I'm a little miffed at the ticket deals as a package buyer

[EastSideBucksFan]

I'd like to hear anyone else weigh in on this aspect and I'd especially like to hear GAD weigh in on this one because we have the same ticket rep.

I bought a six game package for the $61 level tickets and we end up paying $51 for each ticket. My rep has been great and I'm don't want to sound unappreciative or put the ticket reps over a barrell or anything. He did throw in two extra games for nothing. The Lakers game is "free" and so is one game to be determined in Club 71.

But I'm a little pissed at the fact that the Bradley Center and FastBreak has emailed me in the last two days offering $61 tickets for $31. If you buy a pair of those tickets you get movie passes for Marcus theaters plus matching tickets to see the Wizards in December.

I realize they are trying to fill the stands, I do, and I have a bit of sympathy as I am a Marketing Major and understand the logistics of business and whatnot.

But as a consumer, why the hell did I drop the cash I did if I could just wait until 2 days before a game and pick up ridiculously discounted tickets with free giveaways?

I'd like to bring this up to my rep, but I want to be respectful and appreciative of all he's done for me. But I also wanted to let them know I'm irked.

Advice....GAD?

Email me thru facebook if you don't want to post your response. You know who I am.

[Captain Erv]

Yeah, I had season tickets for a couple of years, but with the state of the team it just isn't worth it even though you can get some pretty good prices.

I'm going to the opener with a buddy and we each got a $96 dollar ticket, a beer, and an 18 oz beer glass for $95 dollars combined.

[icat2000]

This happens all the time when selling products. Airlines are a classic example.

As a consumer you have to make the decision whether to wait and see if tickets become cheaper or take the less riskier option and buy the tickets when they are first offered.

Now given that according to this board only 10 people turn up to games you could have probably waited for the organisation to discount the tickets to get more people at games.

[Captain Erv]

I would just call and bitch and they'll probably hook you up with freebies or maybe seat upgrades for some games.

[trwi7]

As a consumer you have to make the decision whether to wait and see if tickets become cheaper or take the less riskier option and buy the tickets when they are first offered.

I don't see how one situation in this is more or less risky right now.

If you buy the tickets when they're first offered, you probably get the choice of where you want to sit, but it's not like the Bucks are a hot ticket and there's going to be nothing available. So if you just wait it out you could probably get the exact same ticket at at worst the same price right before the season and more likely at a discount.

[LISTEN2JAZZ]

If it makes you feel any better, I was really on the fence about buying $62.50 (right at face value) nosebleeds to see Lebron at MSG, and I decided to wait another week to see what happened. Those same tickets are now going for $100, and I won't be going at all. Sometimes if you sit and wait, you get screwed that way too.

[jeremyd236]

At this point, you should just get your tickets from scalpers outside the BC before the game.

That's what I've done the last 2 seasons and it's great. I've gotten $90 dollar tickets for $50, things like that.

But if I were you, I'd call the ticket rep back and state your displeasure and mention the deal you got an email about. Like somebody else said, they may upgrade you or do something else about it.

[Thunder Muscle]

Yeah I debated whether or not to get them too, mainly b/c you can get Bucks tickets so cheap on like eBay. I could've gotten decent lower level tickets on eBay or Craigslist for like $30-$35/ticket. I just bought in b/c I got pretty good upper level tickets (aisle seats/row G -7th) for like $11/ticket. If by some kind of luck the Bucks become good, maybe I can hold my price or have some bargaining power later on saying I stuck through the bad years - probably unlikely. The biggest thing for me is my rep said I can bank any unused tickets into my ticket bank - so I plan on going to like 8 games and just splurging my ticket bank for really good seats to a game in the second half of the year. And if it doesn't work out for me, I won't get them next year. Being from the Green Bay area I am unsure how having a half season plan will work out, but it was cheap enough to give it a try. But I understand your complaint, you're better off waiting last minute to get more deals if you're okay with sacrificing the better seat location.

