Last year I wrote that the fees on my 15 game package were $25 delivery and $40 “order charge.” Â Â Those tickets came with a media guide.
This year, for a 15 game package, delivery charges are $25 and the “order charge” is $40. Â The tickets do not come with a media guide.
Did the Mets never pass along the cost of printing and shipping a media guide to us? Â That was kind of them.
Have shipping prices and “order charges” gone up to the same coincidental numbers?
Are we paying same for less?
Does it cost $25 to mail 30 tickets?
Part of the equation that needs to be addressed is the type of shipping they are using. Are they getting adding high priority to it, Is it overnight etc.
If you charge a shipping fee odds are they are passing the cost to the customer. One of the biggest scams on E-Bay is people overcharge for shipping costs so they end up sending something for a fraction of what the “shipping fee” is and make even more money on items.
I am going to say the Mets are once again screwing their fans. Keep in mind if you order non-package tickets on-line they are shipped for free.
A few things:
1. They used UPS 2nd day air to ship.
2. They contract out the production and shipping to an outside company, so there is a cost involved.
3. Almost all companies use shipping as a profit center, take it from someone who has worked in retail and mail order. Even Zappos who offers free shipping builds that cost into their prices—they charge higher prices than other shoe retailers online.
4. The Yankees charge the same $40/$25 as the Mets do, I’d be willing to bet most teams do the same.
5. The Mets most certainly charge for shipping on single game tickets, as do all teams.
6. The Mets built a very green stadium, why can’t you accept that not shipping the media guide is a legit gesture? There’s no way you could ever quantify this but I’d be willing to bet many plan holders never open their media guides up and/or don’t dispose of them properly.
Lets stop knee jerk ripping the Mets for everything. They are running a for profit business, as is every other team.
Corey – great stuff. I’m going to split this discussion off into a separate post that will expand upon the thought that Mets police is about having these discussions. Like the fence thing, we learned from each other. However, gotta do some other things this afternoon and don’t wanna rush the thoughts.
Everything you said it pretty spot on. As a former plan holder i never opened the media guide after the day I got it and it eventually ended up in the garbage/recycling bin.
I feel like the fans like to just shit on the mets. Maybe because we are just big complainers compared to any other team. Sometimes we as fans need to step back and understand what is going on around the MLB with other teams before knee jerk reactions. The thing is, if the Phillies and presumably other teams are sending vouchers for the media guide and the Mets aren’t then that is a bit messed up. The Media Guide it appears has been a big plus to certain fans who purchase plans or season tickets. They should at least offer the voucher in case they want it. Most will end up not using it and the Mets can still be seen as going ahead with the green initiative.
METS green initiative ok? Then why mail out expired Amtrak flyer( deal expires March 13) and also a Starwood Hotel advertisment with my season tkts! More waste of paper
I agree with Corey, there are a lot of costs that go into the distribution of tickets.
Consolidated Printing is the company that nearly every sports team uses, and their fees are pretty standard. When you want high quality looking tix, there are so many elements that go into the printing, shipping, and overall technical side of ticket printing, such as transfer of records. Also its not like the Mets don’t tell you upfront the cost of the additional charges, and anyone who goes along with it then complains later, has no business throwing the mets under the bus.
With the media guides, shame on the Mets for trying to help the environment, instead of wasting tons of paper on a publication that mainly only hardcore fans ever even open.
Don’t forget they are also shipping our gift separate this year. This means they are paying twice as it would have been cheaper to ship them together. Like everyone else has said. Give them a d@mn break. I pay for 30 tickets. I get 30 tickets. Everything else is nice but not required.
I do agree – everything else is nice but not required. Me being me I’m a little suspicious at the motive. Saying nothing is one thing, possibly disguising it as a green initiative is another.
Single game tickets for the mets are free shipping. It only costs money if you want to print them on your own.
Scott – that’s another example of something that confuses my small brain. If the Mets have gone green, shouldn’t they encourage us all to print at home? Why is there a charge for that but not for a human stuffing an envelope, a truck delivering the mail, and another human walking it to my front door. This is the part i don’t understand.
The print at home ticket fees are not unique to the Mets, Ticketmaster and all other MLB teams that do not use Ticketmaster does it as well. I think I once heard Ticketmaster use the excuse that in order for the convienience of having the tickets print at home, they had to invest in new technologies and then maintain the systems, thus the extra cost. Obviously a BS excuse.
I think you get caught up in singling out the Mets for problems when they are more widespread.