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gon ,
@gon@lemmy.world avatar

CONVENIENCE FEES HAHAHAHA

God what a scam that shit is

jscummy ,

What you don’t find paying extra money convenient?

c0mbatbag3l ,
@c0mbatbag3l@lemmy.world avatar

“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!”

kevin2107 ,

Honestly they probably spend so much on devs to maintain their website that they don’t break even lmao

c0mbatbag3l ,
@c0mbatbag3l@lemmy.world avatar

The amount you’d save not hiring physical ticket sales workers would absolutely dwarf any amount of possible dev salaries for one website.

kautau ,

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

EddieTee77 ,

It’s a convenient way for them to rip you off

kamen ,

... and on top of that you have to watch like ten minutes' worth of ads at the beginning. Ugh.

Sendbeer ,

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.

deweydecibel ,

So you haven't been to a movie theater in, like, 20 years? Because none of that is new.

kamen ,

First time I remember going to see a movie was about 20 years ago. There might’ve been a movie preview or two; I don’t remember ads. Both “trailers” and ads have gotten progressively worse over the years - almost to the point that you’d think they alone fund the movie and the theatre - but you still pay a ridiculous ticket price.

nogooduser ,

Adverts have been on at the cinema for as long as I remember although they might have been for products sold at the cinema.

This is the oldest advert that I remember and it’s from 1986. youtu.be/rlyrlsf3EfA

Edit: although your point of both previews and ads getting progressively worse is still very correct.

mayo ,
@mayo@lemmy.world avatar

Ads are fairly new, like the car commercial kind of ads. Before you’d show up early to watch the trailers. No one would show up early to watch ads.

_number8_ ,

i don’t mind true previews, but seeing standard TV ad garbage in a theatre that loud legitimately pissed me off last few times I went. swear they got louder. i also age incrementally, unceasingly, which doesn’t help

STRIKINGdebate2 OP ,
@STRIKINGdebate2@lemmy.world avatar

That’s the thing that bugs me so much. Most movies have around 10 minutes of ads. That is ample time to promote some of the lesser known movies that company has made but instead we get ads for insurance companies pretending that they are green, banks gaslighting you into thinking they care about you, McDonalds trying to trick you into their food I synonymous with a happy family and Matt Damon pushing cryto currency on you. I would rather watch an ad for a good movie.

chowanana ,

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

mayo ,
@mayo@lemmy.world avatar

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.

chowanana ,

it’s not that serious, get there a couple minutes late and that’s it

CupDock ,

More like 20 to 30 minutes 🙄

OrnluWolfjarl ,

Would be good if it was only 10 minutes. Where I’m from it’s 15 minute ads (with horrible sound usually too), followed by 15 minutes of trailers.

Though we don’t have this bullshit with “convenience fees”.

donut4ever ,
@donut4ever@lemmy.world avatar

Serious question, wtf is a convenience fee? There needs to be a law for companies to explain wtf these things are.

idealotus ,

For the convenience of getting screwed over…

LetMeEatCake ,

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.

donut4ever ,
@donut4ever@lemmy.world avatar

It’s fucking disgusting. TMobile does this shit, too with their “other fees”. My gym does this with a $27 a year “maintenance fee”. Like wtf is this?

SixTrickyBiscuits ,

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.

donut4ever ,
@donut4ever@lemmy.world avatar

I don’t know. I don’t mind the fee if it’s small, but at least give a name that shows it’s justified. “other fees” doesn’t mean shit

Xterrestrea1 ,

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.

Infinitenonblondes ,

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.

scoops ,

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.

HoloPengin ,

I watched the new spiderverse. I liked the Dolby Atmos/HDR demo as I hadn’t seen them before, but they’ll need to shorten them a little bit going forward

Infinitenonblondes ,

The first Dolby movie I saw Thor Ragnarok, and they ran that same damn ad for the projector then, so that’s like 5 and half years. But I do prefer the Dolby to imax, or at least the bullshit imax they run in amc theaters.

JerichoRamirez ,
@JerichoRamirez@lemmy.world avatar

Question from an European: What is that convenience fee? Which costs does it cover?

Dempf ,

Nothing, it's just an extra charge so that the company can make more money.

ZapBeebz_ ,

Nothing for the customer. It’s just convenient for the theater to charge more for the ticket.

ReaderTunesOctopus ,

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

Gigan ,
@Gigan@lemmy.world avatar

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.

GalacticHero ,

Adding to this for more context, in America, credit card fees on merchants are like 3-5% of the transaction. That’s why some places have started to pass them to consumers, especially in low-margin businesses like restaurants and movie theaters. If your margins are around 5% and Visa is taking 3.95%, that’s not super sustainable. Card network fees tend to be much lower in Europe. I’m not sure about elsewhere.

nrezcm ,

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).

dingus ,

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?

mayo ,
@mayo@lemmy.world avatar

And you have to create an account (with 2FA) to buy the tickets. In specifically inconvenient.

And the fee stacks too which is insane.

Synaptician ,

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.

Nougat ,

See, if you didn't pay that fee, then buying the tickets would be "inconvenient."

