Photo: Screenshot from the website
Some cinemas in Changsha, Central China's Hunan Province, reportedly have introduced a policy enabling moviegoers to obtain a refund for their tickets within the initial 30 minutes of a film's screening. This move has triggered a heated online debate regarding its practicality, with experts suggesting that the scheme may not be suitable for widespread adoption.
According to a report by the state broadcaster CCTV Channel 6, this initiative was rolled out by the Jianpiao company, an electronic ticketing service provider. During the upcoming Spring Festival season, Changsha's 72 cinemas will allow moviegoers to use self-refund machines during the initial half-hour of a movie's screening.
Besides, these automated kiosks also support moviegoers to apply for ticket refunds due to unsatisfactory cinema environments or movies not meeting expectations.
Statistics revealed that out of 9,292 viewers across five pilot films, 135 people utilized the refund service within the first 30 minutes, according to the report.
The Jiaopiao company told the CCTV that currently, the company is subsidizing a portion of the refunds. However, they have already initiated negotiations with some films that will be released during the Spring Festival holidays, aiming to decide the allocation of a portion of funds from the traditional ticket subsidy model for this purpose.
In addition, the company is also in talks with insurance companies, hoping to introduce a "Movie Satisfaction Insurance" service to ensure better development for the entire industry.
The company emphasized that, at present, the service is limited to specific cinemas and particular films and this approach may not be applied to artistic films.
The move has sparked controversy on the internet, and the hashtag #Moviescanberefundedafterscreening has garnered about 90 million views and 6,000 comments on China's X-like platform Sina Weibo as of Sunday afternoon.
Some netizens expressed their support for the scheme and suggested its broadening to other areas.
"I suggest a nationwide implementation of this policy. As a loyal moviegoer, I often suffer from 'heartaches' caused by lousy films," read a Weibo comment.
Others fear that such refund policy could lead to a formulaic approach in filmmaking, potentially compromising films' overall quality.
"If it is widely promoted, a deeper impact might be a change in the pacing of film narratives. Filmmakers would need to capture the audience's attention fully within the first 30 minutes, potentially leading to many movies that rely on sensational openings but lack substance in the later parts," a netizen expressed.
"It is essential to regulate and approach the pros and cons of such personalized marketing behaviors with rationality," Zhang Peng, a film researcher at Nanjing University's National Research Center of Cultural Industries, told the Global Times on Sunday.
Zhang said that the 30-minute refund approach can be considered a personalized marketing strategy taken from the perspective of "cherishing the audience." "Along as the cinemas or companies are willing to bear the implicit losses brought by ticket refunds, it still has its merits."
However, Zhang believes that the strategy may not be "suitable for widespread adoption" across all film categories.
According to Zhang, this approach could potentially push film production companies to prioritize sensational openings over overall substance. Additionally, it might impact the cinematic experience if viewers are inclined to leave early, protecting the "refund rights" of some consumers but compromising the "movie-watching rights" of others.
"Moreover, driven by the psychology of consumer conformity, it may lead to a lot of blind imitation and sensational behavior," Zhang noted.
"If not properly regulated, this approach might be exploited by industry competitors for mutual discrediting and damaging reputations, hindering the healthy development of the film industry," Zhang added.
In Zhang's view, consumer ticket purchases are becoming increasingly rational, with viewers choosing films based on factors such as trailers, reviews, word of mouth and the cast. Therefore, advocating for "ticket refunds" should not be done in a simplistic or crude manner.
Current market platforms like Maoyan and Taopiaopiao only offer pre-screening refund and exchange services, often with varying fees.
On October 14, 2023, the film A Romantic Fragment, sparked intense debate among the audience viewing its premiere at the 7th Pingyao International Film Festival.
As the film approached its conclusion, sudden shouts of "refund" and "give us our money back" erupted from the audience. The film was priced at 80 yuan ($11.16) per ticket then.