[MickeyDavis]

Unfortunately this has been the case lately. They give very good deals in advance and then even better deals the closer it gets to games. I understand that they'd rather fill a seat at a cheap price than have it empty but they have to take into account the real fans that buy packages.

I would definitely contact your rep, send him an email and they'll do something for you, as they should.

[bigkurty]

I remember when I first graduated from college I was thinking how cool it would be to work as a ticket rep for a team like the Brewers or Bucks. Looking back at it now, man it really is a crappy job. They work crazy hours, its extremely monotonous, and they make crap money. Plus the only way to really move up fast in the industry is to not only bust your butt but to also be willing to move at the drop of a hat at any point in your life.

[Thunder Muscle]

I remember when I first graduated from college I was thinking how cool it would be to work as a ticket rep for a team like the Brewers or Bucks. Looking back at it now, man it really is a crappy job. They work crazy hours, its extremely monotonous, and they make crap money. Plus the only way to really move up fast in the industry is to not only bust your butt but to also be willing to move at the drop of a hat at any point in your life.

That's funny b/c that was my exact situation. I wanted to get into sports marketing and that changed quickly. My first semi-offer with a pro team was with the Orlando Magic - inside sales rep which included $8/hr, part-time, no benefits, no guarantee they'll hire you back after the season, working game nights, etc. Just pure sh*t. Needless to say I declined and realized this was what it would be like to get with a pro team. Never really pursued the sports thing again. It was a little disappointing. Its part my fault, I should've looked into that going in, but I was in college living day to day, exam to exam. But yeah, if I had to do it over I would've went to school for something else.

[WEFFPIM]

I ran into this this season with the Brewers, ESBF. My dad and I have gotten a 4 game pack the last few years and one of those games was a midweek game against the Rockies. There were four different ticket promotions involving discounted tickets, free merchandise (in this case, Summerfest tickets and shirt) with the purchase of a ticket, or a combination of the two, and it was literally JUST for that series. Meanwhile my father and I paid full price for our seats.

If you talk to your ticket rep and complain a little you should get some sort of perk. But you probably won't get anything discounted in terms of tickets.

[jerrod]

as someone who tends to just buy single tickets i'm on the other side and i love it but i can see why you'd be annoyed.

you can't say you didn't know it was coming though. even just based on last year.

[kebzach]

I have a half-season package from the Bucks. Renewed for year #4 this year even though I knew that I'd be able to get deals around games, but for me I like knowing exactly where I'll be seated for the 21 games in my ticket plan. I picked out seats in a row with "extra" legroom (by BC standards), and a good view, on an aisle that's not used all that often. So for me, the investment was worth it. And, I'll take advantage of the discount deals for some of the other games that I don't have in my plan.

But, like others have said, if you feel that you have been slighted, give your rep a call or send an e-mail and constructively tell them how you feel. It's been my experience that the Bucks are pretty decent at addressing concerns. May or may not be exactly what you want, but you'll at least get a response of some sort.

[drew881]

I remember when I first graduated from college I was thinking how cool it would be to work as a ticket rep for a team like the Brewers or Bucks. Looking back at it now, man it really is a crappy job. They work crazy hours, its extremely monotonous, and they make crap money. Plus the only way to really move up fast in the industry is to not only bust your butt but to also be willing to move at the drop of a hat at any point in your life.

Lets all just avoid the "ticket rep is an easy job" argument this time around.

[aboveAverage]

I'm willing to bet that in this situation the ticket rep would either give you your money back or upgrade your seats if you complained about it. The last thing they want to do is lose fans and piss off potential buyers, especially given how desperate they are to fill up the BC this year.

[WEFFPIM]

You definitely won't get your money back. They'll give you stuff before they hand back your money.

[GrandAdmiralDan]

I'd like to hear anyone else weigh in on this aspect and I'd especially like to hear GAD weigh in on this one because we have the same ticket rep.

