moviepass goers---a moving target

[tomwed]

Last night--saw a movie at lake sumter.



Today--checked my phone and a 12:20 movie at barnstorm was available. just about to leave and now it is missing on my phone.

called Barnstorm who told me to contact moviepass----they just got in

moviepass must be a nuisance for the people who have to answer the questions---

is anyone else having that problem? my hunch is that sat and sun will be blocked out

this shows the outages but I think it is northwest of TV
Moviepass down? Current problems and outages |


Down Detector (http://downdetector.com/status/moviepass)

[DeanFL]

yesterday, wanted to see Mr Rodgers at Lake Sumter. Checked in morning and a 9, 2 and 6 showing on MP. Got there about 12:15 for lunch and went to box office for 2pm tickets. Brought up MP app and only the 6pm showing... man...... Asked the lady if we could get the 6pm ticket and see the 2pm movie...nope. I told her they just lost $18...
Had lunch and left.
Not sure if this is the new game for MP. If so will be very irritating; not sure if tics can be bought for the next showing.
I sure got my $$$ worth so far with the annual $90 paid in January - but if this is their new business plan they lost a renewal and a supporter. They would be on the death spiral...

[tomwed]

not sure if tics can be bought for the next showing.


I never went in the morning to buy a ticket for much later in the day or at night. I'll try tomorrow. I'll take the bike so it's not a complete waste of time.

[JGVillages]

Thinking they are experiencing financial issues. Either they come up with a sound financial plan moving forward or they will be a past great idea.

[EdFNJ]

yesterday, wanted to see Mr Rodgers at Lake Sumter. Checked in morning and a 9, 2 and 6 showing on MP. Got there about 12:15 for lunch and went to box office for 2pm tickets. Brought up MP app and only the 6pm showing... man...... Asked the lady if we could get the 6pm ticket and see the 2pm movie...nope. I told her they just lost $18...
Had lunch and left.
Not sure if this is the new game for MP. If so will be very irritating; not sure if tics can be bought for the next showing.
I sure got my $$$ worth so far with the annual $90 paid in January - but if this is their new business plan they lost a renewal and a supporter. They would be on the death spiral...


Just buy a ticket for a different available movie showing at/around the same time and go to the one you wanted to see. Never a problem because the ticket taker doesn't care.

[perrjojo]

Just buy a ticket for a different available movie showing at/around the same time and go to the one you wanted to see. Never a problem because the ticket taker doesn't care.

Do you cheat on your wife and taxes too? :1rotfl:

[ColdNoMore]

Do you cheat on your wife and taxes too? :1rotfl:

:boom:...:boom:...:boom:

[raynan]

It didn't work at Rialto on Thursday 11:30 showing and I wasn't the only one that couldn't get Movie Pass to work.

[EdFNJ]

Do you cheat on your wife and taxes too? :1rotfl: Usually not. :)

As for MP, they aren't being cheated nor is the theater itself. The only "cheating" going on is the wrong movie will get an "attendance credit." Besides, if the movie isn't listed in MP when it should be, like right now where EVERY THEATER within 35 miles is showing nothing is playing according to the MP app they deserve it.

[n8xwb]

At around 5pm today checked showing on Movie pass and NONE were available in any of The Villages theaters (none in Mt Dora, nor Ocala). Annoying .... Especially when I see they billed my account $9.99 today!?!

[Mom222]

I expect Movie Pass to be bye-bye very soon.

They are supposed to deduct my account on 8/15 (not sure if it will be the regular $10 or $15 this time) but I'll try to see another movie before they go belly-up.

[ColdNoMore]

When MoviePass first came out, I was confused on how they could stay solvent by allowing a single film ticket to be purchased, for what in a lot of places...is less than the monthly subscription price.

And you can do that once a day...for the entire month?

That business model...just didn't make sense to me.

So researching further, it came out that their real intent was to sell your personal viewing habits and thinking that your personal info...could be leveraged with media companies to offset the ticket losses.

