Making sense of cinema prices
ATHIS is a complex area which goes far beyond your local screen. But let’s start with the cinema. Some Vues have a very simple and advertised price structure – £5.99 for any film for anyone. There are no concessions for students or older people and no increases for the evening. Others hold to a more traditional model – with admission prices depending on the time of day and who you are. Then there are extras – 3D, 3D glasses, Imax, and VIP seating. These apply even for the £5.99 deal.
And many cinemas operate two for one deals.
Vue makes pricing clear on its website and also on the automated ticket machines. Theatres often have complex ticketing – different areas, different times, different plays, concessions, last minute tickets and reselling returns. None of this makes for easy box office displays.
Some cinemas in the US and Germany are experimenting with dynamic pricing – bringing the airline ticket model into the silver screen so admission can vary by the minute according to popularity, the weather or other factors.
More generally, there are three criteria. The total price should be obvious at some stage. Unfortunately many online sites only make postage and packing visible at the last moment.
You should be directed to the most suitable – often, but not always, the cheapest – ticket. Which? has often criticised rail ticketing machines for not directing passengers to the best deal. You may be better off online or going to a ticket office.
No matter how clearly prices are shown, no one is obliged to supply goods at that price – the price is an invitation from the supplier to the customer to arrive at a legal contract. Until that happens, the trader can refuse to supply. An example is where an item is mispriced accidentally – a £100 watch becomes £1.00. Here, the store can legally say it won’t honour the wrong price.