Author Topic: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)  (Read 5819 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline thisizit

  • Posts: 41
2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Topic Start: April 05, 2020, 10:27:26 AM »
Does anyone have insight into what the Nationals are going to do about Season Ticket Holders? They are continuing to collect the monthly payments.  They have already collected 70% of the season and seemingly intend to collect the rest.  I've seen no announcements or anything.  In the current environment, it is not a good look at all for the club to be insisting on collecting payment when they will be absolutely unable to provide the product we are paying for.  And many people are suffering loss of income.

Offline Natsinpwc

  • Posts: 25666
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #1: April 05, 2020, 10:30:28 AM »
Does anyone have insight into what the Nationals are going to do about Season Ticket Holders? They are continuing to collect the monthly payments.  They have already collected 70% of the season and seemingly intend to collect the rest.  I've seen no announcements or anything.  In the current environment, it is not a good look at all for the club to be insisting on collecting payment when they will be absolutely unable to provide the product we are paying for.  And many people are suffering loss of income.
Billionaires still need all their money in these trying times.

Offline bluestreak

  • Global Moderator
  • ****
  • Posts: 11259
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #2: April 05, 2020, 10:46:11 AM »
From my rep:

“We are waiting on MLB to let us know how the season will look.

Once we have their decision, we will be able to make our decision on how the payments will look.

I will keep you posted as I hear anything.”

This is dumb. Especially since they will try to give a credit instead of refunding money.

Offline MtPleasantNatsFan

  • Posts: 90
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #3: April 05, 2020, 03:02:43 PM »
I paid up front because I didn’t want them to have access to my bank account that way.

My rep is an ignorant kid- as are all but 2 of the reps I’ve talked to.  I mean, really uneducated.  It sucks when you’re looking for real results because my rep can’t deliver results.  He can get me some benefits, but that’s it.

This thing isn’t going away.  What I’m angry about is that it’s now pretty clear that outbreaks will come in waves.  I hope the US doesn’t get another wave, but there’s no saying that this won’t explode in some factory town in September and then it impacts Fall Ball


Offline JCA-CrystalCity

  • Global Moderator
  • ****
  • Posts: 39371
  • Platoon - not just a movie, a baseball obsession
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #4: April 05, 2020, 03:53:59 PM »
Just a guess - they'll collect the April payment, which will leave 20% left.  By Mid-May, 25% of the season would have passed, and, unless there's something very concrete about playing 130 games (i.e., 80% of the season), they will not collect. 

Offline OldChelsea

  • Posts: 8160
  • Nats Supporter in Exile
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #5: April 06, 2020, 08:54:19 AM »
From my rep:

“We are waiting on MLB to let us know how the season will look.

Once we have their decision, we will be able to make our decision on how the payments will look.

I will keep you posted as I hear anything.”[...]

I got a voicemail to that effect from my rep this past weekend.

Offline Upper Level Dad

  • Posts: 45
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #6: April 06, 2020, 05:39:57 PM »
Caps sent out an email that you can defer April’s payment, which was the second for NEXT seasons tickets.  Still 8 of 41 unplayed home games for this season.

Offline eastie

  • Posts: 115
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #7: April 09, 2020, 02:44:54 PM »
I got a voicemail to that effect from my rep this past weekend.
We haven't heard a thing from a rep.  In fact, we made a slight change to our seating location as part of Select-A-Seat and haven't received the updated contract to reflect the change.  That should have been done weeks ago.  I'm guessing things are falling through the cracks, but those STH payments sure aren't!

Offline thisizit

  • Posts: 41
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #8: April 09, 2020, 07:02:33 PM »
The Nationals' position is increasingly untenable.  They really can't force STH to continue to pay.  You can revoke your credit card authorization, according to the contract they drafted.  Though the contract also says you are still obligated to pay.  But then again, they also have obligations they are not meeting.    It would behoove the team to do something other than collect the April 15 payment.

Offline Duke of Earl

  • Posts: 743
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #9: April 09, 2020, 08:04:05 PM »
The Nationals' position is increasingly untenable.  They really can't force STH to continue to pay.  You can revoke your credit card authorization, according to the contract they drafted.  Though the contract also says you are still obligated to pay.  But then again, they also have obligations they are not meeting.    It would behoove the team to do something other than collect the April 15 payment.
They should be offering nothing less than a full refund. They are defaulting on their end (even if it's not their fault) by not providing a product.  No matter what lame-brained season they concoct, it won't  resemble a real season.  You won't see real baseball.
I feel for those of you who are season ticket holders.  Than goodness I'm not.  If I were, I'd be working on a class action suit.

