Update on UAlbany Football Season Tickets - 2021

[godanesgo99]

I'm not one to complain about pricing. I don't complain about parking costs, I am all for the University charging as much as they can. What I do complain about is how they market these expenses. Why are my tickets showing as a face value of $15? You would think they want to show the value of purchasing season tickets!

5 Home Games X 4 Tickets X $15 each = $300 had I purchased each ticket individually

Season Ticket cost = $624 ($212 for the deposit and then $412 for the remainder because of the web purchase fee of $12 on each transaction).

I know that $200 of that is my GDAC donation, but at least make the face value of my seats $20 so it looks like I got my tickets for face value instead of $5 above face value by purchasing season tickets. 

MARKETING IS IMPORTANT!

Am I missing something?

To me, it feels like I actually made a $300 GDAC donation. Yes I should get a parking pass for the extra $100, but last season (2 years covid I know) I got Dutch Quad parking because I hadn't donated over $250 year to date at that time (just the $200 for my tickets) even though I would be donating again come basketball season. 

Is there any spot to see our GDAC standing currently? It used to be in my account when purchasing tickets. I do not see it any more. 

Edited August 25, 2021 by godanesgo99

[jimbo]

The instructions with the latest email blast indicate that parking hang tags will be printed for each game. Presumably some sort of wrist band or ID will be sent for hospitality tent entry (even though I never used them due to the new stupid location). Can I ass-u-me that they will mail said tags and wrist bands? Why didn't it say "You will be receiving hang tags and wrist bands in the mail if you are eligible to receive them"? 

Just for the heck of it, I went to the UNC football fan forum to see if there was anything on our recent transfer. Didn't spot anything. But you know what was there? Posters complaining about the new mobile ticketing system...which is apparently not the same as ours. So we are not alone. 

[UAalum72]

Also was unable to load tickets into Apple Wallet. Went to the ticket office today. Nate and Erika said the parking passes will be mailed. They said you don't have to load into the wallet, as long as you can show the UPC, But then Nate printed the tickets for me anyway. We may be looking at a major $ienashow even before the game starts.

[Eli]

Get there early! lol

[Clickclack]

On 8/25/2021 at 11:51 AM, godanesgo99 said:

I'm not one to complain about pricing. I don't complain about parking costs, I am all for the University charging as much as they can. What I do complain about is how they market these expenses. Why are my tickets showing as a face value of $15? You would think they want to show the value of purchasing season tickets!

5 Home Games X 4 Tickets X $15 each = $300 had I purchased each ticket individually

Season Ticket cost = $624 ($212 for the deposit and then $412 for the remainder because of the web purchase fee of $12 on each transaction).

I know that $200 of that is my GDAC donation, but at least make the face value of my seats $20 so it looks like I got my tickets for face value instead of $5 above face value by purchasing season tickets. 

MARKETING IS IMPORTANT!

Am I missing something?

To me, it feels like I actually made a $300 GDAC donation. Yes I should get a parking pass for the extra $100, but last season (2 years covid I know) I got Dutch Quad parking because I hadn't donated over $250 year to date at that time (just the $200 for my tickets) even though I would be donating again come basketball season. 

Is there any spot to see our GDAC standing currently? It used to be in my account when purchasing tickets. I do not see it any more. 

You used to be able to get a nice chart on the old system with where you stood in the pecking order in terms of GDAC, nothing now. This AD and ticketing staff are shameless...easily one of the worst things they have EVER implemented and/or done. It doesn't work, it's a giant piece of $iena, no one can figure it out, if they don't start losing some season ticket holders I'll be shocked. Absolute abortion of a website. 

 

TicketReturn is a small privately held company out of North Carolina, it's Chief Technology Officer, woman by the name of Celest OBrien, who happens to hold another full time position at the same time for a different company according to LinkedIn. I do IT for a living, in a large company as Head of IT and this is an unmitigated disaster. If there is anyone with a functional brain at UA they will immediately terminate the contract with these losers. 

