I'm seeking information on the number of Manchester United supporters who experienced ticket issues at the recent Spurs away match.
The specific issue involved a noticeable number of tickets that flagged for collection/verification (resulting in a red scan), requiring a visit to the away ticket office.
My main concern is the verification process implemented by Manchester United staff. While the club's policy may sometimes require photo ID for ticket collection/verification, I must stress that:
Carrying ID is not a legal requirement in the UK.
I've received information (not just for Spurs this season) that staff were demanding to inspect supporters' personal mobile phones and requesting access to:
- Phone settings details (e.g., iPhone Name, Bluetooth name).
- Personal social media accounts.
- The profile section of the official Manchester United App.
Demanding access to a supporter's personal phone and private accounts constitutes a significant overreach and may be potentially illegal. United staff cannot legally demand to inspect a private device as a form of identification.
A significant concern raised by a supporter is whether Manchester United staff were cross-referencing the photo ID previously submitted during the Season Ticket renewal process when verifying flagged tickets.
While the club maintains that this data is retained for up to 12 months solely for the purpose of validating identity during renewals, using it for on-the-spot verification checks would represent a significant deviation from this assurance.
The frustration is compounded by the fact that even when the supporter provided all necessary ticket details but did not have physical ID, staff reportedly expressed doubt about the person's identity. This raises a critical question: If United holds the supporter's verified ID data, and the supporter provided all ticket-specific details, on what objective basis could staff disprove their identity, prompting the demand for intrusive personal phone checks? This discrepancy fuels the suspicion that the club's verification process is inconsistent and unfair.
While Season Ticket holders must adhere to the club's Terms and Conditions, it is unacceptable for staff manning an away ticket office to unilaterally invent such invasive verification procedures that violate privacy and could be used to unjustly confiscate tickets or impose bans.
There also appears to be more changes with how you manage relationships with added verification codes, for reasons I don't wish post about, I welcome this change.
DM's are open