Cinemas Charging Internet Convenience fees again

[dharmil007]

A year ago there was a High Court Order stating that in Mumbai cinemas cannot levy any Service Charges, Internet Charges, etc. on any Ticket booked online.

But from past 2 weeks cinemas have started levying these charges again.

When asked with the customer execs, they are saying these order has been stayed.
But i cannot find any proof for the same.

I just want to start a discussion.
Is this legit or what ?

 

[amjath]

Reported for moving thread

BTW In chennai the ticket booking cost ~140 [120 + online booking charges + tax i guess] :/

 

[Vyom]

I think charges on online tickets should be heavily criminalized. In Delhi it costs more than around Rs 15 per ticket extra if we book on Bookmyshow.com. But if we buy from respective sites like bigcinemas and wavecinema then it costs Rs 10 extra.

Also more concern are the rates of food and beverages inside theaters. Those are insanely high. Rs 60 for a small diet coke? WTF. I highly condemn this.

 

[amjath]

I think charges on online tickets should be heavily criminalized. In Delhi it costs more than around Rs 15 per ticket extra if we book on Bookmyshow.com. But if we buy from respective sites like bigcinemas and wavecinema then it costs Rs 10 extra.

Also more concern are the rates of food and beverages inside theaters. Those are insanely high. Rs 60 for a small diet coke? WTF. I highly condemn this.

once i remember paying ~100 for a bucket popcorn.

BTW my friend's friend who is the theatre owner told him that they don't get profit from movie tickets, their source of income are eatables

 

[dharmil007]

once i remember paying ~100 for a bucket popcorn.

BTW y friend's friend who is the theatre owner told him that they don't get profit from movie tickets, their source of income are eatables

Yes thats true, they earn massive amount of profit from eatables.
the thing which costs them merely RS.10 they sell it for Rs.60-80.
thats in house pricing.

But that convenience charges, are too much.
around Rs. 15-20 per ticket.
Thats blatant cheating.

 

[bssunilreddy]

Yes thats true, they earn massive amount of profit from eatables.
the thing which costs them merely RS.10 they sell it for Rs.60-80.
thats in house pricing.

But that convenience charges, are too much.
around Rs. 15-20 per ticket.
Thats blatant cheating.

This is just exploiting...

 

[Vyom]

once i remember paying ~100 for a bucket popcorn.

BTW my friend's friend who is the theatre owner told him that they don't get profit from movie tickets, their source of income are eatables

I don't see how seats which are like 200 and priced at Rs 150-200 each can't give profits! That's around 40k! Lets look at a case study (yea I hate this over pricing this much to do a case study):

Cinema	Seat Plan 1	Price per Seat Plan 1	Seat Plan 2	Price per Seat Plan 2	Total (in Rs)
Fun Cinema V3S Mall	114	250	84	240	48660
BIG Cinemas: RAP - Kaushambi (Morning)	250	160			40000
BIG Cinemas: RAP - Kaushambi (After Morning)	250	220			55000
PVR: Mahagun Metro, Vaishali	9	175	207	125	27450
PVR: Ambience Mall - Premiere	182	300			54600
JAM Multiplex: Shipra Mall	189	130	120	120	38970
Wave: The Wave Mall, Kaushambi	224	190			42560

These figures were taken from bookmyshow.com in theaters in Delhi and NCR, and calculated assuming every seat was booked which is indeed true considering millions, bollywood movies earn. Also remember these amounts are just for one show. Most of the theaters are multiplexes, where multiple theaters are present each running movies multiple times. So yea sure, it is *not* profitable.

These prices were increased btw. Previously I could watch a morning show at just Rs 60 (about just 2 yrs back). While these days you have to pay about Rs 150 even for morning show. Most of the theaters have totally abandoned morning shows and start movies at 12:30 so that they can charge non morning prices.

Anyway, my point being that when prices were low it was probably acceptable to charge more for food items. But now movie prices have gone up, *along with* prices of food and beverages. This is just insane. Totally not acceptable.

Recently a theater charged me Rs 60 for a diet coke. (I choose diet coke since that I consider it the only option which is priced low). I refused to pay Rs 60 and ended up juice which cost me Rs 50. I couldn't do more since its a trend which most have now accepted. Recently I have left watching movies in theaters, due to sudden increase in charges.

