movie starts? Recently, some theaters in Changsha have launched a pilot service of "self-service refund within 30 minutes of watching a movie", which has aroused heated discussion.
Due to reasons such as unsightly movies, poor viewing atmosphere, and missed movie viewing times, the problem of audiences wanting to refund their tickets but having nowhere to do so has always been a concern.
At first, the phenomenon of "non-refundable and non-changeable" movie tickets and "only change but no refund" existed widely, which was criticized by consumers.
As early as 2010, some netizens launched the "refund bad movie" initiative. At that time, the famous director Feng Xiaogang angrily denounced the suggestion as "bullsh*t". Coupled with the strong opposition of some theaters, it was eventually dropped.
In 2018, in response to the chaos of "refund, change" of movie tickets, the China Film Distribution and Exhibition Association issued the "Notice on the Regulations on "Refund, Change" of Movie Tickets, which clearly stipulated that movie tickets support "refund, change" and received praise from the audience.
Over the years, the rules for refunds and exchanges of movie tickets have changed several times, from "no refunds, no changes", "only changes but no refunds" to "supporting refunds and changes", and now to the current service pilot of "tickets can be refunded within 30 minutes of watching the movie". Each change caused quite a stir.
Tickets can be refunded within 30 minutes of watching the movie, and netizens have mixed reviews
△ China Film Report Weibo screenshot
During the 2024 New Year's Day, some theaters in Changsha, Hunan conducted a pilot refund service for watching five movies, stipulating that within 30 minutes of watching the movie, If the audience is dissatisfied due to poor theater environment or movie quality that does not meet expectations, etc., viewers can enjoy refund benefits without manual intervention and full self-service.
reporter learned that the refund service is provided by Jianticiao Group. After the application is approved, the group will be responsible for the full refund. Audiences need to scan the code through the mini program and the "ticket check and refund all-in-one machine" to complete the refund themselves, which will not affect the theater. normal operations and box office revenue.
Some netizens expressed support for this, "It is recommended that it be implemented nationwide to prevent more people from being poisoned by bad movies." However, many viewers also raised objections about whether there will be malicious refunds and how to supervise people who refuse to leave after refunding. Questions such as this. The reporter from
learned that during the New Year's Day period in 2024, the five films participating in the pilot attracted a total of 9,292 viewers, of which 135 people used the refund service, with a total refund amount of nearly 5,000 yuan. In terms of quantity, the refund rate is not high.
This is actually not the first time in China that a refundable ticket service has been launched after the movie opens.
In 2013, a movie theater in Wuhan launched a "refund system for bad movies", which means that if viewers who bought tickets to watch the movie on March 15th Consumer Rights Day are not satisfied with the quality of the movie, they can leave the movie within 20 minutes of the opening and refund the full amount. Refunding the check also caused quite a bit of controversy at the time.
Feng Xiaogang said that the movie refund system is "bullshit" and "refunds and changes" are frequent.
A movie ticket can easily cost dozens of yuan. Years ago, due to the wrong time to buy the ticket or being unable to watch the movie for some reason, etc. There is no way to refund or change tickets. In addition, the frequent bad movies make movie fans even more angry. The problem of difficulty in refunding movie tickets has been bothering many viewers.
In 2010, some netizens launched the "Refund for Bad Movies" initiative, which triggered heated discussions from all walks of life. At that time, many people in the film industry also frequently accepted inquiries and expressed their opinions.
Director Wang Jing, who was known as the "King of Bad Movies" at the time, was the first to bear the brunt: "If you want your money back, then please give me my movie back!" Wang Jing said: "If you can delete your memory, I can give you a refund."
The famous director Feng Xiaogang's statement was more straightforward, saying that it was "completely nonsense and totally unreliable." He said that making bad movies will definitely be condemned by public opinion, but implementing the "refund system for bad movies" is not a market behavior.
When asked whether he supported the "voucher refund system", Feng Xiaogang angrily said: "I don't support it at all. Not only do I not support it, I also give it two words - bullshit!"
Of course, it is not just a few directors who implement the "voucher refund system" It can be decided in a few sentences. Whether and how movie theaters can "cancel or change" tickets has been a controversial issue for a long time.
Previously, due to the lack of mandatory regulations, the "refund and change" of movie tickets has been in chaos for a long time.A reporter from Modern Express learned that the "refund, change, and refund" service is a process that requires the cooperation of three parties: theaters, ticketing systems, and e-commerce platforms. Different theaters have different rules for refunds and changes to movie tickets, and they even differ on different platforms. . Some theaters can only change tickets but cannot refund, while other theaters can neither change tickets nor refund. This is also the reason why the "refund and change" services for some film shows are not uniform on different ticket purchasing platforms.
Released clear regulations in response to the chaos: movie tickets support "refund, change, and refund"
On September 10, 2018, in response to the chaos of "cancellation, change, and refund" of movie tickets, the China Film Distribution and Exhibition Association issued "Regulations on the "Refund, Change, and Change" of Movie Tickets "Notice" (hereinafter referred to as the "Notice"), clearly stipulates that movie tickets support "refund and change".
The "Notice" requires all theater chains, theater investment companies, and theaters to clarify the cancellation and change regulations, simplify the procedures, and optimize the refund and change process when signing movie ticket sales agreements with third-party ticket purchasing platforms. All theaters across the country must Instructions for ticket purchase, refunds, and changes are posted in a prominent position in the lobby to ensure that audiences understand the relevant cancellation and change regulations in advance. Third-party ticket sales platforms, theater websites or self-owned apps should pop up a movie ticket "refund or change" agreement before the audience purchases the ticket and pays for it.
△ Notice on the "Cancellation, Change, and Change" Regulations for Movie Tickets
When a reporter from Modern Express looked through Taopiaopiao, Maoyan and other ticket purchasing platforms, they found that the "cancellation, change, and change" requirements of each ticket purchasing platform are very different.
Take Maoyan as an example. Currently, after users purchase movie tickets through Maoyan platforms such as Maoyan app, they are unable to go to the theater to watch the movie for some reason or plan to change their viewing arrangements, or within a certain period before the movie starts and the user has not collected the tickets. Refund or change of ticket, refund or change of ticket may incur additional fees.
The cancellation and rebooking service is only applicable to theaters that support the refund and rebooking service. Among them, theaters marked with the "Refund" logo support ticket refunds, and theaters marked with the rebooking logo support ticket rebooking. Some special shows may not support it according to the theater's requirements. Refund the check.
When using the "Cancellation and Change" service, consumers not only need to abide by the rules of the ticket purchase platform, but also need to abide by the theater's Cancellation and Cancellation Rules, such as applicable venue numbers, handling fees, special membership card rules, and other matters.
Modern Express/Modern+ reporter Ding Mengsha
(Source: Modern+)
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