AMC A-List & other theater subscriptions (2 Viewers)

[Josh Steinberg]

How many of you would actually go with a mask on?

It’s probably a catch-22 for me. I wouldn’t feel comfortable going to a place where masks aren’t required. And the need for masks in and of itself tells me that now is not the time for leisure activities that present the kind of risk where mask wearing would be a good idea. If it’s not safe to be in public without a mask, it’s probably not a great idea to spend more time than is necessary in places where masks make sense.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

These guys are complete fucking morons. There is no way I'm going to the theater in july without everyone being masked. And masks being enforced.

How do you "enforce"? An usher stands at the front of the auditorium and throws a rock at anyone who removes his mask?

And how do you combine concessions with masks?

I can see masks required for entry and while in other parts of the complex, but not in the auditorium itself. That's impractical...

 

[Jason_V]

How do you "enforce"? An usher stands at the front of the auditorium and throws a rock at anyone who removes his mask?

And how do you combine concessions with masks?

I can see masks required for entry and while in other parts of the complex, but not in the auditorium itself. That's impractical...

It's not impractical. It's inconvenient for sure. But if people can eat their milk duds and Super Size Coke in the dark, they can move their mask up and down over their mouth and nose to eat their concessions.

Frankly, I doubt it will be enforced in the auditorium or anywhere outside the entry point of the theater complex. The theater is far too worried about bad social media press. Therefore, they'll "ask" all guests to follow the rules but if they don't...it won't really matter. If they wanted to really clamp down, ushers and staff have the night vision goggles to make sure people don't record movies. Use that tech and start tapping people on the shoulder in the middle of a movie. But THAT will 100% cause a confrontation, which no one wants either.

 

[TravisR]

How do you "enforce"? An usher stands at the front of the auditorium and throws a rock at anyone who removes his mask?

And how do you combine concessions with masks?

I can see masks required for entry and while in other parts of the complex, but not in the auditorium itself. That's impractical...

To me, it's fairly simple. Once a person is basically done eating, they put the mask back on and if they want some more popcorn later, they pull the mask off and then put it back on. It's a matter of common sense and common decency but there'd definitely be ignorant and hardheaded assholes who would make a huge deal out of being asked to have some courtesy for another human being.

"I WANNA EAT ALL MOVIE AND NOT WEAR NO DAMN MASK! THIS IS TYRANNY!!!"

 

[Robert Crawford]

To me, it's fairly simple. Once a person is basically done eating, they put the mask back on and if they want some more popcorn later, they pull the mask off and then put it back on. It's a matter of common sense and common decency but there'd definitely be ignorant and hardheaded assholes who would make a huge deal out of being asked to have some courtesy for another human being.

"I WANNA EAT ALL MOVIE AND NOT WEAR NO DAMN MASK! THIS IS TYRANNY!!!"

Again, how do you enforce it?

 

[Robert Crawford]

It's not impractical. It's inconvenient for sure. But if people can eat their milk duds and Super Size Coke in the dark, they can move their mask up and down over their mouth and nose to eat their concessions.

Frankly, I doubt it will be enforced in the auditorium or anywhere outside the entry point of the theater complex. The theater is far too worried about bad social media press. Therefore, they'll "ask" all guests to follow the rules but if they don't...it won't really matter. If they wanted to really clamp down, ushers and staff have the night vision goggles to make sure people don't record movies. Use that tech and start tapping people on the shoulder in the middle of a movie. But THAT will 100% cause a confrontation, which no one wants either.

You couldn't pay me enough money to do that job dealing with those assholes. As some people that have made that choice are looking for a confrontation.

 

[Jason_V]

You couldn't pay me enough money to do that job dealing with those assholes. As some people that have made that choice are looking for a confrontation.

Oh, agreed 100%. I feel the pain of those employees. That's why I adhere to whatever rules are in place when I go out. If I follow the rules, I'm one less patron the employees have to talk to.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Oh, agreed 100%. I feel the pain of those employees. That's why I adhere to whatever rules are in place when I go out. If I follow the rules, I'm one less patron the employees have to talk to.

What scares me if somebody attacks those workers for just doing their jobs.

 

[Jason_V]

What scares me if somebody attacks those workers for just doing their jobs.

Yup. It would get nasty very fast. The staff can't actually do anything and calling the cops is problematic for a totally different reason.

