Define Natitude

[PowerBoater69]

WOW -- Great research PB!  This just keeps getting worse and worse!

Looks like the posters on the Washington Post blog get credit for discovering the bait and switch. The Nats changed the stated policy on their A to Z guide at 4 PM yesterday, right before they announced the cancelation.

[nats2playoffs]

Someone posted this on the Nationals' MLB message board:

"All ticket holders who cannot attend tomorrow's game should immediately file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. The Nats will then be given the opportunity to respond to each complaint made and, if they do not, the BBB will note that a complaint was rec’d but that the team failed to respond to the BB’s inquiry. If several thousand folks submit a complaint, maybe the Nats will reconsider.

FYI, when I first registered as an Insider, I used my office email address but then my system administrator gave me grief about that. I made multiple attempts to change the email address but the Nats kept sending me emails to my office address. I eventually submitted a BB complaint and guess what? My problem was resolved in a matter of days."

[GburgNatsFan]

I know that they put up podcasts on the 106.7 site (or, at least, used to). It's the Holden and Danny show.

Is there any way to find those interviews online after fact?

[HalfSmokes]

Someone posted this on the Nationals' MLB message board:

"All ticket holders who cannot attend tomorrow's game should immediately file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. The Nats will then be given the opportunity to respond to each complaint made and, if they do not, the BBB will note that a complaint was rec’d but that the team failed to respond to the BB’s inquiry. If several thousand folks submit a complaint, maybe the Nats will reconsider.

FYI, when I first registered as an Insider, I used my office email address but then my system administrator gave me grief about that. I made multiple attempts to change the email address but the Nats kept sending me emails to my office address. I eventually submitted a BB complaint and guess what? My problem was resolved in a matter of days."

if you're going to go to that much trouble, just call your credit card company and dispute the charges- if nothing else, the inquiry costs them money

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Oh, heck, if they were really worried about ticket sales, they could have said "no exchanges for premium games" and people would have been OK with it.  Or if they had capped exchanges for any individual game at 3000, people could live with it and it would not have squeezed sales.

I suppose any season ticket holder can get RCR points and get tickets to non-prime games under the unused ticket policy.

This does seem targeted at the $5 ticket holders.

[HalfSmokes]

This does seem targeted at the $5 ticket holders.

then why not do no rain checks and offer refunds?

[GburgNatsFan]

Right. Those particular tickets should have born this policy statement. That makes some sense.

...

This does seem targeted at the $5 ticket holders.

[Optics]

That is a pretty colossal dick move. Just when the Lerners were starting to gain the fans trust...

[Ray D]

I don't want to be defending the team and I am not (hell, I'm on record as saying this is indefensible).   However, their reason for this policy is probably this: 

With the earlier, liberal policy, if you held a ticket for last night, you could  choose to show up or not Thursday. If you show, the seat is yours. If you don't the seat is empty - they can't sell it because it's reserved for you and they don't know whether or not you are going to show up. So they loose quite a bit of revenue on empty seats that could have been sold to walk-ups if only they knew which ticketholders weren't coming.

I'm not saying that this justifies the new policy.  But in fairness, there ought to be a system whereby you can inform them of your intentions, before the game is made up. I think that would be a fair approach, but implementing something like that is undoubtedly very complicated.

[Ray D]

It's pouring (on Capitol Hill).   I hope tonight gets rained out.   Because I want to see what sort of policy they come up with for tonight's ticket holders.    They would have to play a DH tomorrow and it can't be a split DH because they have  already scheduled one game for 4. Has to be a 2 for 1 DH.   Tuesday holders would get to go to both games.   Wednesday ticket holders? Will be interesting to see how they're treated.

[ajcartwright]

with merchandising
and the TV revenue,
asses in seats - meh

[Hogie]

Better late than never

http://curlyw.mlblogs.com/2013/05/08/statement-from-the-nationals/?partnerId=as_was_20130508_7819144

Statement from the Nationals

Follow @Nationals on Twitter | Like the Nationals on Facebook

The Washington Nationals wish to announce that all fans who purchased tickets for Tuesday night’s postponed game with the Detroit Tigers will be guaranteed their same seats for Thursday’s scheduled 4:05 p.m. makeup game, or will retain the option to exchange their tickets – as they have in the past – for any remaining regular or value home game during the 2013 season, subject to availability. Due to increased attendance at Nationals Park, “rain check” ticket holders are encouraged to contact the Nationals ticket office by phone or online to better ensure seating for those games. The Nationals apologize for any inconvenience.

