[Article] Cinema Rip Off

Mr E

From today's Indo.... (here)

Children's trip to the movies 'outrageous' at €12 a head

TAKING your children to the cinema as a back-to-school treat could set you back as much as €12 per child - a finding the Consumers' Association has described as "absolutely outrageous".

The Irish Independent has found that apart from the price of a child's ticket, a medium-sized popcorn can cost up to €4.20 and a medium coke, €2.95.

Dublin families are paying most for cinema outings. In the Savoy on O'Connell Street, a child's ticket costs €5 and a medium popcorn and coke a further €6.80. In UGC Cinemas, Parnell Street, children's tickets cost €5 but the medium popcorn and coke are another €7.05. An adult bringing two children to an afternoon show would get little change from €30 - and only if he or she was not buying the treats.

Outside Dublin, at the Empire Movieplex, Ennis, Co Clare, a child ticket costs €4 with a medium popcorn and coke costing another €4.95. At Wexford Cineplex, a child ticket is €4 with a medium popcorn and coke adding €6.10. In Letterkenny, Co Donegal, a movie at Century Cinemas costs €4 for a child with the medium popcorn and coke a further €3.50.

Chief executive of the Consumers' Association, Dermot Jewell, has described the prices as "absolutely outrageous".

Most of the profits are being pocketed by one man. Ward Anderson, the largest cinema group in the country, controls 43pc of the market and owns 112 screens nationwide, from the Savoy in Dublin to the Ritz in Mullingar.

The man behind the group, Leo Ward (80), got into the business with half-brother Kevin Anderson after World War II. In the early 1990s, US operator UCI arrived, taking 12pc of the Irish market. UCI was followed by Richard Branson's Virgin and South African operator Ster Century, which has a 14-screen complex in the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in Dublin.

"It has become fairly clear to the few providing the service that they have little or no competition," said Mr Jewell. "As a result, they are pricing as high as the market will bear."

ixoy

Well the price of a ticket isn't that high - they're just pushing up the prices with their inflated popcorn and drinks. Why not suggest to the parents they bring their own food? UGC certainly don't stop you. Also should be balanced a bit by pointing out various cinemas have stuff like a Kid's Club rather than just pointing out the most expensive options available and claiming that as the average cost.

Ciaran500

I went to the cinema yesterday in Liffey Valley and it cost me €8.90 a ticket, €9.30 including booking fee and about €8 for a large popcorn and drink. Add on bus fare and its just shy of €20. Because of these prices I go to the cinema about 4 times a year and I try to go before 1 when it €5.


Its a complete rip off.

therecklessone

ixoy wrote:

Why not suggest to the parents they bring their own food? UGC certainly don't stop you.

Exactly.

Gillo

ixoy wrote:

Well the price of a ticket isn't that high - they're just pushing up the prices with their inflated popcorn and drinks.

Inflated popcorn???
Thats how they make popcorn.

Why not just buy the monthly tickets from UGC, they work out great value if you can be bothered going to the cinema a couple of times each month. Personnally don't like Dermot Jewell, any dealings I've had with him he seems like a pompus git. Next week he'll be moaning about something completely different.

iMax

Ciaran500 wrote:

I went to the cinema yesterday in Liffey Valley and it cost me €8.90 a ticket, €9.30 including booking fee and about €8 for a large popcorn and drink. Add on bus fare and its just shy of €20. Because of these prices I go to the cinema about 4 times a year and I try to go before 1 when it €5.


Its a complete rip off.

How often do you eat out/go clubbing/go to the pub ?

The cinema is one of the cheapest forms of public entertainment there is.

Last time I went for a meal it cost €80 excluding tip for the two of us - our weekly shopping bill is about that much. Last weekend I went out to a pub, again, for two, drinks were in the region of €60. I find it hard to remember the last time I went clubbing because I don't like clubs, but I seem to remember dropping in the region of €140 for drinks admission, cloakroom & taxis & that's a local place.

By comparison, We went to the UCI the other night, admission x 2 €16, Nachos & Coke x 2 €12.50, so basically a night's entertainment for two people for less than €30.

ixoy

Exactly, cinema is cheap. Let's look at me. My UGC card costs me €16 a month. I'd go about 8 times a month (at least). That's €2 a go. Oddly enough there's no gunman waiting for me when I go in, so I'm not forced into buying their popcorn. If I do have popcorn I buy it in the nearby shop for €1.80, including a coke of course in that.... so that's less than €4 for a night.
But if I go the pub? Hah!
Cinema a rip-off? Not likely if you do it in the right way as I do

Ciaran500

iMax wrote:

How often do you eat out/go clubbing/go to the pub ?

I never go out for a meal. I've never been to a restaunt that had food I prefered to my own cooking and I don't drink so I never go to a pub.

Ripwave

ixoy wrote:

Exactly, cinema is cheap. Let's look at me. My UGC card costs me €16 a month. I'd go about 8 times a month (at least). That's €2 a go.

Which is all very well if you live in an area that's convenient for getting to UGC in Parnell St. I don't think any of the other cinemas have this type of scheme?

monkeyfudge

Those Medium popcorn buckets in th UGC are HUGE!

I wish there was a smaller option as I always leave about half it behind on the cinema floor.

1 medium popcorn is certainly enough for 2 kids... are these exceptionaly fat kids that are being metioned in the article?

The main rip off taking place in cinemas is the bad films they try to pass off on the viewing public... I went to see the Village last night... yuck.. I should have stayed home and watched an episode of the Outer Limits instead...

LFCFan

iMax wrote:

so basically a night's entertainment for two people for less than €30.

You can hardly compare a night on the tiles to a couple of hours in a cinema! Of course pubs, restaurants etc are too expensive but just because it costs more to go on the piss doesn't mean than the cinema isn't a ripoff. It's getting closer and closer to Eur10 for a ticket to some places and then you have to endure sticky floors, broken seats and noisy little retards who think they're 'hard' because they won't shut up. At that price per ticket you would at least expect the floor to be clean.

rom1

We're speaking about cinema here! Do you need a coke and some pop-corn to enjoy a good movie? :eek: :eek: :eek:
A cinema ticket is cheaper in Dublin than in most european capitals. Who cares about the rest?

egan007

Ciaran500 wrote:

I never go out for a meal. I've never been to a restaunt that had food I prefered to my own cooking and I don't drink so I never go to a pub.

exciting

ThreadKiller

LFCFan wrote:

You can hardly compare a night on the tiles to a couple of hours in a cinema! Of course pubs, restaurants etc are too expensive but just because it costs more to go on the piss doesn't mean than the cinema isn't a ripoff. It's getting closer and closer to Eur10 for a ticket to some places and then you have to endure sticky floors, broken seats and noisy little retards who think they're 'hard' because they won't shut up. At that price per ticket you would at least expect the floor to be clean.

Depends on what your preferences are. If you like going out & getting hammered, then yeah it doesn't compare, however if you like cinema, then it's excellent value for money - current admission price of UCI = €8 or £6.30 in "old money", less than the price of two pints or about half of the admission to a club - unbelievable value

I don't know where you go to the cinema, but I'd have a word with the manager if they're the standards you have to put up with.