Cats rule out match refunds

NO CASH BACK IF THREE GAMES GO AHEAD

SEASON card holders will not receive refunds for any games Sunderland play behind-closed-doors, the club has confirmed.

The Black Cats are still waiting to find out whether the 2019-20 season will be completed or if it will be curtailed due to the Covid-19 crisis.

If the 2019-20 season is cut short, the club has previously announced season card holders would be refunded for the three games they will miss.

However if Sunderland’s final three home games do go ahead, there will be no spectators present and season card holders will be given an SAFSEE streaming pass to watch the action on a desktop computer, laptop, tablet or mobile phone.

There will be no refund or voucher offered for those who either do not want to stream the game or who do not have the technology to do so.

Nor will there be a partial refund to cover the price differential between the cost of watching a game live – ranging between £14.09 and £22.50 for adults, depending on where they sit in the ground and when they bought their 2019-20 season card – and the £10 per game UK-based fans are normally charged for an SAFSEE pass.

There would be no alternatives offered for families who have bought multiple season cards and would therefore not require multiple streaming passes.

Fans who bought individual match tickets for any of the three remaining home games will be treated the same way as season card holders, with refunds in the event of the season being curtailed and streaming passes given if the games are played with no spectators present.

The same policies will be in force for those who renew their season tickets for 2020-21, should that campaign begin behind closed doors, with streaming passes offered for any games fans cannot attend, but no refunds.

Sunderland have advised fans who have bought tickets for the 2019-20 games at Blackpool and/or

Southend United that the club will wait until the EFL decides whether those games will go ahead before giving further information about a refund policy.

The clarifications are contained in a lengthy Q&A released by the club to address points raised by fans in the wake of last week’s season card update, which extended the early bird pricing for next season until further notice.

It also reaffirms any seats not renewed by July 1 will be reserved until further notice to ensure supporters who are not in a position to renew do not lose their preferred place.

Fans will not lose their loyalty points under the Black Cat Points scheme if they do not renew by July 1 and the BCP scheme will be frozen if the whole of next season is played behind closed doors.

If next season begins behind closed doors, fans who do not renew now will be able to purchase part-season cards when supporters are allowed to attend again.

If the Government restricts the capacity of grounds, priority will be given to those who renewed for the 2020-21 season.

The club also confirmed the ticket office at the Stadium of Light remains closed but members of staff are now working with all queries handled by email at ticket. office@safc.com

The club’s commercial team is due back to work ‘imminently,’ when the process of contacting sponsors, hospitality and corporate customers about renewals for 202021 will resume.

The full Q&A can be found at www.safc.com/news/ticketnews/2020/june/season-card-qa.

There will be no refund or voucher offered for those who either do not want to stream or who do not have the technology