I bought a six game package for the $61 level tickets and we end up paying $51 for each ticket. My rep has been great and I'm don't want to sound unappreciative or put the ticket reps over a barrell or anything. He did throw in two extra games for nothing. The Lakers game is "free" and so is one game to be determined in Club 71.

But I'm a little pissed at the fact that the Bradley Center and FastBreak has emailed me in the last two days offering $61 tickets for $31. If you buy a pair of those tickets you get movie passes for Marcus theaters plus matching tickets to see the Wizards in December.

I realize they are trying to fill the stands, I do, and I have a bit of sympathy as I am a Marketing Major and understand the logistics of business and whatnot.

But as a consumer, why the hell did I drop the cash I did if I could just wait until 2 days before a game and pick up ridiculously discounted tickets with free giveaways?

I'd like to bring this up to my rep, but I want to be respectful and appreciative of all he's done for me. But I also wanted to let them know I'm irked.

Advice....GAD?

Email me thru facebook if you don't want to post your response. You know who I am.

Sorry I haven't had the chance to respond to this. I've been swamped with trying to juggle work, Bucks related stuff, and now this Squad 6 stuff.

Some great points have been made in this thread already. It is always going to be the case that better deals will seemingly present themselves as demand remains stagnant or wanes.

There is of course a flip side to that too. If you get in on an early opportunity, and then interest goes up and demand goes up, then you've secured a really good deal for yourself. This is what I especially thought was going to happen for the 08-09 season, when I expected we were going to be a 45+ win playoff team who had a good chance of being hot in February, March, and April (which was typical of Skiles track record- slow starts and strong finishes). We thought we'd be be able to sell a number of our $29 tickets for at least the $11 we paid for them, in order to offset the cost of the ticket package some, but then the season just ended up being a total disaster, very few tickets got sold, and many tickets got wasted.

As for your specific complaint, perhaps you could clarify a few of the details. You have $61 seats that you bought a while ago. What section and what row are they in? Compare that to what section and row those tickets being offered at this new discount are in. Not all tickets in the same price tier are created equal. It is easier to get rid of the most desirable tickets in a price tier than it is the least desirables, which often have to be further discounted.

For example, I (and 3 others who split it with me) have absolutely phenomenal $29 price tier seats in section 437 row D seats 1 & 2. For an upper level seat, you have a great view of the court and the best siteline in the upper deck apart from the 2 center sections (400 and 422) on each sideline and the sections on either side of those (433, 401, 421, 423). Not only that, but they are the aisle seats 1 & 2, so you can leave your seats as much as you want without having to make someone you don't know get up is right outside the Numbers 400 club, which is the premium quality concession area on the 400 level that you can't get in without showing your ticket with Numbers 400 access (full or partial season ticket package tickets only) stamp, so there is never a line more than 1 or 2 deep to wait in to get food or alcohol. And it's also right in between two Men's bathrooms, so you can get to the bathroom at a timeout or quarter break and never have to wait in line there either because you'll get there before the rest of the crowd.

To get a 6 pack of premium game (Celtics, Cavs, Magic, Heat, etc.) tickets in $29 tier seats of that quality, you had to spend $26 a ticket. But you got the Lakers game free, so it really came down to $22.29 per ticket.
Because our package is for the entire season (and two preseason games), they only cost us $11 per ticket.
BTW, as long as I just went over all of their details anyway, I should mention that if anyone wants to buy any of those tickets this season at that same price we paid, $11 a ticket, let me know.

There will be better deals that come up for individual game $29 price tier tickets, but they are not going to be quality like that.

So again, for your situation, ESBF, it is important to look at what games you have, and what section and row your tickets are actually in. Then compare the games, section, and rows of where these discounted tickets are, because I'm not entirely certain we are comparing apples and oranges here.

