2021 Membership Thread

[Draft Pick]

Oh and while we're at it, the AFL has stopped selling AFL Passes or whatever they called it where for about $90 a year you could watch a game on your mobile device. I'm guessing that Fox/Kayo leant on them because it was costing them customers. Not sure if Telstra is still offering free match broadcasts with a Telstra mobile contract but I wouldn't mind betting they are moving to close off that one as well. So if it's not FTA I don't get to see it.

Well f**k you Fox/Kayo. If it's not on at the local pub I'll go do some gardening instead.

Costs $0 per game if you choose to sit on level 3.

 

[Footscray54]

I have not got my membership or pack yet.
Better ring the club.

 

[GetDimmaBack]

I have not got my membership or pack yet.
Better ring the club.

Ours arrived today.

Might be about to receive yours...

 

[mackem]

I have not got my membership or pack yet.
Better ring the club.

I received mine ages ago but my wife hasn't received hers yet.

She rang Australia Post with the tracking number but they said it wasn't listed in their system. She then rang the club that it's been held up and should receive it this week.

Fortunately with the current ticketing system she doesn't need her membership card to go to games.

 

[Kermit]

I have not got my membership or pack yet.
Better ring the club.

Me neither. Am auto renewal member but my son who isn’t and was only renewed last month got his last week. Go figure...

 

[dogwatch]

What exactly are you outraged about? That you have to sign up for ticketmaster to use their site? Relatively normal for a digital service I would have thought (despite how sh*te that service is)

The only reason this system is in place is due to covid restrictions, will be back to normal once everyone is vaxxed up.

It’s exactly that. The shite service and no alternative. I get the COVID constraint. If it’s just for the duration of that I can understand.

I can tolerate the club’s monopoly because it still has to bend over backwards to encourage old and new members (whether it actually does or not is a separate discussion).

However I have nothing but disdain for the monopoly ticket agencies. And that’s nothing new. If some people got their tickets quickly, trouble free and at no extra cost that’s great but wading through pages of posts from people who are perplexed/frustrated etc suggests it’s been difficult and perhaps costly for many.

The market and the industry doesn’t exist without the buyers. They should be looked after, not cynically undervalued.

 

[BEaston]

It’s exactly that. The sh*te service and no alternative. I get the COVID constraint. If it’s just for the duration of that I can understand.

I can tolerate the club’s monopoly because it still has to bend over backwards to encourage old and new members (whether it actually does or not is a separate discussion).

However I have nothing but disdain for the monopoly ticket agencies. And that’s nothing new. If some people got their tickets quickly, trouble free and at no extra cost that’s great but wading through pages of posts from people who are perplexed/frustrated etc suggests it’s been difficult and perhaps costly for many.

The market and the industry doesn’t exist without the buyers. They should be looked after, not cynically undervalued.

But it's the grounds that decide which ticket agency to use for entry to their ground. There's possibly some commercial arrangement between the companies and the AFL also. Nothing really to do with the club at all so I don't see what not buying a membership does other than hurt the club.

I agree that ticketek and ticketmaster are horrendous companies that will not blink to steal a dollar off you at every opportunity, but until the grounds and/or the AFL look elsewhere (moshtix, eventbrite, etc) then we are a bit stuck.

 

[NagoyaDog]

Received my membership pack today

 

[Northernsoul74]

Received my membership pack today

And me.

 

[DogDays]

No caps this year?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[dogwatch]

But it's the grounds that decide which ticket agency to use for entry to their ground. There's possibly some commercial arrangement between the companies and the AFL also. Nothing really to do with the club at all so I don't see what not buying a membership does other than hurt the club.

I agree that ticketek and ticketmaster are horrendous companies that will not blink to steal a dollar off you at every opportunity, but until the grounds and/or the AFL look elsewhere (moshtix, eventbrite, etc) then we are a bit stuck.

But that's always the way.

