Booking Fees for buying movie ticket online

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iDear

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Topic # 100439 11-Apr-2012 21:41

Why cinema charge us booking fees when we buy movie ticket online?

Unlike lots of business encourage customer to paid online to reduce labor cost and save time on both parties, Event cinema and Hoyts cinema charge customer extra "booking fees" when we purchase movie ticket online or via mobile app.

So what is the reason behind the extra booking fees? Why we need to pay extra for the same movie ticket? Why we have to paid extra if we decided not to line up in the cinema and use their staff to get movie ticket? Is it a punishment for free up their staff workload?

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Reply # 608037 11-Apr-2012 21:46

iDear: Why cinema charge us booking fees when we buy movie ticket online?

Unlike lots of business encourage customer to paid online to reduce labor cost and save time on both parties, Event cinema and Hoyts cinema charge customer extra "booking fees" when we purchase movie ticket online or via mobile app.

So what is the reason behind the extra booking fees? Why we need to pay extra for the same movie ticket? Why we have to paid extra if we decided not to line up in the cinema and use their staff to get movie ticket? Is it a punishment for free up their staff workload?

Lack of competition in the market? That is one reason why I rarely go to the movies, apart the independent operators.

bazzer

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Reply # 608051 11-Apr-2012 22:08

iDear: Why cinema charge us booking fees when we buy movie ticket online?

Unlike lots of business encourage customer to paid online to reduce labor cost and save time on both parties, Event cinema and Hoyts cinema charge customer extra "booking fees" when we purchase movie ticket online or via mobile app.

So what is the reason behind the extra booking fees? Why we need to pay extra for the same movie ticket? Why we have to paid extra if we decided not to line up in the cinema and use their staff to get movie ticket? Is it a punishment for free up their staff workload?

Seems you answered your own question. People are willing to pay extra so they don't have to line up. You don't have to buy online, if it's cheaper why wouldn't you line up and buy them at the cinema?

EvilSteve

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Reply # 608056 11-Apr-2012 22:13

I always book online and pay the extra after going to a popular movie on a saturday night, seeing a line that looked atleast an hour long and watching the dirty looks we got as we waltzed up an empty isle and cut infront of people lining up (we were instructed to do so by the lady at the counter)

iDear

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Reply # 608058 11-Apr-2012 22:18

bazzer:
iDear: Why cinema charge us booking fees when we buy movie ticket online?

Unlike lots of business encourage customer to paid online to reduce labor cost and save time on both parties, Event cinema and Hoyts cinema charge customer extra "booking fees" when we purchase movie ticket online or via mobile app.

So what is the reason behind the extra booking fees? Why we need to pay extra for the same movie ticket? Why we have to paid extra if we decided not to line up in the cinema and use their staff to get movie ticket? Is it a punishment for free up their staff workload?

Seems you answered your own question. People are willing to pay extra so they don't have to line up. You don't have to buy online, if it's cheaper why wouldn't you line up and buy them at the cinema?

Thx for the input!

It actually make sense in the cinema point of view. Since there are customers who is willing to paid extra for not lining up, let cut the staff on the floor so people need to wait longer to get the ticket or pay extra! Either way, the cinema is making more money.

nigelj

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Reply # 608061 11-Apr-2012 22:24

halfbaked: I always book online and pay the extra after going to a popular movie on a saturday night, seeing a line that looked atleast an hour long and watching the dirty looks we got as we waltzed up an empty isle and cut infront of people lining up (we were instructed to do so by the lady at the counter)

Hole in one!

I used to go to the cinema quite frequently in Australia (Event cinemas, so basically the same system as here now), nothing beats booking 30 mins prior, walking leisurely to the cinema, hit the "skip the queue" queue 5-10 mins prior to the start, past long lines of waiting people. $1 for the dirty looks/contempt for doing it the smart way, well worth it in my opinion.

Also, greater chance of getting exactly the seat location that you like (I for some reason prefer mid near-back row) rather than the vague "front middle or back"

EvilSteve

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Reply # 608064 11-Apr-2012 22:31

Another good thing about it is it emailed the booking to my phone, when I got to the counter I just put my phone under the scanner with the email showing (with barcode zoomed a little) and BAM they had my details.

I still think paying ~$20 a ticket is a bit steep, no wonder people search for alternative methods to source movies.

josephhinvest

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Reply # 608075 11-Apr-2012 23:03

What pisses me off is that the booking fee is PER TICKET. Not per transaction.

Cheers,
Joseph

Kyanar

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Reply # 608084 11-Apr-2012 23:54

iDear: Why cinema charge us booking fees when we buy movie ticket online?

