Markup Theaters

When was the last time you went to a movie theater? It's likely that when you last went to the theaters, it wasn't an independent cinema. Nowadays, there are only a few companies that hold nearly all of the movie theaters near you:

• Cinemark Holding, Inc.
• Regal Cinemas
• AMC Theatres
• Marcus Theatres

Even if you tried, there likely aren't any "indie" cinemas in your area.

Marcus Theatres

I recently went to a movie at a local theater. This theater was owned by Marcus Theatres. First, let's talk about buying tickets. You go to their website, choose the movie you want to watch, and then find your seat. Then, you continue to payment. Nah, just kidding. You have to be prompted to sign up for their rewards program. That's just so that they know which movies you watch at their theatres. Privacy. When you either give them your personal information or find the tiny "continue as guest" button, you can pay. Every single ticket that you purchase from their website has a tacked on "convenience fee." $2.45 is what convenience is worth. REJECT CONVENIENCE. After you look at the price of your single ticket, you can then input your first name, last name, E-Mail address, mobile phone number, and yet again a check box asking if you want to join their rewards program. Only then can you actually pay the ridiculously marked-up price for your movie ticket.

Why do we let companies do this?

Why can companies tack on a "convenience fee" that you can't bypass? Why are they allowed to not put that as part of the price? As customers, we should be able to know what we're paying. Talk to your representatives. Just 15 minutes of their time could alert them to this growing problem today.