Offline bluestreak

  • Global Moderator
  • ****
  • Posts: 11259
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #10: April 13, 2020, 07:42:22 PM »
Just got an email that the April 15th Payment will be postponed until at least July 15.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

  • Global Moderator
  • ****
  • Posts: 39371
  • Platoon - not just a movie, a baseball obsession
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #11: April 13, 2020, 08:45:25 PM »
Quote
Dear Grand Moderator of the All-Important WNFF.net:

As we await further news and direction from Major League Baseball on the start of our 2020 season, we wanted to take this opportunity to provide an update on the upcoming payment plan installment scheduled for April 15th.
 
This is an unprecedented situation – one many of us could never have imagined.  We continue to stay in close contact with MLB about the 2020 season.  Until there is further guidance, we will postpone the April 15th Nat for Life Payment to July 15th.  Our NATS PLUS Members are invaluable to us and we promise to continue to communicate any changes and announcements to you as soon as we have them. 
 
Thank you for all of your support and we can’t wait to see all of you at Nationals Park soon.
 
Thanks,

Your 2019 World Series Champion Washington Nationals 

Not bad.  They even addressed the email right.

Offline hammondsnats

  • Posts: 37394
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #12: April 15, 2020, 08:59:04 AM »
apparently there's an update in the Washington Post about season ticket payments ...

Offline OldChelsea

  • Posts: 8160
  • Nats Supporter in Exile


Offline OldChelsea

  • Posts: 8160
  • Nats Supporter in Exile
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #15: April 15, 2020, 09:39:36 AM »
yeah I don't have a subscription, my Dad told me...what's it say?

Full text of article - pretty much confirms what we've already heard:

When the email landed in their inboxes Monday night, fans texted each other, called each other and were, for the most part, relieved.

Washington Nationals season ticket plan holders had wanted to hear something — or anything — about the money they are spending on games that are not being played. Many want the Nationals to suspend future payments. Others want a total refund. Some just want clarity on where their money is, what it’s going toward and how the Nationals may allocate it with a shortened schedule or if the season is canceled because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

A slow drip of answers began with the email from the team.

“This is an unprecedented situation — one many of us could never have imagined,” the email read. “We continue to stay in close contact with MLB about the 2020 season. Until there is further guidance, we will postpone the April 15th Nat for Life Payment to July 15th.”

Baseball has been on pause since March 12, when Major League Baseball canceled the rest of spring training and announced a minimum two-week suspension of the start of the regular season. It was immediately apparent that the suspension would last much longer, and it is now unclear whether the season will happen at all. That reality has financial ramifications for thousands beyond players, coaches and executives. Season ticket holders are among those affected.

No one knows how much baseball will be played this year, but any would be better than none

MLB, like all professional sports, is weighing a dreary present against an uncertain future. Teams are not refunding tickets for games that have not been officially canceled. They are holding off on exchanges for missed games — the ones that would have been played in the past three weeks — until they know what the schedule may look like. But individual clubs can choose to suspend or postpone charges, which the Nationals did for fans paying for season plans across a 10-month period.

The Nationals have postponed the April payment, which is now due in July. They have not decided on May or June payments.

In interviews with The Washington Post, more than a dozen season ticket holders lamented a lack of communication from the Nationals before Monday’s announcement. The phrase “radio silence” was used by four fans. Six others said that, by paying for games that may not happen, they feel as if they are giving a no-interest loan to a professional sports franchise. They were frustrated and confused before Monday’s announcement, and some still see a full refund as the only reasonable solution.

When asked about fans’ concerns about communication, a Nationals spokeswoman wrote in an email: “Our ticket reps have been in regular contact with fans via calls, emails, videos and newsletters. Given the lack of clarity surrounding the 2020 season, few specifics regarding refunds can be offered at this time.” In regard to refunds, whether they be for single-game tickets or season-plan payments, the spokeswoman wrote, “Currently, MLB has only postponed games — not canceled — and has asked teams to wait for their guidance on how to handle tickets.”

“Everyone’s situation is different, but I could really use the refund with all that’s going on,” said Patty MacEwan, who was a season ticket holder for five seasons, took off last year while dealing with health complications, then opted into a half-season plan for 2020 so she could have a chance at lower-priced World Series tickets. “That $2,400 would go a long way rather than getting it maybe a year from now.”