Unlike lots of business encourage customer to paid online to reduce labor cost and save time on both parties, Event cinema and Hoyts cinema charge customer extra "booking fees" when we purchase movie ticket online or via mobile app.

So what is the reason behind the extra booking fees? Why we need to pay extra for the same movie ticket? Why we have to paid extra if we decided not to line up in the cinema and use their staff to get movie ticket? Is it a punishment for free up their staff workload?

I'm sure it's at least partially because it actually costs them extra to sell you the ticket online or via the mobile app, so it's unsurprising that they want to pass on that extra cost.

itxtme

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Reply # 608126 12-Apr-2012 09:31

I agree I enjoy the ease of it, hence why I use it. However there must be a proportion of their business that they lose due to the lines. I have gone to the mall and up to the movies to walk back down because I am not going to wait in the line.

stevenz

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Reply # 608138 12-Apr-2012 10:12

Reading Cinemas in Wellington has stopped selling online tickets altogether. Perhaps to encourage people to "impulse buy" movie tickets to something else when the movie they wanted to see is sold out etc?

I tend to avoid them in favour of Embassy given Readings "interesting" practices.

I also can't see what justifies the new theaters in the Embassy being $18.50 for "standard" tickets, other than them having the volume turned _way_ too high (and this was for "The best exotic marigold hotel" - hardly an action film).

Booking fees are pretty annoying, it means they need to pay for even less ticket-selling staff than they do already (which is usually a skeleton crew at best), so why am I paying more!?

@KnightNZ

BlueShift

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Reply # 608139 12-Apr-2012 10:14

Kyanar: I'm sure it's at least partially because it actually costs them extra to sell you the ticket online or via the mobile app, so it's unsurprising that they want to pass on that extra cost.

Where are the extra costs of an online ticket sale? They already have a booking system used by their staff, they already have a website with their session times etc. The only difference, systematically, between buying online, and buying in person, is that minimum-wage teenager poking the buttons for you.

Possibly, they miss out on some sales of overpriced popcorn and confectionery, so the extra charge covers that. Similar to the reason most petrol stations no longer do eftpos at the pump.

BlueShift

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Reply # 608140 12-Apr-2012 10:17

stevenz: Booking fees are pretty annoying, it means they need to pay for even less ticket-selling staff than they do already (which is usually a skeleton crew at best), so why am I paying more!?

Perhaps queuing people have a value as captive eyeballs for all their advertising - I wouldn't be surprised if people who buy at the counter are more likely to buy food & drink as an impulse buy. And that's where the cinema makes real money.

Kyanar

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Reply # 608429 12-Apr-2012 19:14

BlueShift:

Where are the extra costs of an online ticket sale? They already have a booking system used by their staff, they already have a website with their session times etc. The only difference, systematically, between buying online, and buying in person, is that minimum-wage teenager poking the buttons for you

... and the 3% commission, 50c transaction fee, and additional fraud prevention costs they incur. All costs that they only have to wear for online bookings.

nigelj

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Reply # 608432 12-Apr-2012 19:18

Kyanar:
BlueShift:

Where are the extra costs of an online ticket sale? They already have a booking system used by their staff, they already have a website with their session times etc. The only difference, systematically, between buying online, and buying in person, is that minimum-wage teenager poking the buttons for you

... and the 3% commission, 50c transaction fee, and additional fraud prevention costs they incur. All costs that they only have to wear for online bookings.

CC Commission would be built into ticket price I'd imagine as I believe they get charged the 2-3% for physical transactions, but yes, Anti-Fraud, Transaction Fees for online merchant accounts all valid reasons.

Something I'd also like to mention, the costs are far more likely to be more in line with reality that what Ticketek charge for concerts etc.

surfisup1000

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Reply # 608442 12-Apr-2012 20:08

iDear: Why cinema charge us booking fees when we buy movie ticket online?

Unlike lots of business encourage customer to paid online to reduce labor cost and save time on both parties, Event cinema and Hoyts cinema charge customer extra "booking fees" when we purchase movie ticket online or via mobile app.

So what is the reason behind the extra booking fees? Why we need to pay extra for the same movie ticket? Why we have to paid extra if we decided not to line up in the cinema and use their staff to get movie ticket? Is it a punishment for free up their staff workload?

Dunno, I stopped going to the movies after I built a new home with a media room.

However, my 2 cents worth -- it is common to charge booking fees to see various events. The movies are just following this trend.

Perhaps the cinemas will soon start charging a manual service fee for over the counter ticket purchases, once their online booking systems are functioning smoothly.

Not that we don't already have the worlds highest prices to see a movie.

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