| Worst Oilers season ticket experiences??? [message #814557] |
Sun, 27 November 2022 00:43  |
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I was a 12 year season seat holder and just went through the worst experience with the OEG season seats/customer service team. Life got busy so I switched from going to games to selling games. I was 100% upfront about it with my Oilers rep/account manager, had no clue I was doing anything wrong... But recently Oilers axed my account in a spectacular brutal way. Didn't expect it or even find out about it until I was at the game.
Here is my story: https://onceanoilersfan.com/
When asked if I want tickets again - it was a strong no - but left me wondering if anyone else had this type of experience or any rough Oilers customer service experience lately? Just me?
What did you experience?
[Updated on: Sun, 27 November 2022 01:02]
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 inverno76
Messages: 2343
Registered: September 2005
Location: Prince Albert, Saskatchew...
2 Cups
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Weird stuff and extremely disturbing to hear.
It’s funny how corporations with season tickets manage to redistribute almost all of their seats every game, every season without an issue.
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Yeah - I never expected this especially since the fanbase seems rather fragile after the decade of darkness w/ promises to dominate that mostly fall flat.
I had a few reach out to me from Peace River, Grand Prairie, even Saskatchewan - season seat holders who kept their full seasons but due to living so far away only make it too 1-2 games per season and was especially worried after reading my story. These members are most similar to my situation so they are worried they might get the boot too. People who have been season seat holders but life steered them in another direction, but they still want to keep seats.
Since my season was voided - they said a computer algorithm flagged me and automatically voided everything (seemed more like an excuse, can't believe any business would let a computer decide fate of customers without a manual review).
I talked to a few team members at OEG who told me they have a flagging algorithm looks at some of the following:
1. How many games you posted on ticket exchange, and in what time span do you post games
2. How many games you sold on ticket exchange (actual sales)
3. How many different individuals you transfer tickets too via account manager (indicator of private selling)
4. How many tickets you remove from ticket exchange near game time (indicates intent to sell but couldn't)
There are more factors - but those are the ones I was verbally told about. I have no proof as they OEG didn't seem to want to answer in email how many games we are allowed to sell under our contract.
I want to hear from others about if they know more about this OEG flagging algorithm. I might do a post on just that, and update my website to reflect whatever I find out, even if what we come up with as a group is just opinion based.
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nullterm
Messages: 1033
Registered: July 2007
Location: Port Moody, BC
1 Cup
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| onceanoilersfan wrote on Sun, 27 November 2022 20:32 |
Since my season was voided - they said a computer algorithm flagged me and automatically voided everything (seemed more like an excuse, can't believe any business would let a computer decide fate of customers without a manual review).
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This will probably become more common actually as businesses try to get leaner and more efficient.
But you are right, this is something that should raise warning flag to an actual human and then the customer should be given fair warning that something they are doing is creeping towards an invisible threshold.
Illegitimi non carborundum.
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Yeah... I'm in IT so often leverage algorithms to reduce business costs - so for sure I get it. Definitely - I would hope the algorithm would just be a tool to flag and notify a person who could take a few mins to review before swinging the axe.
Being on other end of axe - it was simply a hard pill to swallow since the algorithm never read all communication with my OEG rep - telling OEG what I was doing and why. Or how many games I went too years before I stopped going to games to get through a challenging personal times.
Regardless- it's the OEG people that gave me the worst disservice. I was open, even used ticket exchange exclusively to save time, and they had years to warn me that I was even the slightest bit offside before the algorithm was even a factor in my case. At that level - it's hard not to feel like OEG was leading me through many years of very poor oilers performance - only to cut me after first good playoff run + possible turnaround. Maybe it's still to fresh - easy to feel this way.
[Updated on: Mon, 28 November 2022 00:16]
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JPro
Messages: 810
Registered: January 2006
Location: Edmonton
No Cups
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| onceanoilersfan wrote on Sun, 27 November 2022 00:43 |
I was a 12 year season seat holder and just went through the worst experience with the OEG season seats/customer service team. Life got busy so I switched from going to games to selling games. I was 100% upfront about it with my Oilers rep/account manager, had no clue I was doing anything wrong... But recently Oilers axed my account in a spectacular brutal way. Didn't expect it or even find out about it until I was at the game.
Here is my story: https://onceanoilersfan.com/
When asked if I want tickets again - it was a strong no - but left me wondering if anyone else had this type of experience or any rough Oilers customer service experience lately? Just me?
What did you experience?
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So are they just keeping all your money? Did I read that right - 6 season seats?
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My wife and I had 2 seats for years, when were planning a family we went on registry for 4 more. We picked up 4, so we had 6 seats for the 5 of us. But we downgraded to cheapest possible seats as we were losing money most games when we sold them. For a couple years we were row 1 - but as much as I love my kids - I am not spending row 1 money on 3 toddlers who may not sit through every game.
Since I built the website - OEG refunded 80%, the last 20% is ongoing dispute. OEG understandably removed the 5-6 games I sold this year - but still fighting on the balance.