That AMC decided it wasn't worth participating (even with a potential increase in concession sales)...was a huge blow to MoviePass' basic premise.

While I recognize that my information is gathered every time I order something from the internet (or even search the internet), I personally drew the line at this brazen offer to save a few bucks...over further invasion of my privacy.

How MoviePass Makes (Or Doesn't Make) Money | Investopedia (https://www.investopedia.com/news/how-moviepass-makes-or-doesnt-make-money/)

On the same day that MoviePass slashed their prices, they announced that a controlling share in the company had been bought by Helios and Matheson, a data analytics company.

Helios & Matheson's strategy is to collect data from the service on what people go to what movies at what time and then sell that data to studios, distributors, and theaters.

[Dan9871]

So researching further, it came out that their real intent was to sell your personal viewing habits and thinking that your personal info...could be leveraged with media companies to offset the ticket losses.


Actually MP started out by tracking more than just the movies you went to, they were tracking every where you went so that they could sell that info. MP has said they've stopped doing that now.

[DeanFL]

From a MP annual subscriber since January ($90 for a year and have seen oodles of movies at $9 a pop paid by MP...), one of the customers that seriously bled its bottom line - current article re their plight from USA Today, att below.

As a test, opened the MP app just now and saw some AM showings for movies at TV theaters. Plan to go into app closer to the showing times and see if they disappear.

Personally I will be shocked if MP continues operation past the next 2 weeks. Too bad for theaters as the 3 in TV - 50% of their ticket sales were from MP members. All good things come to an end....


MoviePass on last legs, subscribers and experts say. Can it be saved? (https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/08/05/moviepass-can-movie-subscription-service-saved/876087002/)

[tomwed]

Anyone know what time the box office opens? Is it a half hour before the first movie?

[DeanFL]

As a test, opened the MP app just now and saw some AM showings for movies at TV theaters. Plan to go into app closer to the showing times and see if they disappear.





Update 9:30am. Checked MP app just now - appears that ALL early afternoon and morning showings (for all 3 TV theaters) are wiped from the app. Only evening showings on app. Except for the "Premium/not supported" movies...which are not avail anyway - so no doubt that MP is wiping avail movies to eliminate/limit $$ costs.

Has anyone had any trouble lately buying a later-day MP ticket and going to an earlier show with that ticket?

Why not...the TV theater is still getting $$full price...

[n8xwb]

Another interesting observation....I just checked movie as availability in Tampa and New York City. In both cases E-ticket theaters had movies available, but no movies available at the surrounding theaters!????? It's 8:00pm on Sunday night.

[tomwed]

Another interesting observation....I just checked movie as availability in Tampa and New York City. In both cases E-ticket theaters had movies available, but no movies available at the surrounding theaters!????? It's 8:00pm on Sunday night.
E tickets always work according to moviepass. Do we have eticketing in TV?

[EdFNJ]

E tickets always work according to moviepass. Do we have eticketing in TV?


nope

[tomwed]

nopethank-you

[John_W]

There is a big article in this morning's Daily Sun (Monday). They plan within the next 30 days to raise the subscription to $14.99 a month and you will have to wait two weeks before you can see a new release. The author of the article, said yesterday in Brooklyn he could not find any seats available for his MP, he expects them to be out of business very soon. MP was betting that some of their income would come from concession sharing with the theaters. However, no theater chain has come through.

[Dan9871]

Wall Street Journal is reporting that Movie Pass is going to be limiting its' users to 3 movies per month starting Aug 15.

[tomwed]

MoviePass slashes film allowance to three movies a month - MarketWatch (https://www.marketwatch.com/story/moviepass-slashes-film-allowance-to-three-movies-a-month-2018-08-06)
The policy changes come after a tumultuous several weeks during which MoviePass, which says it has more than 3 million subscribers, briefly stopped working in most theaters and Helios had to borrow money at a high interest rate to stay afloat.

