AMC Settlement Resolves Lawsuit Over Online Ticket Convenience Fees
Picciotti v. AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc.
Filed: January 5, 2024 ◆§ 1:24-cv-00110
A class action alleges AMC has unlawfully failed to include a “convenience fee” in the stated total cost of a movie ticket at the beginning of the online purchase process.
A settlement with AMC Entertainment Holdings has been reached to resolve a proposed class action lawsuit that claimed the theater chain company violated a New York law by failing to include a convenience fee in the total cost of movie tickets until the end of the online purchase process.
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The official website for the AMC class action settlement, AMCTicketFeeSettlement.com, is now live.
The deal, which was preliminarily approved by the court on August 22 of this year, covers anyone in the United States who, between August 29, 2022 and January 16, 2024, paid a convenience fee to purchase a movie ticket or any other goods or services at any AMC theater located in New York from AMCTheatres.com, AMC’s mobile app or any other online platform owned or operated on its behalf.
According to the settlement website, eligible class members do not have to do anything if they wish to receive a free one-year membership to AMC’s loyalty program, AMC Stubs Premiere. However, class members who elect to forego this benefit in favor of a $7 cash payout must file a claim form online or by mail by November 8, 2024.
For those who wish to submit a claim form online, head to this page. Class members may also download the PDF claim form to print and return by mail.
Related Reading: AMC’s Online Ticket Convenience Fee Violates New York Law, Class Action Claims
In order to file a claim, you will need the Unique ID and Confirmation Code found on the settlement notice you should have received via email. If you did not receive a notice or lost yours, you may contact the settlement administrator for assistance, the website states.
The AMC Stubs Premiere membership, which has an advertised annual cost of $15 plus tax, would provide one year of unlimited waived convenience fees with each online movie ticket purchase, access to priority lanes for concessions and box office, a free large popcorn and fountain drink during the consumer’s birthday month, discounted tickets every Tuesday, unlimited free large popcorn refills, free Wi-Fi, unlimited free size upgrades on popcorn and fountain drinks, certain loyalty program points and more, the site says.
These membership benefits had an average retail value of $42 for current New York members over the past year, the settlement agreement shares. The full list of membership perks can be found on this page.
Per the site, class members who already have an AMC Stubs Premiere membership and wish to file a claim can elect to receive 12 additional months added to their account for free. Those who are enrolled in a higher tier of the AMC Stubs loyalty program can choose to receive a free year of Premiere membership to begin when their current membership expires, the website relays. Alternatively, class members who fit these descriptions may elect to receive a $7 cash payment, the site adds.
Finally, as part of the deal, AMC has modified the purchase flow for movie tickets to New York theaters on its online platforms and has agreed to comply with applicable state law going forward, the website notes.
The court will decide whether to grant final approval to the terms of the AMC ticket fee settlement during a hearing set for November 21, 2024 in New York. Eligible class members will be issued cash payments or, for those who opted for an AMC Stubs Premiere membership, an email with a link and instructions on how to claim their enrollment within 60 days after the deal is ultimately approved and any appeals are resolved.
The class action lawsuit against AMC alleged that the company violated the New York Arts and Cultural Affairs Law, a state statute that requires operators of places of entertainment to display the total price of a ticket, including any added fees, before the ticket is selected for purchase. Per the suit, the law also prohibits such companies from increasing ticket costs during the checkout process.
According to the settlement agreement, AMC reported that between August 2022 and January 2024, it sold more than 4.6 million tickets to New York theaters and collected more than $10.7 million in convenience fees through its online platforms.
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