Mar 18th, 2008
Convenience Fee
My son was born in the year 2000. As it turned out, the Harlem Globetrotters thought it would be a great idea to offer every kid born in the year 2000 free admission to their games for life! One free game a year for life - of course we signed him up and got the free pass card 
Finally, 7 1/2 years later, the Globetrotters are coming to our town on a weekend when we’re actually going to be here. So we figured we might as well go ahead and go - Dude’s ticket is free afterall.
So I call the number to get tickets. I tell them I have this wonderful pass, and they explain that I can only use the pass if I purchase tickets at the venue ticket window. What (pause for dramatic effect) EVER!
The next Saturday we all gather in the car and drive 28 miles to the venue ticket window. The lady is super nice and super helpful . . . except she has no idea what we’re talking about with this pass. And since the computer doesn’t say anything about it, well she just can’t do anything about it. But, being so nice as she was, she did call her manager, on Saturday, and explained it to her. The manager had no clue. The Globetrotters hadn’t told them anything about this special pass. She’d have to contact the Globetrotters on Monday to check it out, and then they’d call me back.
Wednesday I get a call back saying that yes indeed, the free pass we are holding in our hands is indeed valid. They have entered the information in to the computer, so we can purchase our tickets. But not over the phone . . . we still need to come to the ticket window because they need to take a photo copy of the pass. What (pause for dramatic effect) EVER!
So the next Saturday, we load everyone into the car and drive the 28 miles (up hill) to the ticket window at the venue. The computer freezes and she can’t do anything until she calls her IT guy up “from downstairs” (it’s a hockey rink . . . we’re on cement on the ground floor . . . where the hell is ‘downstairs’?!). We wait 15 minutes at the ticket window, which is just long enough for Princess to see the billboard advertising Princess on Ice or something similar and start BEGGING to go. I explain that we only do one “show” a year, and this year it’s The Globetrotters. Princess crosses her arms, softly stomps a foot, and says “Hmph! I don’t even LIKE football!” Um, honey? It’s not football . . . it’s basketball. Anyhoo, IT guy comes upstairs, gets the security guard to open the door to the ticket window office, waves his magic wand, and the computer is working. We purchase tickets for the 2 adults and the Princess - woo hoo - and get the free “Baby 2000″ ticket for Dude. I sign my life away to pay for them (not really, it wasn’t even $60 for the 3 of them) and we head out to the car to drive the 28 miles back home, up hill with a strong head wind.
Hubby is checking out the tickets and lets out a snort that could challenge any one of the 4 hippos at the zoo. I give him the “What?” look and he says “They charged us a $2 convenience fee for each ticket. What the hell was so convenient about getting these friggin’ tickets?!”
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Your husband has a good point…
I had no idea about the free pass thing….
I hope your son enjoys his FREE game!
Your stories are always so entertaining…
LOL. I hate the extra fees tacked on to things like that…like I’m already not paying enough?
That fee drives me nuts….we were charged a $3 fee for each ticket when we went to see the Princess show. So…the super deal on opening night of only $12 each ended up actually being $15 each. Oh well….still not that bad when you consider what it COULD have cost for the ‘good’ seats.
Sorry you had to do all that driving for a ‘free’ ticket! Did you spend more in cash then just buying the Dude a ticket? Hope not!
I can’t wait to hear about the actual event. And yes, your husband has a good point. My daughter was born in 2000, too. I could get a pass, but live in rural Vermont, so I may have to travel a bit. I don’t know that the Globetrotter trot this far….
That’s hilarious! And a pic of the little Dude with the Giant Trotters will be much anticipated.