MoviePass subscribers pay $9.95 a month to see up to a movie a day. In practice 85% see three or fewer a month, and Mr. Lowe said his company is now focusing on those customers.

“They will not be affected at all by this program, and even better, they’ll stop hearing MoviePass is going out of business,” he said.

[there goes my almost free buffet] [I thought it was now $15/month]

[JerryLBell]

Articles online this morning are saying that, as of 8/15, the program will be:

$9.95/month (not $14.95 as previously reported)
3 movies/month (no longer 1 movie/day)
No "peak pricing" (which was never fully implemented
No more "ticket validation" (taking pictures of the tickets after purchases)

So it's not a bad deal even if it isn't as awesome as it once was. And maybe this will save them from going under.

[tomwed]

Articles online this morning are saying that, as of 8/15, the program will be:

$9.95/month (not $14.95 as previously reported)
3 movies/month (no longer 1 movie/day)
No "peak pricing" (which was never fully implemented
No more "ticket validation" (taking pictures of the tickets after purchases)

So it's not a bad deal even if it isn't as awesome as it once was. And maybe this will save them from going under.
My annual plan expires in April.

"The new plan will go into effect on August 15th, and apply for all new and most existing customers. MoviePass says that existing customers will have the “opportunity” to transition to the new plan whenever their monthly subscription comes up for renewal, while people who have paid for an annual subscription will stay on the current (but rather limited) unlimited plan until their annual subscription runs out."

different source
"The new plan goes into effect on August 15th. Monthly subscribers will have the chance to subscribe to the new plan after that date when their current monthly subscription expires, while annual subscribers will be able to keep their existing plan until they’re up for renewal. However, it seems that only subscribers to the new, three-movie-a-month plan will be exempt from MoviePass’ surge pricing and ticket-verification policies.

different source
"Annual subscribers will not be affected by this plan until their renewal dates."

I find it interesting that 85% of moviepass customers use it 3 times a month.

[Dan9871]

What do you think that means? Can I see more then 3 a month until April? I think - YES

I agree with you, yes you will be able to see more than 3 movies a month but you may find that many are blocked or are surge priced or have no tickets available and will have other limitations on them. MP will do everything they can, including banging on your radiator pipes in the middle of the night:clap2: , to get you to transition to the new plan.

But you won't really know until Aug 15 rolls by and try to go to some movies.

My guess, and this is just a wild guess, is that some theaters may stop accepting movie pass because the are worried they won't get paid by movie pass.

[tomwed]

I agree with you, yes you will be able to see more than 3 movies a month but you may find that many are blocked or are surge priced or have no tickets available and will have other limitations on them. MP will do everything they can, including banging on your radiator pipes in the middle of the night:clap2: , to get you to transition to the new plan.

But you won't really know until Aug 15 rolls by and try to go to some movies.

My guess, and this is just a wild guess, is that some theaters may stop accepting movie pass because the are worried they won't get paid by movie pass.My guess is that there aren't very many annual subscriptions. I can wait 2 weeks to see Mission Impossible and movies with that much appeal. I'll go to the 10 am movies.

[SFSkol]

I agree with you, yes you will be able to see more than 3 movies a month but you may find that many are blocked or are surge priced or have no tickets available and will have other limitations on them. MP will do everything they can, including banging on your radiator pipes in the middle of the night:clap2: , to get you to transition to the new plan.

But you won't really know until Aug 15 rolls by and try to go to some movies.

My guess, and this is just a wild guess, is that some theaters may stop accepting movie pass because the are worried they won't get paid by movie pass.

MoviepAss puts the money in right away. Theaters won't care. You'll just get DECLINED if they run out of money.

Also read that after the 3 movie limit, they will pay a max of $5.00 for each additional movie.

[EdFNJ]

No more "ticket validation" (taking pictures of the tickets after purchases)



HUH? What was that part all about? I never read (or noticed) anything about that (and never took pictures of my tickets).