[rbw5t]

Better late than never

http://curlyw.mlblogs.com/2013/05/08/statement-from-the-nationals/?partnerId=as_was_20130508_7819144

Statement from the Nationals

Follow @Nationals on Twitter | Like the Nationals on Facebook

The Washington Nationals wish to announce that all fans who purchased tickets for Tuesday night’s postponed game with the Detroit Tigers will be guaranteed their same seats for Thursday’s scheduled 4:05 p.m. makeup game, or will retain the option to exchange their tickets – as they have in the past – for any remaining regular or value home game during the 2013 season, subject to availability. Due to increased attendance at Nationals Park, “rain check” ticket holders are encouraged to contact the Nationals ticket office by phone or online to better ensure seating for those games. The Nationals apologize for any inconvenience.

WOOHOO!  I haven't lived in vain.

[Copecwby20]

http://curlyw.mlblogs.com/2013/05/08/statement-from-the-nationals/?partnerId=as_was_20130508_7819144

Sweet victory LMAO

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

This will go down in history as the "Powerboat Rebellion"

[imref]

very cool, they screwed up, realized their mistake, and corrected it.

(they posted this via facebook too).

[RL04]

So, to summarize ...

The policy is back to the way it was.
Tickets for rained-out games can be exchanged for any future game subject to (a) availability and (b) possibly not for certain "premium" games.
Correct?

By the way, I didn't understand the motive for why it would have been changed in the first place.
If I bought a ticket for yesterday's game., the team already has my money.
What difference does it make to them if my rear end happens to be in a seat tomorrow at 4pm or a month from now?

They already have my money!
I'm still gonna pay (way too much) for beer and food regardless on which specific day I happen to show up.

What am I missing?

[imref]

So, to summarize ...

The policy is back to the way it was.
Tickets for rained-out games can be exchanged for any future game subject to (a) availability and (b) possibly not for certain "premium" games.
Correct?

By the way, I didn't understand the motive for why it would have been changed in the first place.
If I bought a ticket for yesterday's game., the team already has my money.
What difference does it make to them if my rear end happens to be in a seat tomorrow at 4pm or a month from now?

They already have my money!
I'm still gonna pay (way too much) for beer and food regardless on which specific day I happen to show up.

What am I missing?

if you show up and take a seat for another game, then they can't sell that seat to someone else.

[HalfSmokes]

Maybe they assumed,  1. Sparse attendance at a Thursday day game and 2. that you'd buy tickets to other games regardless

[DPMOmaha]

Maybe they assumed,  1. Sparse attendance at a Thursday day game and 2. that you'd buy tickets to other games regardless

I think what they assumed is that not many people would notice.  They were wrong and switched back. 

[Ray D]

I didn't understand the motive for why it would have been changed in the first place.
If I bought a ticket for yesterday's game., the team already has my money.
What difference does it make to them if my rear end happens to be in a seat tomorrow at 4pm or a month from now?

They already have my money!
What am I missing?

If you don't show up tomorrow and go to a later game, from your perspective you've paid once for one seat/game, but from their perspective they have given up two seats  -- (1) the empty seat Thursday, (2) the game you go to -- for a single price.

[rbw5t]

I think what they assumed is that not many people would notice.  They were wrong and switched back. 

Exactly.  I think they were hoping to sneak this change though and were surprised by the outrage.  Hopefully they'll remember the experience next time they're tempted to try pulling something like this.

[Smithian]

Better late than never

http://curlyw.mlblogs.com/2013/05/08/statement-from-the-nationals/?partnerId=as_was_20130508_7819144

Statement from the Nationals

Follow @Nationals on Twitter | Like the Nationals on Facebook

The Washington Nationals wish to announce that all fans who purchased tickets for Tuesday night’s postponed game with the Detroit Tigers will be guaranteed their same seats for Thursday’s scheduled 4:05 p.m. makeup game, or will retain the option to exchange their tickets – as they have in the past – for any remaining regular or value home game during the 2013 season, subject to availability. Due to increased attendance at Nationals Park, “rain check” ticket holders are encouraged to contact the Nationals ticket office by phone or online to better ensure seating for those games. The Nationals apologize for any inconvenience.

Translation: We made a serious mistake and realize it. We're sorry. Please move on and act like none of this happened. Thanks.

[wpa2629]

Bad move to change the policy in the first place but

GOOD for them for changing it back so quickly

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming ...

[imref]

does this mean there's hope for DFA'ng H-Rod?