Free Cinema Tickets - Discussion thread

sharkgirl

We saw Marley on Tuesday and made an extra effort to get to the cinema earlier than normal in view of all the codes that were flying around, the cinema was full, I've no idea if anyone was turned away or not though, common sense said that it was going to happen because all the screenings seemed to be on the same days and the same times. What a pity, but hey don't worry, you didn't miss much, a set up sort of a film where you knew exactly what was coming including the build up to the end.

fedupconsumer

tugba8419 wrote: »

Hi fedupconsumer,

No it wasnt in swansea... it was in exeter There were so many people waiting outside I did not even see the manager of the cinema. All people who were sent back out told us that it is full... So I complained to seefilmfirst as well.

See film first have a lot to answer for this weekend it was the same in Swansea (30 or so people were turned away.) The manager was not even asking for identification nor was he checking the date and time of the tickets as there is a screening of the same film on Monday some people could have decided to go early (thanks by the way to those people who did:mad:). I had a ticket for two people for today the see film first system tells you that a screening is fully booked when all the tickets are allocated, something has gone massively wrong today and we are out of pocket with petrol thanks to them not happy with Odeon's response to this, have also complained to see film first, i know its free screening but the way which we were treated today and the level of inaccurate tickets assigned are good enough grounds for a complaint. Keep us apprised to their response im sure other people in the same boat will want to know.

quoia

Well you can't have it both ways.

SFF gives out 100 tickets for 100 seat screening - 50 don't turn up - cinema is only half full.

SFF gives out 130 tickets for 100 seat screening - 50 don't turn up - cinema is still only 80% full.

SFF gives out 130 tickets for 100 seat screening - 20 don't turn up - cinema is FULL and 10 people get turned away.

I've been to over 20 free screenings where under 12 people have been in the audience.
One one occasion there were just THREE of us.
About another 20 to 25 screenings accounted for larger audiences of up to 25.
I'd say over 90% of them are never more than 75% full.

In fact, thinking about it, MORE screenings, about TWICE as many, have had under a dozen seats occupied than have ever been 100% full and people have had to be turned away. Only seen this on 8 or 9 occasions.
I've never been turned away myself, but I do generally get there the "recommended" 30 minutes before the film starts, and I've been to well over 200 (probably 250) of these previews.

SFF, well the promoters/film companies/etc., want (potentially need) audiences to be filled towards capacity and not at the other end of the scale, almost empty.
Sadly it is a "certain section" of the "general public" that cause the problem of a few of these previews being overbooked.
As has been experienced by many here on MSE, most of the time a significant proportion of the "potential" audience NEVER turn up.
All the tickets have gone, MSE members complaining they can't get them, other members go to the said screening and report only 40% of seats taken.
So SFF, in an attempt to resolve this consistantly unacceptable shortfall, make available twice as many tickets as seats to get an 80% audience.
Only on very rare occasions do more people turn up than seats are available.

I'd guess that if at least 8 out of every 10 tickets issued were actually redeemed and resulted in bums on seats at these previews, SFF would never issue more tickets than seats, but whilst a significant selfish lot that have taken tickets don't turn up most of the time, I'm sure this will continue to happen now and then.

As for complaining ? Might just get you a free ticket, but I presume you have read the SFF TERMS & CONDITIONS ?

http://www.seefilmfirst.com/webuser.tsandcs.action

<snip>
Allocation of tickets
All tickets are supplied in good faith and SeeFilmFirst cannot be held responsible for any changes or cancellation in screening times. Tickets are supplied on a first come, first served basis. Whilst all efforts are made to ensure tickets are allocated to capacity, in the event that there is overbooking, for whatever reason, any alternative ticket allocation is entirely at the discretion of SeeFilmFirst or the cinema manager. No guaranteed compensation is offered. Tickets are supplied for use of applicant and guest only. Tickets are non transferable.
</snip>

tugba8419

fedupconsumer wrote: »

See film first have a lot to answer for this weekend it was the same in Swansea (30 or so people were turned away.) The manager was not even asking for identification nor was he checking the date and time of the tickets as there is a screening of the same film on Monday some people could have decided to go early (thanks by the way to those people who did:mad:). I had a ticket for two people for today the see film first system tells you that a screening is fully booked when all the tickets are allocated, something has gone massively wrong today and we are out of pocket with petrol thanks to them not happy with Odeon's response to this, have also complained to see film first, i know its free screening but the way which we were treated today and the level of inaccurate tickets assigned are good enough grounds for a complaint. Keep us apprised to their response im sure other people in the same boat will want to know.

