AMC Patron Alleges Chain Hides Fees From Rushed Ticket Buyers

AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. “has been nickel and diming movie goers” who buy tickets on its website by displaying prices that exclude fees and then ambushing purchasers with excess charges, a New York movie patron alleges in a new lawsuit.

The convenience charges appear at checkout only after consumers click through the numerous screens required to buy movie tickets, Vivian Picciotti says in a proposed class action filed Jan. 5 in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

A six-minute timer starts during the process of choosing a theater, show, and seats, the suit says.

“Because New York is a busy place, and because these fees are only flashed after a movie-goer selects their seats, Defendant can plausibly put its customers on a shot clock and tell them they need to decide quick, because Defendant cannot hold their seats open forever,” she says.

The fees “can quickly add up,” Picciotti says. For a family of four, AMC tacks on an extra $8.76 at the end of the purchase process, “roughly equivalent to the cost of a bucket of popcorn,” the complaint says.

AMC’s practice violates New York’s 2022 Arts and Cultural Affairs Law, she says. The law requires the total ticket cost to be displayed before purchase and prohibits price increases during the purchase process, she says.

Picciotti seeks damages, injunctive relief such as business practice changes, and attorneys’ fees and costs on behalf of a New York class.

AMC didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Bursor & Fisher PA represents the plaintiffs.

The case is Picciotti v. AMC Ent. Holdings, Inc., S.D.N.Y., No. 1:24-cv-00110, complaint 1/5/24.