[EdFNJ]

MoviepAss puts the money in right away. Correct, and that money works anywhere MasterCard is accepted and of course they will ban you after doing it once. It's simply a credit card pre-loaded with the amount of the ticket after "checking in.".

[SFSkol]

Correct, and that money works anywhere MasterCard is accepted and of course they will ban you after doing it once. It's simply a credit card pre-loaded with the amount of the ticket after "checking in.".

The amount they put in at check-in is more than the price our Village Theaters charges. How would they know the exact amount ahead of time since the Village theaters since there is a discount when you show your ID? After the card is charged for your ticket they remove the unused balance.

[DeanFL]

Just back from a movie (Mr. Rodgers, Be My Neighbor - BTW a VERY good documentary worthy of seeing - he died in '03; and would cringe at the state of our "children's" TV shows and general morality...

Movie Pass worked perfectly thank you. BTW TV theaters have charged us the full $9 and don't care about TV ID...irritates me that they take advantage of MP...

Received email (below) from MP.

1. Stay at $9.95/mo - BUT only 3 movies per mo.
2. Vague re major 1st-run movies
3. Quarterly/annual members are grandfathered until renewal.

- we have the annual/prepaid until Jan '19, so good here. But I would assume with all the bad Press the grow of new members will drop afraid of MP going belly-up.
----------------------------

Dear MoviePass Member,

On August 15, 2018, we will hit the one-year anniversary of MoviePass’ revolutionary price point of $9.95 a month. We’ve experienced tremendous growth, and we know that at times, the frequent changes to our service have been frustrating to you. But through it all, one thing is clear: we’ve gotten people excited about going to the movies again.

Over the last year, we have tried different things and we’ve discovered what our members love about our service — the low price point and the ability to go to more than 91 percent of theaters nationwide. We’ve also learned what people don’t like about the service — features including Peak Pricing and Ticket Verification.

So now, with almost a full year of learnings under our belt, we’re introducing a new pricing plan that retains the features you love the most and removes the ones you don’t. Most importantly, this new plan will ensure that we can run a sustainable business and continue providing you with an amazing deal to go see movies in theaters.

Here are the details:

Under our new plan, MoviePass members will be able to see up to three standard movies a month for $9.95, and be given up to a $5.00 discount to any additional movie tickets purchased. Today, 85 percent of MoviePass members go to three movies or less per month, so these changes cater to the majority of our movie-going community.

The new plan will include many major studio first-run films, however there will be some exceptions (note that theaters with e-ticketing will include all movies and showtimes with no restrictions).

We will be suspending Peak Pricing and Ticket Verification requirements for all members in the new plan described above.

Over the coming days, MoviePass members with a monthly subscription renewing on or after August 15th will be given the option in the MoviePass app to transition to the new plan. Quarterly and annual subscribers will not be impacted until their renewal date.
The truth is, disruption and innovation require staying flexible and having an open mind. We genuinely strive to offer you a service that is a great deal, and we believe that the new plan we’re introducing will be attractive to the majority of our members.

It’s been an exciting journey so far, and MoviePass is here to stay. Your endless support, understanding and enthusiasm are greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Mitch Lowe

[EdFNJ]

The amount they put in at check-in is more than the price our Village Theaters charges. How would they know the exact amount ahead of time since the Village theaters since there is a discount when you show your ID? After the card is charged for your ticket they remove the unused balance.


I have no idea how they determine how much goes on the card but when MP first started some people were using the card balance for outside purchases (obviously they couldn't use more than was put on the card). It was all over the web way back then - so it has to be true. :) . Also, if you read the MP "terms" now they mention that if the card is used for any other purpose than it was intended for you would be shut down.

I don't know if they give the big Villages Discount with MP (maybe because I don't ask for it?). For some reason I just never ask for those kinds of discounts (senior discount etc). I never could understand why being "old" deserves a discount. :D Military people yes, old people, meh.

If they did give the Villages discount I assume all that would do would leave a few cents on the card that probably just gets clawed back to MP.