CONVENIENCE FEES HAHAHAHA
God what a scam that shit is
“Hey, we saved money by computerization, so we’re gonna pass that cost onto you!”
“Don’t you mean ‘pass the savings onto us?’”
:D “Nope!”
Honestly they probably spend so much on devs to maintain their website that they don’t break even lmao
The amount you’d save not hiring physical ticket sales workers would absolutely dwarf any amount of possible dev salaries for one website.
Lol in my local cinema I have to use a computer next to the ticket taker to print my ticket I bought online and then they physically look at it to tell me which theatre I should walk to, it’s like Idiocracy’s costco
What you don’t find paying extra money convenient?
It’s a convenient way for them to rip you off
I work at a pretty high end movie theater. All seats are recliners with tables, there’s a full wet bar and restaurant quality food, and we do events and shit too. Tickets typically run $10-$15. This is ridiculous.
What area of the world if you don’t mind answering? I used to love going to the cinema but its been too pricey for the past decade here.
I live in Vancouver and we have theatres similar to that here
Where? I’d love to go to one if you don’t mind sharing.
$10 - $15? in BC? I can’t get a lunch for under $20 anytime I was there, wonder why movies are the cheap thing still? Is this for a old cinema place?
… and on top of that you have to watch like ten minutes’ worth of ads at the beginning. Ugh.
I quit going to movies when they started blaring loud obnoxious commercials under the guise of “entertainment” prior to the movies supposed start time. Going to a movie used to be a social thing you did with friends, but now with them blasting that shit at you at a volume that makes talking impossible what the fuck is even the point? The fact that ticket prices are climbing to this level with this kind of jack assery is ludicrous. And don’t get me started on the 20-30 minutes of previews they show after a movies supposed start time. Just fuck this shit.
lol what? you go to the movies to watch the movie… if you want to talk you can do it afterwards. also, it’s not like the ads take time off the actual movie
You’re paying $20 to watch a series of giant, unmutable, unskippable and loud ads. It’s like going to a restaurant and the waiter reminds you to stop by the car dealership on the way home to experience the thrill of the new Chevy Equinox. Get ready for a journey that combines style, performance, and endless possibilities.
So you haven’t been to a movie theater in, like, 20 years? Because none of that is new.
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Convenience fee is the best name they can apply to soften a fee, which is really just a way for them to charge more than the list price.
Fees should be universally folded into the list price by default.
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You might be seeing fees I’m not, but some cell service are actually mandatory in the US. Usually a few dollars a month, they go to various state and federal agencies.
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I feel you. Weird that they don’t label it, maybe you get a summarized bill or something.
Essentially automated greed. They make more money by automating their employees and they charge you even more because of how convenient it was for them to do so.
For the convenience of getting screwed over…
This reminds me… AMC wanted to test selling tickets at a higher cost based on seat location… corporate greed will keep folks at home.
That’s ridiculous. I can get recliner seats with tons of arm room and reserved seating for $15 CDN. $12 for a matinee showing.
Same. For $9. Including a drink and popcorn. $11 for a ticket with a large drink and large popcorn.
Question from an European: What is that convenience fee? Which costs does it cover?
Nothing for the customer. It’s just convenient for the theater to charge more for the ticket.
Nothing, it’s just an extra charge so that the company can make more money.
Answer from another: nothing. We also have them in various places, like parking, or highway vignettes - you are not using their facilities, you save them money, so they charge you some extra
I think the “convenience” is referring to using a credit card. They charge businesses any time their card is used. This is the business passing that cost on to the consumer.
We go to AMC quite a bit and I think it’s actually the fee for buying tickets online or through the app. So probably even worse than passing CC fees on to customers lol. Always buy our tickets in person for that reason (and matinees).
Thing is…usually the “convenience fee” isn’t there if you pay in person. It’s usually done in online sales. It actually costs less for you to use their online portal because they don’t have to staff more employees in house. But for some reason companies like to charge you extra for buying online and put it as a “convenience fee” instead of going inside to pay. You could theorize that it has something to do with credit cards, but then why don’t they charge you for paying by a credit card in store?
And you have to create an account (with 2FA) to buy the tickets. In specifically inconvenient.
And the fee stacks too which is insane.
In the early days of the internet in the US the convenience fee was what the 3rd part sales software charged for online transactions but I think now with the it mostly being first party sales or integrated to the vendors POS it’s just a way to charge more money without advertising it on the sticker price.
As a producer who aims to make 2-10 million dollar genre flicks, I don’t see why ticket prices shouldn’t be scaled to budgets. Don’t want to pay 25 bucks to see Avengers 16? Pay 10 to see a low to mid budget crime or horror flick instead.
To keep profits up, theaters should bring back double features, intermissions, and sell popcorn with THC butter. Snack sales will explode.
and sell popcorn with THC butter.
Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
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I agree with you that this summer of 300 million dollar studio flops is well deserved and that the unholy fusion of Big Tech and Hollywood has destroyed our industry. Unfortunately for TV buffs, the era of big budget streaming is now also coming to a close due to a mixture of labor actions, rising interest rates, and the simple fact that there are too many apps and none of them make money.