Also, it is true that you are paying $51 per ticket, but when you factor in that the Lakers tickets and the Club 71 tickets, you are paying $38.25 per ticket for $976 worth of tickets if those are Club 71 lower level, or $996 worth of tickets if those are Club 71 suite level.

As someone who has purchased a Click N Pick package, you also get partial season ticket holder perks that you wouldn't get if you just bought a single game here and there via that fastbreak email deal or by calling the ticket office during Bucks broadcast specials, etc.
You will find that you get taken care of more than you might expect.
For example, bigkurty had an upper level Click N Pick package (now I can't remember if it was 08-09 or 07-08) and our guy Paul Suchomel sent him a comp pair of lower level tickets later that season, which bigkurty never expected, in addition to the free tickets that actually came with that package.

Again, I do know what you mean from personal experience last year.
Part of the incentive to get season tickets in 08-09 was that you could get $29 seats for only $11 by getting season tickets instead of single games or six packs, etc.
But then right before the season started, they announced that instead of Pepsi Super Bonus Nights for select games in November and December, they would just make those two months Pepsi Super Bonus Months and sell all remaining $29 or less tickets for only $10 each. So all of a sudden our "special" wasn't so special anymore.

But this is just how it works. I don't know how else they can do it and still bring in any revenue to offset some of what the franchise's operating costs are. Hopefully the team is going to be better soon and when that happens all these bargain priced deals aren't going to be around anymore, sadly.

I don't think you are being treated poorly BUT, there would be nothing wrong with giving Paul Suchomel a call and calmly and respectfully expressing your frustrations if you are still feeling irked/frustrated, etc.
It is important feedback, and they'll value that feedback just as they value you as a customer, so you'll likely wind up with some other gift (maybe another pair of tickets)

[Thunder Muscle]

There is of course a flip side to that too. If you get in on an early opportunity, and then interest goes up and demand goes up, then you've secured a really good deal for yourself. This is what I especially thought was going to happen for the 08-09 season, when I expected we were going to be a 45+ win playoff team who had a good chance of being hot in February, March, and April (which was typical of Skiles track record- slow starts and strong finishes). We thought we'd be be able to sell a number of our $29 tickets for at least the $11 we paid for them, in order to offset the cost of the ticket package some, but then the season just ended up being a total disaster, very few tickets got sold, and many tickets got wasted.

I am kind of afraid that I will not be able to sell many of my tickets, I only have the half season plan, but interest is really down - hopefully Jennings creates enough buzz and curiousity. So far, he's looking special and the team hasn't been p*ssed pounded frequently (yet).

So again, for your situation, ESBF, it is important to look at what games you have, and what section and row your tickets are actually in. Then compare the games, section, and rows of where these discounted tickets are, because I'm not entirely certain we are comparing apples and oranges here.

Good point. For less money, and of course the sacrifice of some gimmick stuff, I personally was able to score decent upper level tickets (407/Row G) on the aisle. If I wait, I probably do not get aisle seats which is important to me.

I understand the frustration, like recently they put together this speaker series w/the first one being Mark Cuban which seems really cool. Well I already got the Dallas game part of my half season plan, so I'm obviously not going to buy more tickets since I probably won't be able to sell the ones I have (will bank though I suppose). Or they are having half price lower level tickets pretty much. Well maybe I should've just not gotten a plan, paid half price for lower level tickets, and go to the game I know I can make. I understand they need to sell tickets, but I can see the frustration. However I personally think I made the right call. I got my tickets cheap, on the aisle, and I get all of the perks of the season ticket holder - such as the ticket bank, concession cards worth $150, Brandon Jennings autographed mini ball (supposedly), etc. In the past you usually get a huge box after the season of majority of the giveaways. Although that stuff isn't important, I like collecting that stuff and/or selling for a few bucks. So yeah, its frustrating but I think if you jump in early you get a choice of seat, alot of 'extra' items, and still get a pretty good price.

[midranger]

On the bright side, you'll be first to buy Finals tickets.