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Talking Point

The Great West Ham Ticket Exchange Mystery

Last October West Ham announced an extended partnership with Ticket Exchange Company Viagogo

West Ham United’s Commercial Director, Barry Webber, said at the time “Our loyal fan base deserve a place to sell tickets they can no longer use to other West Ham supporters. Our new partnership with Viagogo, the world’s largest ticket exchange, is great news for both supporters who are occasionally unable to use their season cards and fans struggling to get a ticket to must-see games.”
Barry Webber

I thought this was a great service and used it myself for 3 home games I couldn’t make last season due to work or family commitments. It seemed everyone was a winner. The season ticket holders got some money back for the games they couldn’t attend ( in the case of mine I made a small profit on what they originally cost me), Viagogo made their commission from both the buyer and seller, the buyers paid for tickets which were usually already sold out so a supply and demand marketplace dictated the price and finally the club made a commission on a ticket they had already sold once already. Because of the quite high Viagogo commission charged it also meant Viagogo didn’t compete with West ham ticket office as the prices were more expensive than general sale prices.

I thought this service really added value to season ticket holders knowing they could legally sell their tickets on if they couldn’t make a game.

At the beginning of this season this contract expired and was not extended by West Ham. This was not announced by West Ham to my knowledge and slipped quietly under the radar of most people.

For the first home match of the season against Cardiff a season ticket friend of mine who sits next to me in the Sir Trevor Brooking lower was on holiday abroad so she asked me to sell her ticket on Viagogo. It was only then I worked out the service was no longer available.

I tweeted West Ham’s commercial director Barry Webber. He replied quickly saying the contract had come to an end and the club has reverted back to offering season ticket holders to login to the WHUFC.com website and sell their season ticket once the stadium has sold out. Basically he confirmed they were bringing ticket exchange back in-house.

The odd thing was Cardiff was already listed as SOLD OUT on the Saturday but there were no options or instructions how to sell using the in house exchange service. I sent him a screen shot of the website showing it saying SOLD OUT.

He replied saying there were still a handful of tickets left and I should re-visit the website which had mysterious changed back to tickets being available again.

I kept on trying right up to 2.55pm on my mobile but the option never became available and no email was received to say that season ticket holders could sell their season tickets,

The same thing happened at the Stoke City two weeks later. I was away with my family in St Ives, Cornwall for the school holidays but despite being sold out no option became available and no email was received.

Barry tweeted out it was another SELL OUT but clarified afterwards “only before kickoff.”

I am not sure whether this in-house Ticket Exchange is working for anyone else out there? I can find no instructions or information on the scheme on WHUFC.com or www.whufcboxoffice.com. I have received no emails from the club on Ticket Exchange as I did about the Viagogo scheme.

This must be in West Ham’s financial interest to get right. They will make more money selling the tickets at general admission prices whilst the season ticket holder gets a credit back.

I hope West Ham remember the words Barry said in 2012 namely “Our loyal fan base deserve a place to sell tickets they can no longer use to other West Ham supporters”

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