Many season ticket holders who opted in for 2020 at the end of last summer were on a 10-month payment plan that runs from September to June. The payments typically are due on the 15th of each month. Many fans, like MacEwan, bought partial season plans to have a chance at going to the World Series in October. The Nationals held a lottery for anyone who had a full-, half- or partial-season plan, and the prices of those tickets were better than the costs on Ticketmaster or the secondary market.

When asked how many season-plan holders the Nationals have for 2020, and how that number compares to 2019, a spokeswoman said the team does not share that information.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told ESPN in late March that “we’re probably not going to be able to” play a full 162-game schedule. That means full-season plan holders, such as Dorothy McGhee, are expecting to not get what they are paying for. The Nationals could eventually roll over money spent for 2020 to 2021 or offer fans credit for future tickets accordingly. But McGhee and others would prefer to make new decisions with their money.

The 75-year-old McGhee manages a plan for a small group and figures most won’t attend games in 2020. The fans in her group are older, McGhee explained, and would be hesitant to be in a large crowd until there is a coronavirus vaccine. She has already decided she will not go to games for that reason, calling herself “extremely at-risk” of contracting the virus.

That’s why McGhee requested a refund about a month ago, once it was clear that playing 81 games was unrealistic. Her income has been significantly reduced during the pandemic. She considers season tickets a luxury, not a necessary expense, but was told by the Nationals only that they are in a “holding pattern” and waiting for MLB to make a decision on how to proceed.

McGhee had considered canceling her credit card to halt monthly payments, seeing no other option. She won’t have to now that the Nationals have decided to suspend payments until July. Her next objective is to get back what she has already spent.

“They should refund the money that they have already charged, and then once they have a policy and a schedule of games, then they can charge us appropriately, and we can decide if we want tickets,” McGhee said. “Doesn’t that seem to make sense?”

Offline hammondsnats

  • Posts: 37394
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #16: April 15, 2020, 10:07:52 AM »
Thanks OC, :cheers:

Offline hammondsnats

  • Posts: 37394
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #17: April 15, 2020, 10:11:52 AM »
They really should be refunding us...then if the season gets back on track, fans can go ahead and re-buy back in.

Offline bluestreak

  • Global Moderator
  • ****
  • Posts: 11259
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #18: April 15, 2020, 10:15:25 AM »
If they were smart, they would offer a 120 percent credit or a 100 percent refund. I imagine that some people would take the credit.

Offline MtPleasantNatsFan

  • Posts: 90
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #19: April 15, 2020, 08:02:17 PM »
If they were smart, they would offer a 120 percent credit or a 100 percent refund. I imagine that some people would take the credit.

Absolutely, it’s money but I don’t hate the Nationals.  I’m getting really frustrated with the no interest loan.

If we’re allowed to spitball ideas, I also wouldn’t ask for a refund if they gave me a World Series ball, signed by all the players who played in the series and are still with the team.

Anything less and it will be a disappointment

Offline Copecwby20

  • Posts: 2462
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #20: April 16, 2020, 12:58:40 PM »
Absolutely, it’s money but I don’t hate the Nationals.  I’m getting really frustrated with the no interest loan.

If we’re allowed to spitball ideas, I also wouldn’t ask for a refund if they gave me a World Series ball, signed by all the players who played in the series and are still with the team.

Anything less and it will be a disappointment


A World Series Game used ball for me. No signatures needed. If there is an abbreviated season, I would also like to have the option to be reimbursed for games not played in e cash instead of a credit for next season.

Offline Five Banners

  • Posts: 2237
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #21: April 16, 2020, 01:25:33 PM »
Absolutely, it’s money but I don’t hate the Nationals.  I’m getting really frustrated with the no interest loan.

If we’re allowed to spitball ideas, I also wouldn’t ask for a refund if they gave me a World Series ball, signed by all the players who played in the series and are still with the team.

Anything less and it will be a disappointment

Yeah, team swag will definitely be an option for this and for the spring training games not played but still paid for

Offline MtPleasantNatsFan

  • Posts: 90
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #22: April 16, 2020, 03:09:38 PM »

A World Series Game used ball for me. No signatures needed. If there is an abbreviated season, I would also like to have the option to be reimbursed for games not played in e cash instead of a credit for next season.

So I just meant a ball produced for the World Series that was signed.  An actual Game Used Ball, yes that would be fine without being signed.

But like bobbleheads or shirts- not interested.


Online HalfSmokes

  • Posts: 21603
Re: 2020 Season Ticket Holders (STH)
« Reply #24: April 21, 2020, 09:08:57 PM »
This makes me wonder about Arizona/no fans- right now games are postponed and teams can try to hold onto ticket money, once they play them without fans they start having to refund money