Jokes aside, it's really just a way to pad profits. It should be called the "We want more of your money" fee.

ivanafterall ,
@ivanafterall@kbin.social avatar

I'm paying added convenience fees left and right, but I'm not feeling the added convenience. Please send help.

Yoz ,

I bought a 65" TV for $300 and good speakers. Never been to a cinema after that

ItsaB3AR ,

I got a $600 projector and have about 90 inch display ( can hit 120 if my apartment was bigger). No need to go to a cinema, overpay for drinks and snacks, and I can pause and pee whenever I want.

Yoz ,

LEGEND!

ItsaB3AR ,

When you get divorced, you make decisions 😂

asher ,

From the tone of your phrasing, it sounds like you got rid of TWO expensive things at once! lol

ItsaB3AR ,

😂

Obi ,
@Obi@sopuli.xyz avatar

I have a very good setup at home but we still like going to the cinema once in a while, it’s more of an event and we don’t spend the movie with our nose in our phones.

We do select movies where it’s worth it, big action, etc. Last one was the new avatar in “4D” where they splash you with sprays, the seats move and you feel the wind, pretty cool.

christophski ,

Maybe you should have a no phones rule when you watch a movie at home? Seems like a good idea otherwise what’s the point of watching

RockYourWorld31 ,

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.

M0oP0o ,
@M0oP0o@mander.xyz avatar

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.

RTJMFer ,

I live in Vancouver and we have theatres similar to that here

M0oP0o ,
@M0oP0o@mander.xyz avatar

$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?

ferne ,

Where? I’d love to go to one if you don’t mind sharing.

Rolder ,

The hell is a “convenience fee”?

Gradually_Adjusting ,
@Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world avatar

That’s when you pay extra because money is yucky

erik1984 ,
@erik1984@lemmy.world avatar

Came here to ask the same thing. Whatever it is you expect it to be included in the ticket price already when they are this high

hiscapness ,

Usually charged when you use a credit card online. Because “fees”. At least that’s what I’ve seen.

FollyDolly ,
@FollyDolly@lemmy.world avatar

I gave up on theaters a long time ago. I wanna watch a movie in my PJs, smoke pot, and pause it when I need to. Plus I get lots of kitty snuggles during the viewing as well.

ohlaph ,

Kitty snuggles are priceless too. Win win.

GONADS125 ,

If you’re stoned enough, a big screen and decent sound system is just as engrossing as a movie theater.

I was so stoned the first time I smoked hash, I kept falling asleep to Inception in theater. The score would jolt me awake and I had no clue what the hell happened in that movie.

I went back and watched it sober a few days later with another friend. After that, I had no clue what happened in that movie…

elxeno ,

That sounds very convenient, how much is the convenience fee?

citable6704 ,

About a bag of cat food per month

SolarNialamide ,

Nothing beats sitting on my own couch in my bathrobe with one kitty on my lap and another snuggled up to me at my side. Don’t have to go out of the house, snacks are cheap. You’d have to pay me money to go to a theater, and a hefty amount at that.

Pinin4thefjords ,

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.

bosshoggwadeboggs ,

That’s horrifying to think about

Powerpoint ,

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.

Alice ,
@Alice@lemmy.world avatar

What the fuck? A convenience fee??? They’re just making shit up at this point

ChibiBlackSheep ,

AMC has this fee for choosing your seat and booking online ahead of time. It’s a dumb fee that they waive for spending $15/yr on a stubs membership.

I honestly just paid the $15 because it annoyingly makes things “cheaper”

Lzwzli ,

You don’t need to pay for the stubs membership. Just sign up for the basic stubs which is free and the fee is waived. They get your email and can send you marketing materials but that’s easy to unsubscribe.

burningquestion ,

That convenience fee is as much as a matinee in my hometown used to cost. I’m not that old.

errbodylovesaonsie ,

Was literally thinking the same thing. Afternoon matinees in the mid 2000s were like $5 in my, admittedly small, hometown. You and your friends could get dropped off at the shopping center, hit up the arcade, see a movie, and go bowling in the evening all for like $30 lol.

JBonLemmy ,

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 budget crime flick instead.

To keep profits up, theaters should bring back double features, intermissions, and sell popcorn with THC butter. Snack sales will explode.

BNJMBANKS ,

We didn’t ask for a billion dollars in CGI. That’s their fault. That’s why people rather wait for their favorite site to have the movies and watch it from home. Even then… most movies are still disappointing.

JBonLemmy ,

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 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 the theater. Plus I am required to turn off my phone.

BNJMBANKS ,

I do like the theater but it’s hundred plus dollars to go with me and the family. It makes more sense financially to pop some popcorn, invite their cousins over black out the living room best we can and watch the movie at home.

JBonLemmy ,

That’s too expensive. I don’t blame you. Things will need to change.

xT1TANx ,

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.

JBonLemmy ,

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.

xT1TANx ,

Well that explains why movies suck so much nowadays. Y’all need to fix that.

Chailles ,
@Chailles@lemmy.world avatar

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.

xT1TANx ,

I don’t. Maybe don’t assume shit.

