AMC’s Online Ticket Convenience Fee Violates New York Law, Class Action Claims [UPDATE]

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A proposed class action alleges AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. 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.

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The 15-page lawsuit claims the owner of the AMC Theatres chain has run afoul of the New York Arts and Cultural Affairs Law, which requires operators of places of entertainment to disclose the total price of a ticket, including any additional fees, before the ticket is selected for purchase. Per the suit, the state law also bars such companies from increasing ticket costs during the checkout process.

The case alleges that instead of lawfully disclosing its convenience fee—which usually ranges from $2 to $3 per ticket, depending on location and ticket type—at the beginning of the AMCTheatres.com purchase process, AMC “ambush[es]” movie-goers with the added charge at guest checkout, after they have navigated through multiple pages to select a movie title, showtime, location and seat. Per the complaint, the ticket selection page lists prices excluding fees.

According to the filing, only after clicking through these screens does a consumer arrive at the “Order Details” page, where the added convenience fee is displayed above the now-increased total cost and a six-minute timer appears in the upper-right corner of the page.

“Because New York is a busy place, and because these fees are only flashed after a movie-goer selects their seats, [AMC] can plausibly put its customers on a shot clock and tell them they need to decide quick, because [AMC] cannot hold their seats open forever,” the lawsuit contends. “This cheap trick has enabled [the defendant] to swindle substantial sums of money from its customers.”

Indeed, the suit argues that the added per-ticket fees can swiftly add up.

“For a family of four, [AMC] tacks on an extra $8.76 at the end of the purchase process,” the case states. “That is roughly equivalent to the cost of a bucket of popcorn.”

The lawsuit looks to represent anyone in the United States who, using the guest checkout process, purchased electronic tickets to any film screenings at any theatre located in New York from AMCTheatres.com since August 29, 2022.

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