The San Jose Mercury News argues that first refund from the Sharks after the lockout-forced cancellation of 16 regular season and three preseason games through Dec. 14 isn’t likely to soothe many fans.
That’s because the first check comes to 1.8 percent of the 70 percent of the season most season-ticket holders have paid for to this point.
For example, a fan with two $80 seats in the lower bowl using the installment plan paid 70 percent, or $4,928 of the $7,040 total cost of season tickets, before the team stopped collecting final payments with the lockout pending. That fan will be getting back $88.70.
In an email sent to season-ticket holders Tuesday, the Sharks also noted that it would take two weeks to process and mail out November refunds to those who paid by check, pushing their actual arrival inside the mailbox to mid-December.
Though four more games already have been canceled for next month, the team only is giving refunds on a month-by-month basis in case a labor agreement is reached and more games are added to the December schedule.
Using the team’s formula, 31.8 percent of the season has been canceled through the end of November, or 1.8 percent more than the Sharks declined to collect.
Season-ticket holders who paid the full 100 percent have been receiving monthly refunds since the lockout began Sept. 15.