I will never understand why people can't follow rules. If you don't want to follow a rule, you don't go to the place which requires you to follow the rule. It seems pretty simple to me.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Yup. It would get nasty very fast. The staff can't actually do anything and calling the cops is problematic for a totally different reason.

I will never understand why people can't follow rules. If you don't want to follow a rule, you don't go to the place which requires you to follow the rule. It seems pretty simple to me.

Sense of entitlement! This type of attitude/behavior has gotten worse over the years.

 

[TravisR]

Again, how do you enforce it?

Realistically, you can't but just setting it up as a rule might make a few more people begrudgingly abide by it and reinforce that masks are necessary in public.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

AMC just announced that due to feeeback from their customers, they are reversing course and will require masks.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Regal has followed suit and will also require masks. No comment from Cinemark yet.

 

[Sam Posten]

Huzzah

 

[Jake Lipson]

Now that AMC has officially confirmed a reopening date, have those of you who want to cancel your A-List membership been able to do so yet?

 

[Tino]

Now that AMC has officially confirmed a reopening date, have those of you who want to cancel your A-List membership been able to do so yet?

Here is AMC’s reply to me.

Hi there, I can help with this. To be sure you saw our message, your A-List membership is currently paused and will remain paused until October 1st, 2020 or until you reactivate it by visiting your account on our mobile app or website. While your account is paused, you will be charged $0 for your monthly billing. If you would still like to cancel, please provide your account number or email address. -Michelle

 

[Robert Crawford]

Here is AMC’s reply to me.

Hi there, I can help with this. To be sure you saw our message, your A-List membership is currently paused and will remain paused until October 1st, 2020 or until you reactivate it by visiting your account on our mobile app or website. While your account is paused, you will be charged $0 for your monthly billing. If you would still like to cancel, please provide your account number or email address. -Michelle

Tino,

Is that reply directly to your inquire to them? Is so didn't you already provide them with your account number and email address?

 

[Jake Lipson]

They probably want to make it as difficult as possible to cancel; therefore, making you respond again to confirm cancellation makes sense.

 

[Robert Crawford]

They probably want to make it as difficult as possible to cancel; therefore, making you respond again to confirm cancellation makes sense.

You think...

 

[Jake Lipson]

I used to be a loyal member of the paid version of AMC Stubs, back when they were my regular theater. After I discovered that my local AMC's remodel moved all of the wheelchair seats to the very back in an utterly discriminatory decision, I decided to cancel my subscription. (This was prior to the existence of A-List.). If I simply didn't renew the payment when my paid year was up, the account would just be downgraded to the unpaid tier, but would remain in their system. However, the AMC Stubs rules and legalese say that you can cancel by calling them or by visiting the customer service desk at any location. I know that one less Stubs member wouldn't make a big difference to AMC, but I wanted to cancel anyway and be removed from their system on principle. It gave me an opportunity to voice the offense I took with the remodel.

So I called their customer service number and explained that I wanted to cancel, and why. I was very polite about it to the guy who took the call, because it obviously wasn't his fault. But I firmly expressed how frequently I go to the theater and how much they blew it by forcing guests with disabilities to sit in the back. The guy was flummoxed, probably because he had never gotten a call from someone wanting to un-enroll in a potentially free service before. He put me on hold while he claimed to ask a supervisor how to do this, then came back after about five minutes and said he would take care of it. He then ended the call by saying "Thank you for being a valued -- I mean, a former -- valued AMC Stubs member." He didn't provide any way for me to actually verify that he had done anything to purge my account from their system, which is what I had requested.

A couple of days later, I decided to check by attempting to log into the website. If he had purged my account as I requested, I should not be able to log in because my login and password would no longer be valid, since the account would not exist.

But I was able to log in just fine. He hadn't done a thing; he just left me on hold long enough for me to think he did something and then came back and assumed I wouldn't check.

As far as I know, the account is still there, unless they finally purged it due to inactivity since I haven't been to AMC in over two years. I was never billed again for the paid tier because I took my credit card out of the account, but it was a principle issue that I didn't want to be in AMC's system. Is it the end of the world that they didn't do that for me? No, but it was annoying and speaks to AMC's disregard for their customers, as does the thoughtless remodel in the first place.

So I'm not surprised at all that those of you trying to cancel A-List are having trouble. It would be nice if they had improved things in the time since I was last a customer, but apparently they have not.