Viagogo Ripoff

[Jay o/]

The thread title has proven very ironic. I've made my money back on my season ticket this season and more. Viagogo is absolutely brilliant. And I'm not 'plastic' by any stretch, but a few games I haven't been able to go because of work, I have sold and profited each time. Brilliant!

Not sure ripping off fellow fans is something to boast about tbh...

Ripping off fellow fans? I've held a season ticket for 18 years. I can't make every game due to work commitments. ViaGoGo gives me the opportunity to put that ticket back on the market, so I don't lose money, and a fellow fan (home, away, neutral) can go instead. So I pick a price a fraction over the going rate (so as not to pick up the 15% loss to the website). It sells. People wouldn't pay it if they didn't want to. In doing so I have received the value of my season ticket back, and a little change that has gone into the pot for my renewal. It's a great service for those of us who want to use it, both in terms of selling and buying. You don't like it, so don't use it; but it serves a purpose; and if you have a good look on the website, the majority of tickets are sold at face value. You pay a pinch over for additional fees to the website, and you get to go to a game that was otherwise sold out. Brilliant!

[Divvy]

The thread title has proven very ironic. I've made my money back on my season ticket this season and more. Viagogo is absolutely brilliant. And I'm not 'plastic' by any stretch, but a few games I haven't been able to go because of work, I have sold and profited each time. Brilliant!

Not sure ripping off fellow fans is something to boast about tbh...

Ripping off fellow fans? I've held a season ticket for 18 years. I can't make every game due to work commitments. ViaGoGo gives me the opportunity to put that ticket back on the market, so I don't lose money, and a fellow fan (home, away, neutral) can go instead. So I pick a price a fraction over the going rate (so as not to pick up the 15% loss to the website). It sells. People wouldn't pay it if they didn't want to. In doing so I have received the value of my season ticket back, and a little change that has gone into the pot for my renewal. It's a great service for those of us who want to use it, both in terms of selling and buying. You don't like it, so don't use it; but it serves a purpose; and if you have a good look on the website, the majority of tickets are sold at face value. You pay a pinch over for additional fees to the website, and you get to go to a game that was otherwise sold out. Brilliant!

I have to say, I agree. It's served me well this season when we haven't been able to go. I don't mug anyone in using it. It's given me money back that I would have otherwise lost, and that goes towards next seasons ticket. As Jay o/ says, it serves a purpose for those that want to use it, and most of the tickets are indeed sold at face value, which to the seller actually means that take a loss after commission is taken.

I've had no problems whatsoever with Viagogo and would gladly make use of them again in the future.

[SPARTA]

I've used it a couple of times. I found it easy to use and got my money within a few days of the game being played. Would definitely use it again in the future. I don't buy into all the hate for it. If you can't go to a game, someone else now can, and you aren't out of pocket. It can be misused, sure, so can the existing ticketing system.

[Wipped]

I haven't used it, but if you can't go to a game and you can sell your ticket, then for the season ticket holder that's a good thing.



Obviously there will be some people intent on ripping genuine fans off, but only the same as you get at any big game when a neutral can get their hands on a ticket and try and flog it outside the ground. I'd be fine with using it to buy and sell.

[Wimb]

The thread title has proven very ironic. I've made my money back on my season ticket this season and more. Viagogo is absolutely brilliant. And I'm not 'plastic' by any stretch, but a few games I haven't been able to go because of work, I have sold and profited each time. Brilliant!

Not sure ripping off fellow fans is something to boast about tbh...

Ripping off fellow fans? I've held a season ticket for 18 years. I can't make every game due to work commitments. ViaGoGo gives me the opportunity to put that ticket back on the market, so I don't lose money, and a fellow fan (home, away, neutral) can go instead. So I pick a price a fraction over the going rate (so as not to pick up the 15% loss to the website). It sells. People wouldn't pay it if they didn't want to. In doing so I have received the value of my season ticket back, and a little change that has gone into the pot for my renewal. It's a great service for those of us who want to use it, both in terms of selling and buying. You don't like it, so don't use it; but it serves a purpose; and if you have a good look on the website, the majority of tickets are sold at face value. You pay a pinch over for additional fees to the website, and you get to go to a game that was otherwise sold out. Brilliant!

I think if you put a ticket on at face value then it's fair enough, but if you're putting it on at anything above face value then really you are ripping fans off even if you're painting it as a good thing. If you were desperate to get to a ticket to a game for a friend would you want a fellow ST holder to sell it to you at face value, or would you expect to pay him an extra tenner on top?

Sadly that's not really your fault, it's the club's for deciding to pimp out a ticket exchange service to a third party rather than handle it in house as other clubs do.

Being able to sell your tickets for games you can't go to is great (and I've done that for a game this season) but the very fact that it enables fans a chance to rip others off for up to twice face value and potentially lead to others buying up season tickets just to sell on is another thing that's just wrong about the game.

[BraisingsteakRoyal]

Bit of an outside shot, but has anyone got a spare ticket for todays game they want to offload at face value?

I don't smell.

[Alexander Litvinenko]

The thread title has proven very ironic. I've made my money back on my season ticket this season and more. Viagogo is absolutely brilliant. And I'm not 'plastic' by any stretch, but a few games I haven't been able to go because of work, I have sold and profited each time. Brilliant!

But how about genuine Reading fans, who have a member card and points and who want to buy tickets at face value. Why shouldn't they get first dibs at tickets ahead of people who are prepared to pay over the odds but who more than likely have never been here before and probably just want to watch the away team.

