We just renewed football tix for next year. On the online renewal form, there was a $500 charge for “unrestricted” something with no additional explanation and a note to call your ticket rep to learn more.
The amount is not editable on the form. We called the ticket office and learned that it is an optional donation and we had them remove it. I wonder how many people assumed that the fee was mandatory and just paid it?
The mildest things that I can call this practice are deceptive and manipulative. Car dealership tactics. You can’t sell out your stadium, yet this is how you treat your dwindling loyal fanbase? After 60+ years supporting UH, I’m about done.
Th charge is the Cougar Pride portion of your ticket’s total price. The unrestricted part means that it’s proceeds are not restricted to being spent on any particular sport or that sport’s scholarships.
I think we all know the definition of donation. But if you look at the TDECU stadium seating map and price chart for season tickets there is a column on the right side that has all of the color codes for the various seating areas. Included in that column are are 3 more columns titled at the top of each. One is titled “Ticket Price,” one titled “Donation,” and one titled “Total Price.”
If you look at the middle column titled “Donation,” you will see an asterisk and at the bottom of the chart there is an explanation of “Donation” as, “Cougar Pride ‘Football per seat’ commitment payments count towards annual Cougar Pride giving levels.”
You can call it what you wish, but the Total Price includes that donation.
BTW, you can add to that donation when you buy your tickets.
Red80’s explanation is correct. When I hovered my mouse pointer to a particular seat, thinking it would only cost the price shown for that seat, but in fact there is an explanation on that seat that a donation is mandatory if that seat is purchased, or something like that. I didn’t buy those tickets because of that, that’s why I remember.
Some remind me of when UH tried to add a $100 surcharge to our already modest ticket prices when we were playing in the dome and some folks went nuts. We have some really petty and cheap fans.
If you want to play like the big boys we have to pay like the big boys. Well, actually no we don’t; for our comparable seats at the big boy stadiums like aTm, UT, LSU, etc would cost many, many times as much as we pay even with our required donation.
I believe the “donation” part of your seat price is tax deductible if you make enough money to pay income tax. If you are scraping by on SS only you get no addirional benefit from “donating”.
This is the issue that set me off. It’s optional, yet you have to infer that and then play phone tag with your ticket rep to understand what it is and have them remove it.
I stand by my initial finding that it’s deceptive and manipulative. Someone else said sleazy. I agree.
to make it happen.