Hi fedupconsumer,
I complained yesterday and got the email below back.

Hi Tugba,

Apologies, I am looking into this matter now. In the meantime please forward me your postal address and I will send you a pair of complimentary tickets to a film of your choice.

Please advise which cinema you visited.

sharkgirl

Well said Quoia, it's obviously going to be the case and a cinema manager quoting flight booking systems may sound harsh but he's quite right. It's no different to a printed voucher in a newspaper for a freebie, let's say cashmere scarf for instance, and then someone making the effort to get into the city (queuing up) and finding stocks all gone, a freebie is a freebie is a freebie and if you get the chance to have a free viewing or a free scarf well then lucky you if not, that's life. The tickets are free for a reason and the company need to fill the cinema.

Elaniel

Sarah.A wrote: »

A chance to see this film before it opens nationwide on 11th March 2009


Marley & Me: 904251

Argh... I went straight to the site as soon as I got the email and my two local cinemas are full.
How can they be so full in less than 60 seconds? Are they being offered elsewhere too or something.

cardiff2007

sharkgirl wrote: »

Well said Quoia, it's obviously going to be the case and a cinema manager quoting flight booking systems may sound harsh but he's quite right. It's no different to a printed voucher in a newspaper for a freebie, let's say cashmere scarf for instance, and then someone making the effort to get into the city (queuing up) and finding stocks all gone, a freebie is a freebie is a freebie and if you get the chance to have a free viewing or a free scarf well then lucky you if not, that's life. The tickets are free for a reason and the company need to fill the cinema.

Spot on of course they have to oversubscribe to these showings i have been to a few showings where people have been turned away usually they are late comers i find that if you go really early then you never get disappointed.

mynameisT

Rachie_B wrote: »

um ! this is the discussion thread NOT the code thread :rolleyes:

codes here ! http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=606589&page=2

That is why he's posting his comment here and not at the codes only thread :rotfl:

rummy

Thanks Quoia for your useful post, as always. I do agree with you on what you said - being a freebie, it's not always guaranteed and that it is better to allocate more seats than there actually is due to selfish people, you are really spot on however I understand the frustration of the others.

I've not actually been turned away as of yet at a cinema but I think I would have been abit frustrated if I were. I would assume that a film like "Marley and Me" would have people turning up for the viewing as it's a popular film therefore in this case SFF should not have allocated too many "overbooking" seats as I'm sure in the case of this film, due to the popularity with Jennifer Aniston starring and what not, I'm sure 90% of the people who are allocated tickets would turn up. And the selfish 10% who don't, well obviously that's because, as you quite rightly pointed, they are selfish.

I think SFF need to really think about how they allocate tickets. Where a film is bound to be popular such as Marley and Me, Hellboy etc then a lower allocation should be made so that no more than 10 people are turned away. 50 people being turned away is quite a large number and I feel sorry for those who travel just for the freebie only to find their travel has been a waste of time. From what I've heard so far, all the screenings for Marley and Me were pretty much full. Then on the other hand, there are the films that may not prove so popular so they do need the over allocation in order to get the cinema 80% full.

I've only been to a few of the screenings but I've noticed depending on how popular the film is going to be reflects on how many people actually turn up. Eg. when I went to watch Taken it was about 80% full, when I watched Burn After Reading it was 100% (I think due to Brad Pitt/George Clooney starring so you'd be daft to miss a free preview of that!) and when I watched Milk there was my friend and I, and about 6 other people in the cinema. And that was even after so many over allocations that I saw available for Milk for the viewing I was going too and I remember my other friends not being able to get tickets as it kept coming up as full for the cinema we chose yet at the actual viewing there was only 8 of us.

I sympathise with all of you who were turned away and I do understand your frustration however as Quoia quite rightly pointed, they are free and as the terms and condition says, try get there 30 minutes earlier in order to get a place in the first 100 of the queue.

I hope you are not turned away at any further screenings and that you do get a chance to watch this film for free.

LilMissEmmylou

rummy just to note its not always people being selfish that leads to empty seats - I once totally forgot I had tickets to frost Vs nixon (which i still havent gotten to see but want to) and didnt realise until the next day when i checked my emails and seen the reminder.

But thanks to all the comments re marley and me I shall be heading down early tonight