The rip-off isn't supporters ripping-off other supporters. It's the club allowing them to be ripped-off by making tickets available as a priority to a third-party company that doesn't give a tickler's cuss about Reading or its supporters or any priority order - it just wants to make as much money as possible by selling tickets for as high a price as possible.

[notloyalenuffroyal]

Ripping off fellow fans? I've held a season ticket for 18 years. I can't make every game due to work commitments. ViaGoGo gives me the opportunity to put that ticket back on the market, so I don't lose money, and a fellow fan (home, away, neutral) can go instead. So I pick a price a fraction over the going rate (so as not to pick up the 15% loss to the website). It sells. People wouldn't pay it if they didn't want to. In doing so I have received the value of my season ticket back, and a little change that has gone into the pot for my renewal. It's a great service for those of us who want to use it, both in terms of selling and buying. You don't like it, so don't use it; but it serves a purpose; and if you have a good look on the website, the majority of tickets are sold at face value. You pay a pinch over for additional fees to the website, and you get to go to a game that was otherwise sold out. Brilliant!

My problem here is the few games that you haven't been able to go to have covered your season ticket and you have some spare. Therefore you are ripping off fans. You have your cake and eat it. Fair play to you. Good luck and all that, but if I was you I would probably sit smugly in the corner and keep quiet.

[Alexander Litvinenko]

My problem here is the few games that you haven't been able to go to have covered your season ticket and you have some spare. Therefore you are ripping off fans. You have your cake and eat it. Fair play to you. Good luck and all that, but if I was you I would probably sit smugly in the corner and keep quiet.

The logical end-result of this is people buying season tickets just so they can sell them off and make money.

Thankfully it won't be worthwhile next season as you can be sure Viagogo will drop us like a turd when we're in the Championship and the chance to make money has gone, but the club allowing and encouraging people to become legalised touts is something that diminishes the match-going experience for everyone.

[Rex]

Add to that the potential for conflict when some unaffiliated person kicks off in the home end and we have have profit over all else.
BTW - who decides in the responsibility of that scenario. ST holders get ejected, warned etc.... You sell on Viagogo, the recipient kicks off and is ejected, where does the buck stop.

[Friday's Legacy]

I have mixed feelings about the website, but I have used it once or twice, and did for today as we had use of hospitality, and do for the remaining couple of home games. I only advertise them for face value, but completely agree with what rex has said above. Still, it wont be a problem next season.

[Rex]

I have mixed feelings about the website, but I have used it once or twice, and did for today as we had use of hospitality, and do for the remaining couple of home games. I only advertise them for face value, but completely agree with what rex has said above. Still, it wont be a problem next season.

Not sure who the people were in your seats but the two boys didn't expect a few choice words flying around.

[Wimb]

My problem here is the few games that you haven't been able to go to have covered your season ticket and you have some spare. Therefore you are ripping off fans. You have your cake and eat it. Fair play to you. Good luck and all that, but if I was you I would probably sit smugly in the corner and keep quiet.

The logical end-result of this is people buying season tickets just so they can sell them off and make money.

Thankfully it won't be worthwhile next season as you can be sure Viagogo will drop us like a turd when we're in the Championship and the chance to make money has gone, but the club allowing and encouraging people to become legalised touts is something that diminishes the match-going experience for everyone.

Exactly, agreed on both points.

[Bowman's Quiver]

The thread title has proven very ironic. I've made my money back on my season ticket this season and more. Viagogo is absolutely brilliant. And I'm not 'plastic' by any stretch, but a few games I haven't been able to go because of work, I have sold and profited each time. Brilliant!

But how about genuine Reading fans, who have a member card and points and who want to buy tickets at face value. Why shouldn't they get first dibs at tickets ahead of people who are prepared to pay over the odds but who more than likely have never been here before and probably just want to watch the away team.

The rip-off isn't supporters ripping-off other supporters. It's the club allowing them to be ripped-off by making tickets available as a priority to a third-party company that doesn't give a tickler's cuss about Reading or its supporters or any priority order - it just wants to make as much money as possible by selling tickets for as high a price as possible.

Your moral indignation is obvious but imo misplaced.

A number of games - Man City in May for example I believe- get to general sale. Where are these "genuine Reading fans" for these games?

Viagogo has allowed me to sell my own ticket once when I was unable to go, and my daugther's on about 3 occasions. The money now sitting in my paypal account will go a long way towards buying our season tickets next year, a committment I'm not sure I could make without that money.

The first game I sold my daugther's seat for was the Chelsea match back in January. I ended up sitting next to lad who bought her seat who turned up in his Reading shirt and with feet falling out of his shoes and felt genuinely guilty I'd "made" £45 quid (less fees) out of him.

With Reading 2-0 down and with 20 minutes to go he suddenly got up and buggered off!!. Conscience clear I only wish now I'd charged another £20 for the seat.

[Sanguine]

It's not misplaced at all, and you admit profiteering at the expense of fellow Reading fans. Some fans can't get to many games for financial reasons, or because they work Saturdays, or because they live a long way away. You can't justify making money from these people just because you are lucky enough to have a season ticket.

[melonhead]

lol

your ticket. perfectly justified in getting whatever you can for it

[Alexander Litvinenko]

[Wimb]

lol

your ticket. perfectly justified in getting whatever you can for it

[Wycombe Royal]

It's not misplaced at all, and you admit profiteering at the expense of fellow Reading fans.

Didn't he sell it at face value though?

[melonhead]

lol!


if someone wants to pay it, ill take it if im notgoing.
seems fine to me

greed IS good