earlier, I'm out.

king_ejd · Apr 20, 2018

I used to sell all my extras on the ticket exchange. Does this mean STH can now profit on their ticket without fear of losing their tickets? I know stubhub was now reporting to MA IRS sales over a certain amount, and I am assuming this ties in.

Shockt327 · Apr 20, 2018

Ugh, I just got an email from Ticketmaster about NFL Ticket Exchange. I'm on the website now and it's no different than StubHub. That really sucks. Patriots Ticket Exchange was so awesome when it first started. As naive as it sounds, I really thought the basic idea would catch-on and be a nice, honest, fair-priced, counter-punch to sites like Stub Hub (while also encouraging more fans to become wait list members, too).

Anyway, it was good while it lasted. Any doubts I had about depositing $200 upfront were gone as soon as I acquired my first pair of tickets later on that summer. I remember I paid $260 total for two 200-level seats; then going on to StubHub and seeing that similar seats easily would've cost me more than $260...each. That deposit was already a total bargain. Soon after, I got to go to the in-stadium training camp practice too. So awesome. I went to that in-stadium practice every year after, too. To top it all off, later on that season, literally right after the wk 17 games were over, I got a Ticketmaster email notification for the pre-sale of playoff tickets; as a wait-list member exclusive. I got 4 tickets. I had never been to a playoff game before. Sadly, I doubt I'll ever get to do it again, certainly not at face value.

FCB02062 · Apr 20, 2018

The Globe, a supposed champion for "equality", loves Patriots hit pieces; I hope they do one on this subject...base on how the Pats just threw "equality" out the window r.e. their ticket sales - unless you can afford to drop $800 on two 300s tickets, you have no chance at tickets...
To wit, I got $77 tickets to SD last yr through ticket exchange (granted I also had to drop $40 or so on a preseason game)....

pats4life12 · Apr 20, 2018

Went to 21 straight home games thanks to the ticket exchange looks like that streak might end come Septemeber. no way I can afford to drop $250+ per game this year to sit in the top deck.

Joker · Apr 21, 2018

but...but...but...potted trees in the end zone!...exorbitant watered down drinks!! public privacy away from these dirty, low class "fans"!...cell phone charging stations OMG!!!!!!! Chauncey and I positively LOVE this new ticket system. NOW we can helicopter in for a few minutes of the second half to rub elbows with our dear, cunnin' group of friends. 400 dollars??? Hahahahahaha....that's not even half of what my nails cost...

NG Pats Fan · Apr 21, 2018

FlyboyPatsFan said:
They don't make it easy to cancel. I plan on canceling.

"You may request that we remove your name from the Waitlist and refund your deposit at any time prior to our contacting you that you are eligible to purchase season tickets. Your refund request must be in writing and accompanied by a photocopy of reliable identification. Mail requests to: Gillette Stadium Ticket Office, One Patriot Place, Foxborough, MA 02035. Deposit refunds will be administered once per year, in June. All refund requests must be received prior to April 30 in order for you to qualify for a refund that year. If you remain on the Waitlist and we contact you that tickets are available for your purchase, you must purchase season tickets for those seat locations offered to you, or otherwise you will forfeit your position on the Waitlist as well as your deposit"

Other than the 200 upfront to get on the waiting list...they don't charge you yearly correct? Just a one time payment?

QuantumMechanic · Apr 21, 2018

NG Pats Fan said:
Other than the 200 upfront to get on the waiting list...they don't charge you yearly correct? Just a one time payment?

Correct.

PatsWickedPissah · Apr 21, 2018

Sic transit gloria mundi

Soliel · Apr 21, 2018

Gotta go to one this year

NE_PATS_FAN_54 · Apr 22, 2018

Shockt327 said:
Ugh, I just got an email from Ticketmaster about NFL Ticket Exchange. I'm on the website now and it's no different than StubHub. That really sucks. Patriots Ticket Exchange was so awesome when it first started. As naive as it sounds, I really thought the basic idea would catch-on and be a nice, honest, fair-priced, counter-punch to sites like Stub Hub (while also encouraging more fans to become wait list members, too).

Anyway, it was good while it lasted. Any doubts I had about depositing $200 upfront were gone as soon as I acquired my first pair of tickets later on that summer. I remember I paid $260 total for two 200-level seats; then going on to StubHub and seeing that similar seats easily would've cost me more than $260...each. That deposit was already a total bargain. Soon after, I got to go to the in-stadium training camp practice too. So awesome. I went to that in-stadium practice every year after, too. To top it all off, later on that season, literally right after the wk 17 games were over, I got a Ticketmaster email notification for the pre-sale of playoff tickets; as a wait-list member exclusive. I got 4 tickets. I had never been to a playoff game before. Sadly, I doubt I'll ever get to do it again, certainly not at face value.

Agreed - back when ticketexchange started it was truly a hidden gem. I've been on the WL since 2007 and went to countless games for face value. I spent countless hours over the years constantly refreshing that site for the popular games. Shame it has to end, but now the team can profit from this. Nothing Kraft hates seeing more than others profiting from something he can't get his hands on ( hence their obsession with STH's selling tickets to stubhub).

What hasn't been said here a lot - season tickets holders could make out pretty well with this. Check out some of the prices for these games:

New England Patriots

It's simply astounding the prices on here. This will be really interesting to see how this all shakes out. STH's could make an absolute killing here. Going to see a lot more "pink hats" around Gillette next year.

What the Kraft's have made abundantly clear these past few years is that they show zero loyalty to their "diehard" fans. You saw how they kicked out the first 15 rows of fans for that idiotic club in the endzone. This is more of the same. Nothing anyone can do about it, either. They could fill another stadium with the Wait List. Will be fascinating to see how things go down once the BB/Brady era ends.

Patriots end ticketExchange, go with NFL-wide TicketMaster scheme

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