[amolathalye]

Hi,

I use bookMyshow portal very regularly to buy cinema tickets online. They charge some fees which they call "Internet handling charges " in addition to regular rate of the tickets which is indicated clearly in the booking summary little before you proceed for online payment. So in short you are aware of the extra amount that you are paying for this convenience. Having this experience this time I decided to book a Mumbai Film city tour on the web site for my guests. I booked the tour with the rate of Rs.1000/- per ticket. This time it did not indicate any "Internet handling charges" in addition. Due to my earlier google search about the film city tour, I was getting some google ads while browsing other website. And then I just decided to take a look at the direct website of Film city which is www.mumbaifilmcitytours.com.

I just casually checked the tickets rates and to my horror the same tour was available only at Rs.599/-per ticket. In short bookmyshow charged me almost double the rate. I immediately escalated the issue to their support team on phone but they had no explanation.

So friends I advise everyone to be alert while booking on this portal and kindly try to find out how much extra they are charging over the actual cost of the ticket price.

[msdivy]

Always check the price on the original website. Also compare prices between sites before placing an order online. This is the general rule I stick to.


There are many factors why the price could be wrong. Maybe the latest price is not updated, or the discount maybe not be applied. Better to be cautious.


It could also be a scheme to fleece the customer. Like I have found with UberEats. The price in the app for food is jacked up for certain items. For instance, price of dosa in the restaurant is Rs 50, but the app shows as Rs 65. I would suggest verifying the price before placing an order.

[CorsaLove]

I too do not understand the "Internet Handling Charges" OR "Convenience Fee". Even PVR website charges it.

Is it legal?

[binand]

Originally Posted by CorsaLove

Is it legal?

Yes, everywhere except in the state of Maharashtra I believe.

[roy_libran]

Originally Posted by CorsaLove

I too do not understand the "Internet Handling Charges" OR "Convenience Fee". Even PVR website charges it.

Is it legal?

Hahahaha! What convenience fee? In fact all these multiplexes should be discounting online movie ticketing since it significantly reduces their operational costs, and improves sales!
This is nothing but sheer opportunism - really needs a few 'challengers'.

[amolathalye]

Originally Posted by msdivy

Always check the price on the original website. Also compare prices between sites before placing an order online. This is the general rule I stick to.


There are many factors why the price could be wrong. Maybe the latest price is not updated, or the discount maybe not be applied. Better to be cautious.


It could also be a scheme to fleece the customer. Like I have found with UberEats. The price in the app for food is jacked up for certain items. For instance, price of dosa in the restaurant is Rs 50, but the app shows as Rs 65. I would suggest verifying the price before placing an order.

Yes from Rs. 50 to Rs. 65 is fine, Rs. 1000 from Rs. 599 is too much and can't be legal also, forget ethical right ?

Originally Posted by binand

Yes, everywhere except in the state of Maharashtra I believe.

I understand that there will be some convenience fees but it should be indicated clearly to the buyer before the process of payment. They themselves do that with Cinema tickets which is standard but this time they totally avoided the fare split up. The convenience fee / internet handling charges can not be so high. If they show it up before you do the payment, then you may prefer to buy it physically.

[binand]

Originally Posted by roy_libran

In fact all these multiplexes should be discounting online movie ticketing since it significantly reduces their operational costs, and improves sales!

I quite agree. It is a very short-sighted view which the hotel industry also took till a few years back but now are quite happy with working with the aggregators (buses too).

1. Theatre operators don't want to invest in the capex required to build the software etc. Nor do they want to build the expertise in running such a system.
   
2. They don't want to work with aggregators who take that cost away from them because (a) they think aggregators make it easy for customers to switch to the competition, and (b) they don't want to do rev share deals.
   
3. Due to the nature of the industry, they currently have enough footfalls despite not offering online booking options.

Things will change once the alternative entertainment options become mainstream. :-)

[deathwalkr]

Bookmyshow is not supposed to make money for the service they provide? [Talking about convenience charges]

As it is i think they are in loss, heaven forbid they wind up!

As long as the charges are transparent and not hidden, then i guess it's left to us to decide if we want to avail their services or not.

[Remember ticketnew?]

[Vysakh]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

As it is i think they are in loss, heaven forbid they wind up!

Bookmyshow is one of the very few e-commerce companies that has broken even and gone into profit mode.

[Altocumulus]

I was a regular user of BMS but have now moved to Paytm for booking tickets. It always has some offer or the other, like 1+1 or Rs.100 cashback, etc which basically helps you to save more than just not paying the handling fees.

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by Vysakh

Bookmyshow is one of the very few e-commerce companies that has broken even and gone into profit mode.

Thought i remembered reading an article on ET where it was mentioned that they had a loss of 139 crores for FY17.

Ah well. Not really a concern.

Just wanted to make a point that businesses need to make money and as long they are transparent i feel it is ok.

[binand]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

Bookmyshow is not supposed to make money for the service they provide?

As long as the charges are transparent and not hidden, then i guess it's left to us to decide if we want to avail their services or not.

Indians always want price control in every facet of life. I don't think there is any industry where some pressure group or other hasn't demanded price control. Just saw a report from Kerala that real estate lobby groups are asking for laws to check cement prices.

Originally Posted by Altocumulus

I was a regular user of BMS but have now moved to Paytm for booking tickets.

I stick with them because I get buy-one-get-one-free with my Citi debit card.

[Ford5]

All the data dissecting over the years @BMS would have let them place a bet of over & above ticket prices of this venue (considering BMS was in the loop of reduced prices).

Other apps like Uber & Ola have gone way too far with these data driven models. I carry 2 cell phones & have routinely noticed these 2 cab aggregators charge me a lot higher on my older number when booking simultaneously from my both my phones. The app showing the higher fare takes 2 or 3 seconds extra to throw up a high price. My secondary number saves me the money on these apps.

Data is the new oil etc, yes ok fine, but don't loot us just because we've paid you premium prices more often not by choice, but by chance. I don't know if they'll invent a jugaad now to overcome this dual usage scenario.

[binand]

Originally Posted by Ford5

I carry 2 cell phones & have routinely noticed these 2 cab aggregators charge me a lot higher on my older number when booking simultaneously from my both my phones.

Any reasonably competent data scientist should be able to tell by now that both these phones belong to the same person and make the UX identical. That they are NOT doing so (Uber especially) might indicate they are not into personalized pricing of their product in this fashion (they might be doing it by other means).

[Ford5]

Originally Posted by binand

Any reasonably competent data scientist should be able to tell by now that both these phones belong to the same person and make the UX identical. That they are NOT doing so (Uber especially) might indicate they are not into personalized pricing of their product.

How so? My second sim is not in my name, it's a beater sim. Hardly 2 months old. Uber app rarely used on this number. Also inputting the exact same destination or slightly off each others results in the same conclusion, me being charged higher on my older number. This only indicates that they are full time into personalized pricing of their product, more so those who use UPI/OLA money. My cash:e-money ratio has been more cash & less e-money in both apps.

The only possibility an app maker can know if 2 phones belongs to the same person is if ride history, ride after ride, start and end points, ride location sharing (irrespective of my friend/wife/kid holding the second phone instead of me & being located elsewhere), gps history is delved into to draw a favorable chance of what you've suggested.