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Ticket-booking apps fleecing movie-goers
Online ticketing has become a boon for citizens as it enables them to book desired seats, without having to visit theatres.
Hyderabad: Online ticketing has become a boon for citizens as it enables them to book desired seats, without having to visit theatres. You feel blessed as you book tickets in a jiffy.
But are you aware that you are being fleeced by these app companies? Yes! There are hidden charges that inflate the price of ticket. And you think it is normal for the convenience they provide. However, internet handling charges for an online movie ticket booking is a violation of RBI's Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) rules.
In 2017 around Rs 5 to Rs 10 was charged booking each ticket online, but in 2019, the app Bookmyshow increased the charges heftily to Rs 39 per ticket and Rs 79 for two tickets. Of course, the charges vary depending on the value of the ticket bought by consumers. This is a complete violation of MDR rules.
Customers fed up with the extra internet handling charges claim that BookMysShow should charge theatres as it is reducing the number of workers in theatre ticket counters. Hence, theatre owners should pay to bookmyshow for every ticket booked, says Jagannathan, a clerk at Central Bank of India.
Meanwhile, managements of some theatres feigned ignorance over the inflated charges of movie tickets by online sites. It's not their trade, they are just accepting the services of apps to facilitate ease and comfort for the movie goers, clarifies a theatre supervisor.
"A recent suit regarding Internet handling fees filed against BookMyShow revealed that according to the law we should actually be exempted from paying such extra fee while booking a movie ticket because it is in violation of RBI's Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) Regulation.
Whoever felt it is ridiculous can file a case against the Bookmyshow until they stop charging exclusively for internet, if not they must pay fine in front of court as they paid Rs 5000 in the last case," says Gopi Kishore, an advocate at Consumer Forum, Khairatabad.
"In Telugu-speaking states, cinema theatres are governed by Andhra Pradesh Cinemas Regulation Act 1855 and AP Cinemas Regulation Rules, 1970, and neither of the laws says or permits anyone to charge internet handling fees and, according to the trade rules, charging around 26 per cent for internet is a violation," said Vimal, Regional Deputy Controller, Legal Metrology Department, Telangana.