Mr_Dr_Oink ,

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.

xT1TANx ,

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.

Mr_Dr_Oink ,

Low budget films play in movie theatres too.

If you are watching a trailer and deciding based on that alone if you want to see a film thats fine. But dont be mad when you walk out feeling like they missold the quality of the film.

Some of the best films ive seen have looked bad or uninteresting in trailers.

Refardless my point was there is no reason that you should be offended by the assumption that you only watch mainstream films especially when you basically admit that when arguing back.

xT1TANx ,

Bruh, stay off the ego juice and realize that your logic isn’t everyone else’s. Which is why people aren’t going to the movies at these prices. The big budget films are what we see in NORMAL theaters and they are stale/boring/bad.

Mr_Dr_Oink ,

You should apply what you just said to yourself. Ego has nothing to do with me agreeing with someone who innocuously assumed your taste in films. My taste in films isnt necessarily better that yours or anyones. You are the one who seems to be getting offended when someone claims you are only watching mainstream films.

I love loads of mainstream films! Why would that be embarrassing? You are missing the point and falsely accusing me of being big headed.

Go back to reddit please.

xT1TANx ,

Dude, again. Your ego is the problem not mine. You are trying to make this conversation about something completely different from the original topic so that you can then be smug.

People are not going to movie theaters. They are too expensive for what you get. It’s simple economics. If the product is not worth the price, people don’t want to buy it. You can tell me to go watch better movies all you want but that completely misses the point of the original conversation.

If the MAJORITY OF PEOPLE don’t want to watch what is showing then you have a problem. Telling me to go watch b movies or to find better ones is so asinine.

Mr_Dr_Oink ,

Hey mate. Im not interested in arguing about the price of movies. At no point during our conversation have i done that. I responded to a comment you made telling someone not to make assumptions about you and stated that i think they were pretty spot on with their assumptions about the tyoes of movies you watch. I never said your taste in films made you less than me or anyone else and even outright stated that i enjoy mainstream films too so i dont think im better than you.

You keep fighting with me about something im not arguing and calling me egotistical.

Please understand that if anything i have said has come across as aggressive or offensive (other than me pointing out how ‘reddit’ like this chain has been) please understand that was not my intention so im sorry.

I would like to say however that theres nothing asinine about suggesting if you arent happy with the films you are watching that you should go find better ones. Its pretty much the only answer to the problem.

xT1TANx ,

Again, you keep making this about me going and finding better movies. Stop. That is NOT THE POINT. You keep trying to come off like you are magnanimous but it’s incredible smug of you.

I do not have to do anything. It’s not about me finding better movies. I don’t have to look for anything. If Theaters don’t want to become blockbuster they are going to have to change their practices.

If you don’t want to have this discussion stop responding to me. Your ego clearly cannot allow you to not have the last word though. So I’m sure you’ll come back and give me some other argument.

Mr_Dr_Oink ,

Forget it mate. You think im arguing with you, i think you are just looking for a fight.

Please re read our conversation. You werent talking about the price of films in the comment you made which i first responded to, and neither was i.

You were defending yourself when someone claimed you need to stop watching main stream films if you think they are all crap these days.

You said something to the effect of “thats why films are all crap these days, you need to fix that” then someone said you need to stop watching those types of films and look for stuff that actually looks good and you told them not to “assume shit” about you.

Then i stepped in and commented that the other guy clearly made an accurate assumption. And now i would say its pretty clear that he touched a nerve with you.

Infact id say that you need to wind your neck in. You need to stop projecting, you keep claiming my ego is huge but your the one who keeps getting triggered when yours is poked.

You call my suggestion to watch better films “asinine” (which means stupid or foolish) when it is literally the only answer to the problem. Like if you bought a certain type of tv because its popular brand but found the quality was suffering lately. You would buy a different brand with better reviews. If thats asinine then i guess im thick as pig shit…

And now you say im being magnanimous when i have repeatedly stated outright that i dont think im better than you. Ill say it again. I dont think im better than you. Or anyone.

I think you are mad, maybe got truggered by something and have been unable to let it go. It happens to all of us all the time. You have to let it go. We all do.

Please, if you respond, understand tat im done arguing with you. I will not reply to anything you say. Unless its from a non aggressive and offensive place.

Powerpoint ,

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.

JBonLemmy , (edited )

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.

FlyingSquid ,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

and sell popcorn with THC butter.

Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

Johnnynobody66 ,

Convenience fee? What does that even mean?!

blade85 ,

Convenience of driving to the cinema with kids and dealing with their shenanigans, then finally getting in the cinema where they sit and watch the film for 2 hours without disturbing you. You are paying for that convenience.

Methylman ,

For the convenience of the sticky floors and seats so you don’t slide down the stairs - it’s a safety meausure

dinckelman ,

Convenience fee for the convenience of making that shit right up

Heisenburner ,

It’s very contradictory as it’s pretty inconvenient

pixelbud ,
@pixelbud@lemmy.world avatar

This reminds me… AMC wanted to test selling tickets at a higher cost based on seat location… corporate greed will keep folks at home.

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