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CrusaderPi
Messages: 7803
Registered: December 2003
Location: AB Highway 100
6 Cups
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I always thought the Oilers wanted their season ticket holders to be able to sell their tickets because it took the burden of selling every game from their sales department. It's surprising they're getting uppity about this now when the Oilers don't seem to be able to sell every game and the waiting list was exposed as something of a lie. They even set up a resale place through ticketmaster 8ish years back.
It's pretty surprising that the Oilers are openly antagonizing their fans when there are very few people and companies that are able to commit to both the cost and 45 nights of hockey. I'll be listening for more of these types of stories to start popping up. Maybe we're entering a new era of even less fan-friendly Oilers hockey.
Please do not feed the bears. Feeding the bears creates a dependent population unable to survive on their own. Bears.
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Adam
Messages: 7176
Registered: August 2005
Location: Edmonton, AB
6 Cups
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I do feel that we aren't hearing the full story from the original poster. Expanding from 2 tickets to 6 because you're starting to have a family sounds revisionist, and I think there's an attempt to gain sympathy by skewing some of the facts.
My expectation is that over the past several years, the poster was probably selling 4 tickets to subsidize the two he had. During the less lean years, he would have done pretty well, and in the playoffs, he may have very well made a killing. I am guessing there weren't toddlers in the seats for the post-season games.
I do think the timing is funny from the Oilers. The Ticket Manager has been in place for a few years now, so they have a better ability to see who's transferring tickets to who. If you're selling to all manner of strangers, with little duplication, I expect that they can figure that out pretty quickly so they likely knew it was happening with playoff tickets and prior seasons.
But this year the primary market isn't even great. There's empty seats every game. It's interesting that they're cracking down now. Maybe simply because it's below face value, which makes it competition for the box office. They don't mind the scalping because they'll still sell the walk-up tickets ahead of people paying more for scalped tickets, but now they're losing out to resellers just trying to recoup costs.
"Thinking that a bad team's best players are the reason the team is bad is the "Tambellini re-signing Lennart Petrell" of sports opinions." @Woodguy55
#FireBobbyNicks
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Adam
Messages: 7176
Registered: August 2005
Location: Edmonton, AB
6 Cups
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Lots of tickets available for upcoming games...
"Thinking that a bad team's best players are the reason the team is bad is the "Tambellini re-signing Lennart Petrell" of sports opinions." @Woodguy55
#FireBobbyNicks
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Babaganoosh2.0
Messages: 396
Registered: December 2018
Location: Southern AB
No Cups
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| Adam wrote on Tue, 13 December 2022 13:34 |
Lots of tickets available for upcoming games...
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I'd consider it if between gas , tickets ,food and a night in a hotel it didn't cost 2500 for two and a half hours entertainment. I'd rather spend two weeks in Orlando.
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Skoobz
Messages: 334
Registered: January 2006
No Cups
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| Babaganoosh2.0 wrote on Tue, 13 December 2022 14:02 |
I'd consider it if between gas , tickets ,food and a night in a hotel it didn't cost 2500 for two and a half hours entertainment. I'd rather spend two weeks in Orlando.
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No chance it's $2500. $1200 I'd believe and that's still a chunk of money but 2500 is a massive exaggeration unless you're getting extremely expensive seats, a top shelf suite at the JW, driving a 1983 Bronco with 23.5 l/100, and eating and drinking at Caligula-levels.
"[It was] really cool to throw on the Oilers gear, the gear that I want to play the rest of my life wearing. It was pretty cool to put it on. With all the history, it was a lot of fun." - Connor McDavid, July 1, 2015
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inverno76
Messages: 2343
Registered: September 2005
Location: Prince Albert, Saskatchew...
2 Cups
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| Skoobz wrote on Thu, 15 December 2022 12:13 |
| Babaganoosh2.0 wrote on Tue, 13 December 2022 14:02 |
I'd consider it if between gas , tickets ,food and a night in a hotel it didn't cost 2500 for two and a half hours entertainment. I'd rather spend two weeks in Orlando.
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No chance it's $2500. $1200 I'd believe and that's still a chunk of money but 2500 is a massive exaggeration unless you're getting extremely expensive seats, a top shelf suite at the JW, driving a 1983 Bronco with 23.5 l/100, and eating and drinking at Caligula-levels.
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Took the family in 2019 to a BOA just after Xmas, and the seat prices are still in the same range. It was just over $900 for the experience. $200 in gas from Saskatchewan, $500 for 4 lower bowl seats $130 for a hotel, a couple beer, a $25-50/50 ticket and the pizza pop deal for two kids.
Cruddy thing was watching the Flames crush the lifeless Oil that night. If only you were guaranteed a positive on-ice experience every game. The son-of-a-guns went on a holy terror after that game.
