The Brewers are headed to the World Series for the first time since 1982. Milwaukee fans have waited 44 years for the experience. I am genuinely incredibly happy for their fans who have had to live through quite a bit of misery over the years. However, the Brewers franchise just did some of their fans very dirty in failing to properly honor a promotion that started in 2015.
Back then, the Brewers offered their fans something called a “Timeless Ticket.” For $1000 Brewers fans could purchase a ticket to any future Brewers game, including a World Series game, and get the best available seat. With the purchase, they would also be able to purchase up to 3 more tickets with that seat. That’s a pretty cool deal. If you had the cash, what better way to lock in some future enjoyment for a team that hadn’t made the finals in 33 years at that point. The limited run of 1000 Timeless Tickets earned the franchise a quick $1m and some great goodwill.
Now with the Brewers in the World Series against the Rays, long time fans were relieved that they were going to get to go to the World Series and have some pretty good seats at that. Best of all, it was already paid for and they wouldn’t have to deal with secondary ticket markets. Prices on StubHub as of publication were going for between $5,000 and $16,000 in the lower bowl. Not so fast.
The Brewers were offering presale tickets for fans to redeem their Timeless Tickets. Instead of lower bowl seats, instead they were being offered 400 level and standing room only tickets. Better seats were available at the time, but the Brewers are claiming they were already promised to season ticket holders and to other promotions. Hold up. That’s bullshit.
After two days of bad press, the Brewers are offering fans to keep their bad seats AND their Timeless Tickets. That makes up for it, right? Not fucking way. Here’s how this works. No company in their right mind offers anything without making you sign a contract even if it is just a disclaimer on the back of a ticket. Now I haven’t seen what kind of contract they are pushing, but it 100% has a clause in it that says you cannot sue the team over the situation with the Timeless Ticket. Here’s why that stinks.
Considering the Brewers did have better seats available, why would they be offered to season ticket holders and other promotions first? The Timeless Tickets are 11 years old now. There’s a good argument to be made that even if a person had been season ticket holders for 30 years, that is something that renews every year and thus that obligation would not be older than the Timeless Ticket. Even at best, only the ticket holders who came before the Timeless Ticketers should get seniority here. Basically, get in line.
Well, so what is the big deal? They get to go to the game, right? That’s not the point. Lower bowl seats for this game were sold by the Brewers for between $750 and $1,000. That means if you wanted to bring your partner and 2 kids, you were going to be guaranteed a shot at those tickets. For $3000 + your $1000 timeless ticket, you were going to the World Series with your family. Pretty cool. Because of the Brewers stinginess though, they wanted you to pay your $1000 Timeless Ticket cost and then pay $100 for each standing room ticket you want to buy. You want to actually sit in the lower bowl with your family? That will cost you between $21,000 and $63,000. Thanks guys!
Ok well, let’s just assume the Brewers screwed up and are trying to fix it. They can always just go to the next World Series, right? Who knows? The Brewers are good right now, but there are no guarantees. Hell, I’m sure no Milwaukee fans thought it would be 44 years between trips. What if they do get back next year though and they win this year. Next year won’t be the same. THIS was the reason those fans bought the Timeless Ticket.
Essentially, the Brewers held a cash call promotion that dumped $1m into their accounts with very little needed on their side other than printing some very cool looking golden tickets. As a reward for blindly giving the team their money, fans got screwed. That stinks. Now if they accept the carrot of going to the game AND keeping their ticket, they likely waive any right to file a lawsuit over the swindle. That’s a tough place to be as a fan: support the team you love or hold the team accountable for taking advantage of you. I don’t know what I would choose.
Photo: WTMJ via CNN Newsource
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