[cwdickens]

I received an email with the following title: "UAlbany Sports Mobile Ticketing Instructions"

I am providing the 1st paragraph:

Great Dane Fans,
In continued efforts to provide a more convenient, sustainable and secure gameday experience, UAlbany Athletics will be transitioning to mobile tickets for all ticketed athletic events starting with the 2021 football season. The enhanced UAlbany Sports mobile app and My Account portal will enhance your ticketing experience by providing a truly contactless way to enter Tom & Mary Casey Stadium, while also reducing the risk of lost, stolen or counterfeit tickets. While many single-game ticket buyers to UAlbany athletics events are familiar with the mobile ticketing delivery process, the transition will also apply to our valued season-ticket holders as well.

Mobile Instructions

1. From your smartphone or tablet, go to ualbanysports.com/tickets and select the “My Account” button. You can also access the “My Account” feature on your mobile device by downloading new UAlbany Sports mobile app.
2. Select the icon located in the top right corner. In the dropdown select, “Sign in” and enter previously created Ticket Return Credentials.*
3. Once logged in, you will see a list of available options, including “Display Tickets” and “Add to Mobile Wallet”

• *Note, if you have not completed account setup, please contact the Ticket Office for assistance.
• Accounts MUST be paid in full to access game tickets.

To assist with this transition, we have developed a mobile site with step-by-step instructions, including screenshots, on how to take advantage of your online account features. For assistance with viewing, printing, and transferring your season tickets click here to view our mobile site. You can also find shortcuts below directing you to these features.

Thank god, I have some time...I did use the system for a parking pass for the PLL...

[Eli]

Yep, also senior IT for a multi-national software company. If we released something this bad, our clients would be asking for refunds yesterday. Software is buggy, I get it. I deal with it every day. But this? This is some entry level programming class in college quality level work. Shameful.

The irony/killer/sad thing is that the University keeps spamming me with emails on how to use the site and clearly it's not helping anyone lol.

Edited August 30, 2021 by Eli

[cwdickens]

I was able to save my tickets to a "folder" with a little help from Ericka and a Google application .  However, as my wife said:  Do they really think everyone has a smartphone?

[jimbo]

2 hours ago, cwdickens said:

I was able to save my tickets to a "folder" with a little help from Ericka and a Google application .  However, as my wife said:  Do they really think everyone has a smartphone?

So, basically you are saying that the program and instructions for use are worthless without additional applications and help from the ticket office. Is it just me, or is it every time a change is made it’s screwed up royally by the AD? If I look around at the folks in my section at Casey, I’d say the vast majority did not grow up with cellphones and probably hand them off to their kids or grandkids when something needs to be done. I know, we gotta modernize, but it should have been EASY and SEAMLESS. Instead, it’s opaque, confusing and frustrating as hell. Poor job AD, poor job. 

[dslyank]

Took my iPhone to Nate and showed him that adding tickets to Apple Wallet was not working. It was working on his supposedly, but he could NOT get mine to work. Says he will contact TicketReturn??

Also, interesting when I got home, I tried using my iPad to add tickets to Apple Wallet; and "Add to GOOGLE Pay" came up instead????? Anyone having any luck or IDEAS for Apple Wallet.

[UAalum72]

At least I got my parking tags today. Tailgating now opens four hours before kickoff, which I think is an hour earlier than previous.

[jimbo]

5 hours ago, UAalum72 said:

At least I got my parking tags today. Tailgating now opens four hours before kickoff, which I think is an hour earlier than previous.

Me too. 

[bob87]

5 hours ago, UAalum72 said:

At least I got my parking tags today. Tailgating now opens four hours before kickoff, which I think is an hour earlier than previous.

I thought we got there 4 hours before kickoff for home coming. 3 hours early the test of the games

[UAalum72]

4 minutes ago, bob87 said:

I thought we got there 4 hours before kickoff for home coming. 3 hours early the test of the games

This year is four hours for all games. Villanova must be homecoming since that's the only 3:30 start

[cwdickens]

2 hours ago, UAalum72 said:

This year is four hours for all games. Villanova must be homecoming since that's the only 3:30 start

Homecoming is 10-16-2021.... the link goes to the alumni website concerning this topic:

https://www.alumni.albany.edu/s/1642/bp19/interior.aspx?sid=1642&gid=2&pgid=2481