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Adam
Messages: 7176
Registered: August 2005
Location: Edmonton, AB
6 Cups
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| Skoobz wrote on Thu, 15 December 2022 12:13 |
| Babaganoosh2.0 wrote on Tue, 13 December 2022 14:02 |
I'd consider it if between gas , tickets ,food and a night in a hotel it didn't cost 2500 for two and a half hours entertainment. I'd rather spend two weeks in Orlando.
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No chance it's $2500. $1200 I'd believe and that's still a chunk of money but 2500 is a massive exaggeration unless you're getting extremely expensive seats, a top shelf suite at the JW, driving a 1983 Bronco with 23.5 l/100, and eating and drinking at Caligula-levels.
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Good lord. I was snacking while reading this and almost choked. Hahaha.
Between this and the Kostin quote, I'm in stitches.
[Updated on: Thu, 15 December 2022 16:20]
"Thinking that a bad team's best players are the reason the team is bad is the "Tambellini re-signing Lennart Petrell" of sports opinions." @Woodguy55
#FireBobbyNicks
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As original poster - I'm pretty open book. I can explain the 2 sets of seats if that's a question mark to my story.
In 2010/2011 - I bought a company that had the two seats as part of the assets. As part of the planning - I talked to the Oilers rep back then and they said once in my personal name as admin for 2 years, I can transfer them to me personally. The way I acquired the company by only acquiring the assets (avoid liabilities) and the the original company was dissolved. Technically they were 21 year Oilers seniority, but I only count them as 12 as that's how long I was admin on account.
When 2013 rolls around - I asked OEG to transfer to my name but they said the rules changed (due to waitlist)- and I couldn't transfer to my personal name as it would bypass wait list.
My wife and I were planning family - we had a picture of what we want like everyone does (to have kids in hockey, swimming, ect). we paid for registry for 2 years - when moved to Rogers place, we added more seats because they were available. I could not anticipate the the personal matters that came up since then. Only question mark is why 6 seats for a family of 5 - it was better for seat selection as 3 seats had less options (that single seat gets you) + you can drop 1 in future if you found it at seat selection.
The only big change was when we were dual-income-no-kids, we sat row 1, when planning to take family, moved all seats to cheapest seats, which we also did few years ago, if it wasn't for COVID, we would've started with kids last year.
Because one set was in a company name and other set was personal - it was challenging to merge. Every year at renewal I asked if I can merge - every year they said without company dissolution paperwork (which I didn't have) - they said no. Ironically - OEG offered to merge it a few weeks ago, after killing the seats in both accounts (not much left to merge).
for 2022 playoffs - I went to 5 playoff games last year with friends - I don't track sales on tickets - I'm sure we came ahead in playoffs but equally sure it did not offset loses over the years to keep the seats.
Either way - I didn't want to sell - lack of time was my issue personally. With lack of time - you set lowest prices as you don't have time to update tickets or watch sales carefully - you just firesale - and I only owned the tickets during lean years for most part. Lean years were not a issue when I went to games, became issue when I was selling games.
I talked to my rep and emailed my rep if possible to go back to registry. My main goal was to keep seniority so that I didn't lose the initial 6-7 years where I went to most games. I didn't even want to sell seats, but wanted seniority preserved for later. I would've been more than okay sitting on sidelines last few years. I just wanted to keep the years seniority so I could come back when ready.
Cheers,
--Adam
[Updated on: Fri, 16 December 2022 01:37]
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Rocksteady
Messages: 527
Registered: March 2007
No Cups
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I don't know.
One side you started selling the majority of your tickets (yes at a loss), but you still sold your ticket. The frequency is the issue and why you got flagged.
Other side, you were perfectly transparent with the Oilers and saying this personal reason why you can't go to games and that is admirable.
Unfortunately corps don't see people being admirable and transparent. The thing that got you in trouble I believe is when you worked with your ticket agent to find seats so they would SELL better and that was the fatal move in my opinion. That's what got you the microscope on your account.
Honestly in business doesn't matter, it's how you operate.
Is it right? No. Should they have notified you? For sure, but in my dealings with the Oilers they are very poor and very entitled which is why I dropped my tickets.
In the end, the Oilers followed through on their ticket holder agreement and that backs up 1000 times out of 20.
The very definition of insanity is doing the exact same thing expecting different results.
Generally Disappointed.
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For sure. And I never denied selling games and why, quite open on it.
My main issue was that after all the times I told my rep what I was doing/why - not once did they tell me that this could lead to executing my seats. Even just tell me a sense that I was offside so I'd have chance to correct. Quite opposite - the talks/emails I had gave a feel that everything was done on the level. Regardless of what is in contract (which I admit - like the fine print in rental cars, I never read) - felt burnt as a customer big time.
Then the timing of it all - its' hard not to feel like OEG was okay with it during times where team was struggling - and after a pretty decent playoff run - out comes the axe - where loyalty meant nothing. I kind of wish if they were going to swing the axe - it would have been better seasons ago so I could've not paid into it for years to keep my seats active until this season.
I'm a software developer so I try to think logically - but being annoyed at OEG - its' hard to leave emotions out of it.
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