The reason I prefer watching movies in theaters is because I enjoy communal experiences and feel good movies are enhanced by leaving home and joining a crowd. It’s the same reason I go to concerts, sporting events, and plays and comedy shows. Plus I am required to turn off my phone.
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That’s too expensive. I don’t blame you. Things will need to change.
Theatres were dying before covid. People can get a better experience from home for less money. This is one of those things covid helped speed the death of up. Just like distributed working for those who have jobs that can be done remote offers better productivity with lower costs to employers and workers. Those businesses that fail to adapt will be brought into the future kicking and screaming or just fail to adapt and die off.
You are incorrect that the future of entertainment is an endless, perpetual feed of on-demand home video. It is completely unsustainable. The streaming model peaked during the global quarantine and is now in freefall. You will never have as many people watching TV at the same time again. There was literally almost nothing else to do. The reason why David Zaslav is butchering the MAX catalog, Netflix is cracking down on password sharing, Disney+ and Hulu are set to merge, Paramount is on the verge of a total shutdown, Apple and Prime are canceling shows left and right, and Peacock is seeking a lifeline is because these services existed to thrive during a pandemic. The shutdowns are over and people are going outside again.
You are correct that the studios’ major theatrical releases are flopping this summer and that multiplexes are suffering: The failure of Indiana Jones and The Flash are a testament to Hollywood’s greed, bloat, and hubris. But spend some time in New York, LA, Portland, Chicago, and more and you will find dozens of repertory and revival theaters selling out classic movies every single night with enthusiastic crowds. People want affordability and quality. And they want to leave their homes and enjoy entertainment with their communities.
Why don’t you all get togther and make a kickstarter for films, to go around the big corporate structure. Some sort of non-profit film studio that’s devoted to creating creating great scripts and funding their production.
Crowdfunding has been great for small indie video games and products and historically awful for film. Remember the Veronica Mars movie on Kickstarter? They raised a shitload of money from fans and then sold it to WB. We haven’t seen a high profile film crowdfunded since. WeFundr exists, but isn’t particularly killing it.
To make a real movie with wide theatrical potential, you need people willing to put six and seven figures in. Investors in movies want equity and access. They want a piece of the potential profit, they want to visit sets, meet movie stars and directors, and come to premieres and festivals. They want to have a cameo in the movie or give their kid a job on set. They want to see their names on a screen. They want to give notes. They want to tell their friends they made a movie. They want to be a part of the show. It’s my job to facilitate these investments while protecting my filmmakers from interference.
Well that explains why movies suck so much nowadays. Y’all need to fix that.
Stop watching the high budget movies then. Higher budgets creates higher risks, thus prioritizing methods to getting a return on their investment rather than just what would make the movie better.
Or better yet, just watch the movies that you think look cool and stop worrying about the underlying political mind games of the film industry.
I don’t. Maybe don’t assume shit.
Feels like reddit in here.
I think its a fair assumption. Statements like “movies suck now” are big indicators of the types of movies the person making the statement are watching. There are tonnes of excelent films out there, they just dont get the backing and advertisement that big budget films get. You have to go out and find them. There are resources all over the internet for finding good movies (big or small budget) but you have to make the effort to look and find something good. Thats just what happens when big industries get their fingers in the pie.
No I don’t need to go find them. The fact is we are talking about movie theaters. The types of movies people don’t have to fuckin Google.
An exterminator told me that a lot of cinemas have issues with bedbugs. Since then, I haven’t been able to set foot in one.
That’s horrifying to think about
I’ve heard the same. They weren’t enjoyable places even pre covid and now it’s just not worth the trip or the risk. Better experience at home for less money.
Tickets at my local theater is still lik $8. Wtf do you live?
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I saw Indiana Jones today it had 25 minutes of trailers, an admonishment to not ruin the movie, Nicole Kidman telling me how great going to the movies is, and a commercial for the projector. So a movie listed to start at 11 started at 11:28. it’s fucking ridiculous.
I find that pretty consistent for AMC. What ever the listed time is the film will play after 30min of trailers/promos. Its annoying but easy to plan around.
You also have to go to a good theater, because a lot of the time you go and the picture is too dim and out of focus, and the sound system isn’t balanced properly. That will be $60 dollars.
My local Orpheum is $9 for adult tickets and includes a drink and a regular popcorn. $11 gets you a ticket, large drink, and large popcorn. Drink refills are $1. Both theaters have recliners, couches, and Love seats at the back. They’re awesome! Though you have to show up quite early if you want a comfy seat.
That’s a ripoff. I imagine that theater is a lot nicer than the one nearest to me but tickets are usually $12 for an adult and $6 for a child. But on Wednesdays all tickets are $6 regardless of age. They call it date night but you don’t have to bring a date. You can even come alone. Or so I’ve been told ಥ_ಥ
The popcorn isn’t even all that expensive either, but the drinks are. I think mostly because drinks are the easiest to sneak in.
