Maharashtra mutiplexes in a fix over online ticket-booking fee

Theatre chains in Maharashtra are still in the process of complying with a state government notice asking them to stop charging extra for tickets sold online, a move that may be challenged in court by the aggrieved cinema hall owners. 

The notice issued last week also covers tickets booked through websites such as BookyMyShow.com. 

The so-called convenience or Internet-handling charge depends on the price of the tickets. It’s usually Rs.10 for a ticket costing up to Rs.100, rising to Rs.20 for a Rs.100-200 ticket and so on. 

The notification was received by theatre chains on Thursday. While Cinemax India Ltd and PVR Ltd, which owns the former, have already stopped charging the fee, others such as Big Cinemas, Inox Leisure Ltd and Fun Cinemas are still working toward implementing the resolution, executives said. 

Bigtree Entertainment-owned BookMyShow.com has stopped levying the fee for Cinemax. The website sells tickets for more than 350 halls across 150 Indian cities. Platforms like it usually share 40-60% of their take with theatres based on sales volume, according to industry estimates.

Source: http://cablequest.org/news/national-news/item/2194-maharashtra-mutiplexes-in-a-fix-over-online-ticket-booking-fee.htmlSource: http://cablequest.org/news/national-news/item/2194-maharashtra-mutiplexes-in-a-fix-over-online-ticket-booking-fee.html