2010 Derby Personal Seat Licenses

[slotdirt]

Well, depends on your definition of "fan friendly," I suppose.

[mbahadur]

Per Jenny Rees Courier Journal article:

With being able to specify 10 preferred locations for seats and the ability to pay a 20% premium to go to the head of the list (for Derby tickets, it's worth it), I think I will take my chances and risk the $50.

http://www.courier-journal.com/artic...don-t-get-seat

Under the new system, fans can sign up
online at churchilldowns.com/tickets to
start the process.

On Nov. 7 they will receive an email
including a seating-preference request
form. Applicants can list up to 10 locations
in order of preference. In addition, they
can agree to pay 20 percent more for the
tickets in order to go to the head of the
line.

Everyone applying must provide a $100
deposit via credit card with a deadline of
Nov. 20. Of that, $50 will be credited
toward the cost of the seats if a person
gets tickets. The other $50 goes toward
the administrative fee.

For those who don’t get tickets, $50 will be
refunded.

[joeydb]

Everyone who wants to gamble on actually getting a seat should challenge the charge on their VISA. At a minimum it will give CDI a lot of headaches when their are thousands of investigations going on, and it might make VISA more hostile toward CDI and put pressure on them to curb this nonsense.

After all, isn't the time interval of when they "were not successful" up for dispute? If I gave $100 to get a ticket, I don't want them giving up the search for my ticket until the day before the Derby.

[mbahadur]

My $50 went to Churchill's pockets, even though I stated I was willing to pay the extra 20% for first priority. See email below that I received.

Was anyone else successful?

Thank you for participating in the new preference form for reserved seats at the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks! Unfortunately, we were not able to accommodate any of your preferences and a check for $50 should arrive the first or second week of February.

However, please go to http://www.churchilldowns.com/tickets/refund at noon on Wednesday, February 8 to see if there is any available inventory from customers who did not pay their invoice by the deadline.

Also, although this was not one of your preferences, we do still have reserved seats left in Section 125 that includes access to an on-site hospitality lounge called the Infield Club where food is included. This option will be available at http://www.churchilldowns.com/tickets/refund at noon on Wednesday, February 8.

We are grateful for your interest in Churchill Downs and want you to still be part of these historic events. If you are unable to purchase reserved seats at the website beginning February 8, here are ways you can enjoy the first weekend in May:

1. General Admission -- You can always join the party with a general admission ticket. Price is $40 for Derby and $25 for Oaks when purchased online at www.churchilldowns.com/tickets.

2) Taste of Derby - Thursday, May 3. Mingle with horse racing celebrities and savor an evening of exquisite cuisine and wines as nationally renowned chefs from horse racing destinations across the country serve samples of their regional specialties. Partial proceeds benefit hunger relief organizations. Ticket includes red carpet entry, food and wine tastings, premium open bar, complimentary valet service, and live entertainment by Nashville-based Burning Las Vegas. Visit www.TasteofDerby.com for event details or to purchase your tickets.

3) Kentucky Derby Party – You can always bring the thrill and excitement of the “Greatest Two Minutes in Sports” into your own home on NBC. Check out our entire party planning website at www.KentuckyDerbyParty.com and because we value your participation, use code PARTYSPECIAL at www.KentuckyDerbyStore.com to receive a $150 party package for only $99.

Thanks again for your interest in Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby and Oaks. We regret that we could not accommodate your preferences for reserved seats, but hope you will still join us to celebrate the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby and Oaks. If you need assistance, please send your questions to sales@kyderby.com and we will be happy to help you.

[cantknockthehustle]

I got the 4 I requested (section 122) and a friend got the 6 he requested. We both paid the 20% fee and submitted our request immediately after getting the email saying we could do so.