Poll: Vote on Churchill's $50 Ky Derby ticket request fee

[slotdirt]

Also, there will supposedly be 20k seats available via this method. Let's just say for kicks that the average request is for somewhere around three seats (I don't know this, but think it's a fair guess). That'd mean only around 1/3 of the requests will actually be filled. So 20,000 people could submit applications, and after around 1/3 of those requests are filled, another 13-14k or so are going to be out $50 regardless.

This could be even more of a scam than I originally thought.

[Port Conway Lane]

r

Originally Posted by slotdirt

Also, there will supposedly be 20k seats available via this method. Let's just say for kicks that the average request is for somewhere around three seats (I don't know this, but think it's a fair guess). That'd mean only around 1/3 of the requests will actually be filled. So 20,000 people could submit applications, and after around 1/3 of those requests are filled, another 13-14k or so are going to be out $50 regardless.

This could be even more of a scam than I originally thought.

It would be foolish to pay the $50 and wait and see what happens.
"Churchill Downs has a new ticket policy that allows fans to order tickets online for a $50 administrative fee, even if they don’t get seats. They also can go to the head of the line for seat requests if they pay an extra 20 percent."
I may have misinterpreted the above quote. At first I thought this meant you could bypass the fee by agreeing to pay 20% more for tickets.
Anyone who wants tickets will pay 20% to go to the front. Anyone who waits will get zilch. This is their strategy.

I don't know how it was determined who got the few thousand available tickets in years past but they've figured out that demand has been so high that not only can they find out how much and how many people are willing to pay they can collect at least another 200k in administrative fees.

I'm wondering if they suffer any loss of income from corporate sponsors who no longer own a large portion of those tickets.

For anyone who ever got shut out of tickets now would be the chance to get them if you are willing to pay.

[slotdirt]

And even if you pay the 20 percent, there's no guarantee you'll get tickets then either, no? What if like 6,000 people ordering 3.5 tickets apiece pay the 20 percent before someone submits an application? You're telling me CDI is going to knowingly accept this $50 fee for tickets they know at the time the application is submitted won't be available?

I think collecting an extra $200k in admin fees is on the really low end if ticket requests are as brisk as previous Derby editions.

[Port Conway Lane]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

And even if you pay the 20 percent, there's no guarantee you'll get tickets then either, no? What if like 6,000 people ordering 3.5 tickets apiece pay the 20 percent before someone submits an application? You're telling me CDI is going to knowingly accept this $50 fee for tickets they know at the time the application is submitted won't be available?

I think collecting an extra $200k in admin fees is on the really low end if ticket requests are as brisk as previous Derby editions.

I would speak with a live rep by phone to apply and get on the list immediately otherwise I wouldn't bother if they couldn't assure me I'd get tickets. If demand is enough to sell out there will come a time that a rep may not be able to guarantee anything. I would think that when they sell the final ticket the applications will end.

I was wrong, 250k would be the bare minimum ;4 tix per person x 5,000 ppl x $50. On the high end 10k ppl x 2 tix x $50=$500k, and none of that includes the fees from the people that wait and hope.

The whole idea is borderline extortion.