The $38.9 million fine Cineplex has now been handed is equivalent to the amount it collected from consumers through the $1.50 online booking fee between June 2022 and December 2023.
This is already way harsher than corporations usually get but I can’t help but wish it was more that all they got because they come out with no actual loss.
Hell yeah, I was complaining about this when I went to see Dune 2. What an inane way to punish your most passionate fans trying to support a dying business model.
Well not really. And this is not to defend this company, I hate them so much, but I just want to highlight the difference.
When you go on Ticketmaster the price shown is what you will pay. Including the taxes and whatever bullshit fees they want to add. So you know exactly what it is going to cost you. What Cineplex was doing was showing the cost of the ticket (let’s say at 15$ or whatever), but when you go checkout, now the cost is 15$+tx, PLUS the ordering online fees as well. That is what was ruled illegal.
I found a bug in their booking system recently where it didn’t handle paypal transactions properly. After 20min of poking at it the entire theater was rendered un-bookable as a dozen failed transactions took an hour to time out.
It would be a shame if that were to happen to someone on opening night of a big movie.
I think this practice of adding the 4% credit card fee to the final bill when using a CC should also constitute drip pricing. It used to be against merchant agreements but that went away, so there needs to be another enforcement method.
I’ve been saying this is an absolutely bullshit fee, they just put it in without any change to their site. Last time I went to the theatre early to book at the box office just to avoid it.
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This is already way harsher than corporations usually get but I can’t help but wish it was more that all they got because they come out with no actual loss.
Fine should be 10x the amount collected over the fees life time, not a bit over a years worth
Yes I agree. To me this sends the message ``best case you keep the money, worst cause you have to pay it back." No true penalty.
Side note, that is the very last sentence in an article titled “Cineplex fined $38.9M over $1.50 online booking fee”.
Man, I hate the dumb attention economy. We suck as a species.
Hell yeah, I was complaining about this when I went to see Dune 2. What an inane way to punish your most passionate fans trying to support a dying business model.
Do AirCanada next! Also, all the US airlines.
Ticketmaster also came to mind as a company that has been doing this for years.
Well not really. And this is not to defend this company, I hate them so much, but I just want to highlight the difference.
When you go on Ticketmaster the price shown is what you will pay. Including the taxes and whatever bullshit fees they want to add. So you know exactly what it is going to cost you. What Cineplex was doing was showing the cost of the ticket (let’s say at 15$ or whatever), but when you go checkout, now the cost is 15$+tx, PLUS the ordering online fees as well. That is what was ruled illegal.
They have to pay the fine back to people who all paid the fee right???
I found a bug in their booking system recently where it didn’t handle paypal transactions properly. After 20min of poking at it the entire theater was rendered un-bookable as a dozen failed transactions took an hour to time out.
It would be a shame if that were to happen to someone on opening night of a big movie.
I think this practice of adding the 4% credit card fee to the final bill when using a CC should also constitute drip pricing. It used to be against merchant agreements but that went away, so there needs to be another enforcement method.
More of this please.
Odd to have a timeframe
It didn’t mean they won’t be charging it, just that they have to make it clear in their advertising.
I’ve gone from going to movies every month to every six months. The rest I’ll catch at home.
Judge: for the charge of first degree murder, we find the defendant guilty
Me: ok Google, set a timer for 10 years
I’ve been saying this is an absolutely bullshit fee, they just put it in without any change to their site. Last time I went to the theatre early to book at the box office just to avoid it.