Cineworld unlimited taking the mickey?

alexinmancs

Hi

I've been a Cineworld unlimited card holder since it was UGC, almost 5 years now. I do watch A LOT of films so it is good value but I think the last few months they have been making things difficult for us.

I went yesterday (Friday) to watch a 3D film and I was told that unlimited card holders have to pay an extra £1.50 for 3D films! This has to be quite recent since I have watched before 3D films but not for quite some time.
It's fine with films that are shown as 2D as well (i.e. Ice Age 3) but what about films that only come in 3D (i.e. My Bloody Valentine)? If we cannot watch ANY film surely that goes against the contract that unlimited card holders have with Cineworld?

Also in a more serious case, they have changed the price they charge and amended the Direct Debit without sending a letter out first. This was probably done a few months ago and I know they didn't send any letters because I have another 3 friends with such cards and they never received a notification either. Isn't that illegal? If someone doesn't check the small amounts in their account then they won't know so surely they can claim the difference back since they were never notified?
I remember seeing the poster adverts in the cinema and when me and someone else comented on it the cashier told us that that the £13.50 is for new members and we would still pay £11.99.
I might be cancelling soon anyway so is it worth it to try and reclaim the difference since I was never notified?

Soon they will be like the Ryanair of cinemas. Watch as many films as you want for £13.50 a month... unless it's 3D... or on Saturdays... or if it's certificate PG... etc etc!

KimYeovil

The £11.99 would have been only for your first twelve months. After the initial subscription is up, you would change to the current price - £13.50. I know I was notified by email. Are you sure you were not?

The 3D scam applies to both customers. Why should Unlimited cardholders be excused?

If you're not happy with changes you are free to take your custom elsewhere.

Xaviera

How very supportive Kim 'If you don't like it eff off somewhere else' basically

Alex - I would definitley write to them, if you've been a member for 5 years I think you deserve some loyalty from CIneworld. You might find they have notified you in some way, but if it's been £11.99 for 4 years, why did they change it now?! :rolleyes:

Have you checked all through your paperwork to make sure this 3d stuff doesn't apply in your T&C's?

alexinmancs

Kim the 3D pricing is not a scam because since 3D films were released you always had to pay extra and it was well advertised (at least in the cinema I go to in Didsbury, Manchester) but not for unlimited users. My issue is that they changed their minds with no official notification, probably because £d films are becoming very common now. If you want to join now there are 2 price tiers, one for all cinemas excluding some central ones and one including them, no word about any extras. My worry is that they will do a "Ryanair" on us and start charging us small amounts for every little thing.
As for the pricing change...
I have been a member for almost 5 years. I joined in September 2004 (for £9.99 pcm) and 6 months later they put the price up (£10.99 pcm) but notified me a month before the change. They also notified me when it went to £11.99, I think it was about 18 months ago probably more. I never received an e-mail for those changes, just something through the post which was enough. In the latest price hike I'm not the only one who never received notification, as I have already stated, so I'm pretty sure it's not my fault that I didnt receive it (through change of e-mails, addresses etc)
In any case my question was about reclaiming direct debits and what the law says about the DD so I know if I have reasons to claim or not. I know why they do it and I don't blame them (they are trying to make as much money as possible as is the nature of a business) but they have to follow certain procedures surely. My question was more legal than anything else and I was wondering if there are any other Cineworld unlimited holders who could comment on it.
Kim and Xaviera thank you for your feedback anyway. Any feedback is appreciated

Penny-Pincher!!

Can you not keep your 3D glasses for the next film?

PP
xx

KimYeovil

The cost is not for the glasses - it's for the projectors.

hayley11

With regards to complaining about the price increase, you say this was "probably done a few months ago" - why didn't you complain straight away? You would probably have more of a case then but you've been paying the extra for a few months, it looks like you've accepted the price increase so not sure they will refund the difference but I would ask, if you don't ask, you don't get!

fabjenni

Strictly speaking under the Direct Debit guarantee you must be informed at least 10 days before any different payment is taken, so you may have some recourse there, but then again they could just say they sent out a letter & it's not their fault you didn't get it.

jules85_2

We definitely got a letter telling us the price was increasing to £13.50 - it was at that point we decided to cancel!

rabray

I also dont like their approach on a few matters.

1, they dont really allow for booking in advance, we have often asked for online booking. They fob us off with they cant as its another companies computer system. So they dont have access. Nonsense, networking technology makes this possible without a great deal of hassle.

2, When friends have forgotten their cards, the folks at the ticket desks have sent them home or asked them to pay full price claiming as its another companies system they can verify your a unlimited user. What I have found is if you demand they call the company they can verify you by asking a few details. Dont let them send you home or make you pay more cash!

3, the 3d thing. We had a period with no charge, then suddenly without any warning there is a charge of £1.50. We were told it was for the specs, so I suggested using my own, they dont allow that apparently. A friend got a email response saying its due to running costs for 3d films.

We started a petition to get an idea of how many folks are unhappy about the cineworld card. So far not many :rotfl: but that being said ive not really advertised it that well.

www. ipetitions.com/petition/cineworld3d/ (cant post as a url so remove the spaces)

We will probably stick it out with the card, I know plenty people say if you dont like it, demonstrate with your wallet but my girlfriend and I do enjoy days at the flicks and its still a cheaper way of going for the amount of visits we have on average months.

alexinmancs

Rabray I hear ya! Last time I was at the cinema I saw a letter on the public announcements wall saying that when 3D became available in the cinemas Unlimited card holders could watch it like any other film but that was only for the first few months and to due to the extra costs of this technology there is an extra fee to be paid. I assume there is an extra cost and they do say that now but nothing official to the current unlimited card holders and the lack of communication is what is really annoying.
By the way I have 3d glasses and if there is a film I NEED to watch on 3D then I will just get a ticket for a film at a similar time and then instead of going to watch the film I have the ticket for, I watch the 3D film... simples. That will work if you do it in the off-peak times (childrens films on friday night, horror films on sunday morning etc) so it's not too busy.

Whinging aside, the price still makes sense if you watch more than 3 films a month so even if their on-line services and communication suffers it still makes monetary sense.

On that note, I'm off to the cinema