Cineworld cancelled film

lottieholder

A friend of mine booked online to see a film with her children that they were really looking forward to. 4 hours before the film was due to be shown she received an email advising her that they weren't showing that film after all. They said they were going to refund her money within the next 5 working days and that the booking fee was non-refundable. As she only gets to see her children for 3 hours every fortnight and she'd promised them a trip to the cinema, she rebooked to see another film. She's on benefits and this has left her with worries that she can't cover her bills.

Since the problem isn't hers, shouldn't they also repay the booking fee? Has anyone else had this happen to them? Oh, and this is Cineworld.

forgotmyname

70p per person booking fee?

Says non-refundable but not clear if they cancel it, presume non-refundable in all cases.

theonlywayisup

If she is worried she can't cover her bills, why has she rebooked before getting her refund.

SnowTiger

lottieholder wrote: »

A friend of mine booked online to see a film with her children that they were really looking forward to. 4 hours before the film was due to be shown she received an email advising her that they weren't showing that film after all. They said they were going to refund her money within the next 5 working days and that the booking fee was non-refundable.

[...]

Since the problem isn't hers, shouldn't they also repay the booking fee? Has anyone else had this happen to them? Oh, and this is Cineworld.

https://www.cineworld.co.uk/terms/online,-phone-and-my-cineworld#online-ticket-purchases-and-fees:

5.3 Subject to certain exemptions as set out in Clause 5.4 below, a booking fee of 70p/70c per person (“Fee”) for whom a seat is booked will be payable by the User when purchasing tickets through the Web Site. This Fee is payable to Cineworld's sister company, Classic Cinemas Limited. The Fee is in addition to the price of a ticket but, to ensure the booking process is as clear as possible, it is included in the headline ticket prices shown.

[...]

5.15 Cineworld will endeavour to operate its cinemas in accordance with its advertised programme. However, there will be instances when its ability to show a performance is impaired by circumstances beyond its control. In such situations, Cineworld reserves the right to cancel a performance, vary the time it shows it or provide customers with an alternative performance. If Cineworld does have to cancel a performance, the User’s sole remedy shall be a refund of the admission price paid for the relevant tickets, and no other costs.

In my opinion it would be outrageous for your friend not to be refunded what she paid.

If I were her I'd wait a week to see what happens before taking the matter any further.

unholyangel

Its quite simple.

They're in breach of contract. Your friend shouldn't be worse off for their breach. Tell them to refund the lot. Or approach the bank and ask them to do a chargeback.

Nilrem

Yup

The booking fee was not an optional extra but they required it to book the tickets, they, not the op have cancelled the showing (at extremely short notice which imo is unacceptable unless there was an issue with the cinema IE equipment failure*).
The fact it's provided by a "third party", to which they mean the subsidery they've got specifically because the tax rate is better if they can show payment services are a separate line item, is neither here nor there.

Hence all the money should be refunded, it shouldn't even be a question.

If it happened to me I'd be tempted to be bloody awkward about it, to the point of an email to the CEO's team, and a chargeback via the debit or credit card company for not providing either the service or a full refund. It's not the amount it's the principle, if they're doing that for say a fully booked screen that's potentially a few hundred quid, if they're doing it for multiple screens or showings that's easily heading towards four figures.

I must admit I stopped using Cineworld a long time ago, partly because another chain opened about 5 minutes nearer to me, but mainly because the cineworld I'd been going to always had issues with it's sound (and generally the whole experience seemed low budget, poorly staffed, poorly maintained and run - when we went to the newer odeon it was refreshing to see they actually had hot dogs every showing, not just when a manager/senior staff was around).

If this has happened in the last day or two I can pretty much guess why, someone has worked out that whatever film they were going to show was not going to make as much money as showing the new Avengers film on that screen (my local odeon has it on 4 screens and apparently they've been solidly packed continuously according to staff I talked to, and friends who've been at various times).

*Although the Cineworld near me never let that stop them (they had a buzzing speaker on one screen that seemed to be an issue every time we visited for about 3 years).

lottieholder

Nilrem, you've got that absolutely right. They were going to see Dumbo and Cineworld decided to put the new Avengers on that screen instead.

Theonlyway, Because she'd promised her children a trip to the cinema that day and not in a fortnights time.

agrinnall

Nilrem wrote: »

The booking fee was not an optional extra but they required it to book the tickets

That's not strictly true, tickets purchased at the cinema don't have to pay the booking fee. However, I absolutely agree that it's outrageous for Cineworld to not refund the entire cost, and I also agree that they are (closely followed by Odeon) just about the worst chain around.

wesleyad

Also agree, and furthermore, what's to stop them changing the ratio of "actual ticket price" to "booking fee" from currently approx 10:1 to 1:1 or worse, and then cancelling as much as they wish, pocketing some serious cash. Clearly bollox.

robatwork

Have to say that from some of the absolute rubbish I see in local "papers" ie. online local news sites, this person's local paper may be interested in your friend. She will have to work on her "compo" face however, but a pic of her and her disappointed kids will doubtless shame Cineworld into a full refund (or better).

SnowTiger

robatwork wrote: »

Have to say that from some of the absolute rubbish I see in local "papers" ie. online local news sites, this person's local paper may be interested in your friend. She will have to work on her "compo" face however, but a pic of her and her disappointed kids will doubtless shame Cineworld into a full refund (or better).

LOL.

I'm reminded of this story, which was featured/ridiculed on the BBC's Have I Got News For You programme.

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/fury-after-morrisons-wouldnt-sell-14533827