I just watch movies in home now and shifted my interests towards gaming more. Its a pity I have to give the "movie buff" inside me this treatment, but I can't just keep on being a victim of the price increase towards movie AND beverages.

 

[amjath]

^Honestly I hate taking eatables from theatres, that too when some guy comes with girl friend or a gang of friends [mostly girls] I felt sorry for him. Here in chennai multiplex any show [include morning] its 120 [direct booking] or ~150[online booking]. Since Government in Tamilnadu has rules regarding pricing in tickets we still dont have IMAX [everything is setup, not opened]. IMAX cost you guys fortune I guess

 

[SaiyanGoku]

a multiplex is at walking distance from my house. So, i book morning show tickets a day or two before from there only (no extra charges ). Rs 60 for non 3d movies. rs 20 extra for 3d.

morning shows are the best. nearly empty hall only true fans (or those can't afford, no offence to anybody) watching movies. (PS: i don't watch bollywood movies)

 

[amjath]

a multiplex is at walking distance from my house. So, i book morning show tickets a day or two before. Rs 60 for non 3d movies. rs 20 extra for 3d.

morning shows are the best. nearly empty hall only true fans (or those can't afford, no offence to anybody) watching movies. (PS: i don't watch bollywood movies)

I really like morning shows that too watching it alone with no friends

 

[ashs1]

^Honestly I hate taking eatables from theatres, that too when some guy comes with girl friend or a gang of friends [mostly girls] I felt sorry for him. Here in chennai multiplex any show [include morning] its 120 [direct booking] or ~150[online booking]. Since Government in Tamilnadu has rules regarding pricing in tickets we still dont have IMAX [everything is setup, not opened]. IMAX cost you guys fortune I guess

In this matter, chennai rocks!! few months back when I visited chennai, I saw man of steel in escape theatre ( belongs to satyam theatres).. The tickets costed just rs 120 and the ambience was simply fantastic..snacks costed a bomb though..

 

[Inceptionist]

Ask for the proof of stay on order. If he is making claim then he has to provide proof.

Offtopic: I don't eat at multiplexes. Those prices are daylight robbery.

 

[dharmil007]

Ask for the proof of stay on order. If he is making claim then he has to provide proof.

Offtopic: I don't eat at multiplexes. Those prices are daylight robbery.

They dont have a proof, because they are saying it is still an ongoing trial.

 

[theserpent]

No cinepolis still doesn't charge me for booking the ticker(cash at cinema)

 

[dashing.sujay]

And yesterday i booked haider for today. 540 + 67 !!

Also, it's true that rates at morning and rest of the day have got no difference.

 

[dashing.sujay]

I still remember going to theatre in my home city in 2005, 34/- all inclusive including a cold drink too!! Now go imagine.

 

[sling-shot]

There are many things to consider in the price of a ticket in a multiplex.
1. It is highly unlikely that the theatre is in a building of ones own. There are exorbitant mall rents to pay along with staff costs which are of a much higher order than a single screen old school theatre employing a generation old workers.
2. The revenue sharing with content owners. If I remember correct, it is now in favour of producers/distributors rather than theatre owners.
3. Cost of equipment. They need all the fancy sound and projection systems with patent encumbered technology costing a bomb.
4. Cost and commissions to be given to websites/ticketing agents online.
5. Taxes!
6. Lower than 100% occupancy. Not all shows and not all movies go full.

So when the cost of doing business is high the investors naturally expect a higher return. You cannot ask Rolls Roys to be happy with a profit of 5,000 Rs per car like say Maruti 800. (Just an example the actual values may be different)

Now think of your debit card. If you use it to buy a dress in a shop you get charged only the bill value. But if you use it in a petrol pump you will have to pay a 5% surcharge. Why? Because the cost of card transaction is borne by your seller in case of cloth shop and is actually adjusted from your bill while petrol pump owners have limited and fixed margins hence cannot bear the burden of card fee. In some shops if you offer to pay cash they may give you a small discount.

All conveniences come with a cost. It is up to us to decide if we like it or not. It is a crime if they stop selling tickets at the counter at regular charge and compel you to buy it online. Otherwise there is no basis for this accusation.

Corollary - Why no one has ever gone to court against reservation charges collected by IRCTC?