The ticket agencies are one step up the chain with technology and a business model that keeps them at arms reach from any dissent and forever out of the firing line (ever tried to talking to a real person about a real problem at one of those companies?) Especially for events where demand outstrips supply. Unless we put pressure for a better deal on the people who engage them there'll never be any incentive for them to change. Yes, it's probably just one small person raging against a massive system but it's got to start somewhere.

Would I stop buying memberships forever? Naah, as long as engagement of ticketing agencies wasn't forever. I'd withhold membership for a year though, backed up by a letter explaining why. The ticketing agencies obviously won't give a toss about me and they almost certainly won't listen to a single small AFL club. But they might consider smartening up their act if the AFL gets enough complaints up the chain, if people write more letters to the papers and if MPs start making noises.

The thing that would smarten them up straight away would be to give the public a choice of ticket outlet. That's not easy to do, I know, but the competition would instantly do wonders for the quality of service we get.

I'm fortunate in that I seldom have to deal with these companies when I go to a festival, a concert, a play or a footy match. I'd like to keep it that way.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

I got one of our two today. What’s the go with two cards, one for social club and one for games?

 

[perro_loco]

It's a disgrace. I find it hard to believe there isn't more outrage. Are you all just going to rollover and take it?

There's abundant evidence in this thread and the Rd 1 ticketing thread that you're copping sh*t service and paying extra for it.

Don't forget that YOU are the paying customers. They - the clubs, the AFL and the ticketing agencies - are taking advantage of your club loyalty and getting away with it as monopoly providers.

It's a rip-off in my opinion and I won't be a part of it.

Well said Dogwatch. I hate these rapacious monopolists. The AFL, ticketed and ticketmaster stink and so does the ACCC which sits on its arse doing nothing. Bloody money graving leaches these pricks are. Hate their guts. perro_loco having an amazing rant.

 

[Northernsoul74]

Well said Dogwatch. I hate these rapacious monopolists. The AFL, ticketed and ticketmaster stink and so does the ACCC which sits on its arse doing nothing. Bloody money graving leaches these pricks are. Hate their guts. perro_loco having an amazing rant.

Seriously hiw many ticketing agencies do you think Australia can sustain? I highly doubt the ACCC is inundated with alternatives complaining about being locked out of the market.

 

[FROGGR]

No caps this year?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

You get a $20 voucher instead. All I wanted was a cap. Not that my membership has arrived either...

 

[perro_loco]

Seriously hiw many ticketing agencies do you think Australia can sustain? I highly doubt the ACCC is inundated with alternatives complaining about being locked out of the market.

the way the two ticketing agencies operate is classic collusive behaviour. they share the spoils of ticketing for profit maximisation. classic price gouging at every step of the way. the accc is a toothless tiger. best way to make this market more competitive is to get more ticketing agencies into the game. more competition, more consumer satisfaction, more jobs. unfortunately our governments are ruled by monopolies. such is the truth of the matter. it happens in banking, petrol prices, mining, etc. anyway, it would be good to do.a study on how you create a more competitive ticketing market by breaking up a collusive duopoly. those bastards stink.

 

[NBates]

Sooooo glad we didn't get rubbish with membership this year. Buy it with your voucher if you want something! I've got my card/lanyard, but other half.....still waiting.....

 

[dogwatch]

Seriously hiw many ticketing agencies do you think Australia can sustain? I highly doubt the ACCC is inundated with alternatives complaining about being locked out of the market.

Hypothetically, just opening up all events to BOTH Ticketek and Ticketmaster would be sufficient. It would force them to compete with each other and bingo the service improves dramatically. (Naturally neither of them is going to be complaining to ACCC about being locked out of the other's market because that's how their cushy arrangement continues to work for them both.)

