Here we go again...
Remember the wave of restrictions slapped on Season Ticket holders over the summer? The club is now targeting Official Members.
They aren't even calling it "suspicious activity" anymore; they’ve rebadged it as "activity that requires further review."
We all want touting tackled, but dropping restriction emails on a Monday at 18:00 with a deadline of Wednesday at 08:00 gives fans barely 38 hours, effectively one single working day to respond.
This is completely unacceptable for innocent supporters. One fan who contacted me is travelling all the way from Spain and now has no idea if his ticket for Saturday will even work at the turnstiles.
If United are taking this heavy-handed approach, their detection needs to be bulletproof. We all know how flawed the club's data matching can be, yet they clearly haven't learned from summer's mistakes.
Worse still, this directly violates the club's own published Club Sanctions and Appeals Policy, which contractually guarantees supporters a fair 14-day window to appeal any initial sanction decision. Slashing a two-week policy down to one working day is a blatant failure of due process and breaches the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which protects paying consumers from unfair terms and one-sided ultimatums. The club cannot bypass its own written rules simply because a fixture falls within that 14-day window.
If you’ve been hit with one of these emails, submit a response before the Wednesday 08:00 deadline so your ticket isn't automatically cancelled for Saturday, but state clearly in writing that you are replying strictly under protest and duress, reserve your full 14-day right to reply, and will escalate any wrongful cancellation to the Independent Football Ombudsman.
The Sanctions process is broken, United are unfairly treating supporters, and they need reporting. You can do this through any or all of the following:
Independent Football Ombudsman (@TheIFO): For direct breach of their own published 14-day sanctions policy and lack of procedural fairness.
Citizens Advice / Trading Standards: Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 for unfair commercial practices and unreasonable deadlines on paying customers.
The FSA (
@WeAreTheFSA): Log your case with the Football Supporters' Association, they are collecting evidence on unfair club sanction regimes.
Information Commissioner's Office (
@ICOnews): If they use vague digital tracking/profiling and refuse to provide your data under a Subject Access Request (SAR).
If you are a member who has received one of these restriction emails, please get in touch.
The way you treat us is a disgrace.