Technically it's quite hard, of course, because they're not selling unlimited numbers of identical widgets, they're selling seats. And seats sold have to be unique. You'd need some sort of back-end server that feeds both agencies and keeps track of every seat being sold, including the 5 minute lock on those seats while you are entering your CC details. For this reason I expect it to be way too hard. A more practical and cheaper solution is for the ACCC to investigate and to mandate service standards and customer protections where it finds there are deficiencies and/or gouging or restrictive practices.

That's why it's called the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission after all!

Incidentally there are quite a few other minor ticketing agencies or portals. They currently don't do exactly what the two majors do but they seem to operate in the same general line of business - online retailing of tickets on behalf of the outfit putting on the event. (Eventbrite, etc) So we don't need to create and sustain more agencies. We just need to keep the existing players up to scratch and protect the consumers.

 

[doggies ftw]

Oh and while we're at it, the AFL has stopped selling AFL Passes or whatever they called it where for about $90 a year you could watch a game on your mobile device. I'm guessing that Fox/Kayo leant on them because it was costing them customers. Not sure if Telstra is still offering free match broadcasts with a Telstra mobile contract but I wouldn't mind betting they are moving to close off that one as well. So if it's not FTA I don't get to see it.

Well f**k you Fox/Kayo. If it's not on at the local pub I'll go do some gardening instead.

Kayo is fantastic, every sport you could think of live and ad free for $25 a month, not sure what more you could ask for to be honest? Sports not, and will never be free.

Level 2, 2 rows back on the wing for $10! Loving the ticketing this year (I’ve always been a walk up sit on level 3) logged in, had my tickets within 3 minutes. No dramas here

 

[Dogs 13]

You get a $20 voucher instead. All I wanted was a cap. Not that my membership has arrived either...

Members received an email on 21/1 advising of the process to use your voucher. I must admit I couldn't make it work on the Bulldog online shop, so went into the club to pick ours up.

"To use your voucher online, enter the code WBM****** in the ‘Promo Code’ section at the checkout. You can redeem your voucher for a 2021 member cap or scarf here logging in with your MyBulldogs account email and password. A step-by-step guide on how to use your voucher is available here".

How do members redeem their Bulldogs Shop Voucher included with their membership?

https://westernbulldogs.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360058640474-How-do-members-redeem-their-Bulldogs-Shop-Voucher-included-with-their-membership-

 

[LondonBulldog]

I though the AFL was supposed to be "Agile" due to COVID.

I've brought my tickets for the game yet I don't get why the aren't allowing walk ups? If the capacity is not reach why can't people buy there tickets at the gates like normal. I know people are going to say social distancing yet you need to line to get into the ground anyway so what's the difference. Am I missing something?

 

[Boyd oh Boyd]

I though the AFL was supposed to be "Agile" due to COVID.

I've brought my tickets for the game yet I don't get why the aren't allowing walk ups? If the capacity is not reach why can't people buy there tickets at the gates like normal. I know people are going to say social distancing yet you need to line to get into the ground anyway so what's the difference. Am I missing something?

It would be part of the contract tracing requirements.

 

[Sentinel]

I though the AFL was supposed to be "Agile" due to COVID.

I've brought my tickets for the game yet I don't get why the aren't allowing walk ups? If the capacity is not reach why can't people buy there tickets at the gates like normal. I know people are going to say social distancing yet you need to line to get into the ground anyway so what's the difference. Am I missing something?

I guess walk-ups would require the ticket outlets to take details for contact tracing, which would make the whole process impossibly slow. Easier to avoid that and have people purchase online using their own accounts, even if done a moment before entering the ground. Downside is the additional booking fee I assume you'd now be paying, and those who aren't great with technology.

 

[Dogs 13]

I got one of our two today. What’s the go with two cards, one for social club and one for games?

They're pretty much useless, mainly memorabilia. You can't use the membership card to enter the ground anyway, although at least it's another way to find your home match barcode.

 

[Mantis Toboggan]

Anyone know if you can buy additional tickets with the away membership? My in-laws are coming for Easter and we want to take the to the game, but only have 2 away memberships