Return of cinema tickets according to the legislation of the Russian Federation

Home/Returns and exchanges/Movie tickets

A person's plans can change greatly. However, if you have already paid for the session, this can lead to a number of difficulties. Not all citizens know whether they can return a movie ticket. The law in this situation is completely on the side of the consumer.

Attention

The buyer has the right to refuse the purchased service at any time and demand a refund. However, the process of receiving money for movie tickets is associated with a number of nuances that you should familiarize yourself with in advance.

Regulatory framework

Current legislation allows a citizen who has purchased a cinema ticket to return it and receive the money paid.

Attention! This possibility is fixed:

Article 32 of the Law on Protection of Consumer Rights,
Article 787 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation,
Article 282 of the Tax Code.

To return a ticket, you do not need to explain the reason for this decision. However, the event organizer may deduct from the ticket price the costs that were actually incurred to produce the ticket.

However, since the costs incurred must be documented, as required by tax legislation, it is easier for the organizer to return the full cost of the ticket and not enter into a dispute with the ticket buyer.

Law regulating the process of returning movie tickets

It is a common belief that the return or return of a ticket purchased to watch a movie is possible only when the show has been cancelled, rescheduled, or the movie turns out to be of poor quality.
Personal reasons for which a citizen refused to visit the cinema are not taken into account.

This is not entirely true. The viewer has the right to return the ticket before the premiere begins, but he may not explain the reasons for his action and receive the amount paid back, excluding the money spent on issuing the ticket.

The administration of the institution shows a strong reluctance to return money, and if the viewer decides to exchange or return a ticket, he must be ready to pursue his goal to the end.

By purchasing a ticket, the viewer is essentially making a deal with the theater owners.

The list of conditions that must be observed when concluding this agreement is listed either directly on the ticket, or you can find out about them on the website dedicated to the event, or from a brochure that the cashier can give out.

When a citizen purchases a ticket, this implies automatic agreement with a list of terms and conditions of the transaction, which, among other things, contain provisions related to the exchange and return of the ticket.

As stated by the consumer protection law, the purchaser has the right to cancel the services and demand a refund, excluding costs associated with ticket printing, reservations, etc.

The provisions for handing over tickets are also regulated by the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. Article 782 establishes the right of the buyer to refuse the service provided if he has paid all the costs incurred by the contractor.

The Contractor (in this case, the administration of the institution) has the right to refuse to perform services if he has paid the consumer all the money he spent.

Buyer's rights

The rights of the buyer are regulated by the Law on Protection of Consumer Rights, Article 25. The consumer has the right to exchange or return a movie ticket that is not suitable for any reason. In this case, the seller is obliged to return the money paid. The law allows for the deduction of expenses that were associated with printing a ticket, booking a seat and other features that the organizer was forced to deal with.

The law gives buyers the right to receive services in proper quality. Theoretically, if a person does not like the film, he can demand a refund for the ticket. However, in reality, the implementation of the right is difficult to implement. In most situations, the request to return movie tickets after the show will be refused. The issue will have to be resolved through the courts. He will assess the completeness and quality of the service provided.

You will be able to get your money back if the film was shown in another language or was delayed even by a few minutes. A similar rule applies if a movie ticket was sold to a person who does not meet the established age limit for a particular film.

Reasons for returning a ticket

As practice shows, you can return a ticket for the following reasons:

The film screening was canceled by the cinema administration due to technical reasons,
the administration replaced the advertised film for which the ticket was purchased with another one,
the film was shown with technical hitches, poor-quality images, sound distortion, and so on,
The administration did not post information about age restrictions for showing the film. Thus, watching the film became impossible due to the fault of the cinema.

Important! In addition, the reasons may be personal:

the viewer changed his mind about watching this movie,
preference is given to another film or cultural event of a different focus.

That is, it is not necessary to voice the reasons why the ticket is being returned. At least the cinema administration has no right to demand this. Her task: to get an undamaged ticket back and return the money.

Final provisions

5.1.
By accepting the terms of this Agreement, the Client agrees to receive further information from the Cinema Portal about new services of the Cinema Portal and the Cinema Portal’s partners, new available payment methods, etc. Moreover, the Client’s consent to receive newsletters in accordance with this clause will be valid indefinitely, until until the Client revokes his consent by sending a written notice to the Cinema Portal.
5.2.
By accepting the terms of this Agreement, the Client consents to the processing by the Kino Portal of his personal data provided to the Kino Portal when filling out the payment page, to the extent and in the ways necessary to fulfill the terms of this Agreement, including the transfer of personal data to third parties, including, but not limited to NPO Yandex.Money LLC, Contact Center Open Line LLC (OGRN 1105032000798) and Sberbank of Russia PJSC, in accordance with the requirements of the legislation on personal data.
5.3.
By accepting the terms of this Agreement, the Client agrees that the Cinema Portal has the right at any time to unilaterally make changes/additions to the text of this Agreement without notifying the Client. The Client can review the current version of this Agreement at any time on the website www.kinohod.ru.
5.4.
By accepting the terms of this Agreement, the Client agrees that the Cinema Portal, as well as payment participants, have the right to charge an additional commission for their services, the amount of which must be brought to the attention of the Client when ordering/purchasing/paying for a Ticket to the Session.
5.5.
By accepting the terms of this Agreement, the Client confirms that he is legally capable and has reached the age required in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation to complete a transaction to purchase Tickets for the Session.
5.6.
By accepting the terms of this Agreement, the Client also agrees with the terms of the partners of the Cinema Portal for paying for Tickets for the Session - PJSC Sberbank of Russia, JSC Alfa-Bank, LLC YANDEX, PJSC VTB-24, LLC NPO Dengi.Mail. Ru”, JSC “Qiwi Bank”, set out on the websites of these partners.
5.7.
By accepting the terms of this Agreement, the Client confirms that he is familiar with the age limit established for the film for which Tickets are purchased, and agrees with the possible refusal of cinemas to attend the Show due to age discrepancy with the established age limit, in accordance with the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation.

Return Policy

The procedure for returning a ticket and receiving a refund of the money paid has its own characteristics that all movie lovers should know:

compliance with the minimum acceptable period during which the cinema administration has the right to accept previously sold tickets for return. Usually for cinemas - no later than 2 hours before the start of the show, for theaters - 5 days, for concerts - 12-15 days,
submitting a written application to return the ticket and receive money for it,
presence of a passport or other identification document of the citizen who is handing over the ticket,
presence of an undamaged ticket,
30-day refund period,
the possibility of deducting expenses that were incurred for the production of the ticket. Usually this is 5-50% of the ticket price paid. Sometimes the withholding amount can be one hundred percent. In case of withholding, the administration is obliged to present a regulatory document that justifies the amount of funds withheld,
The rule applies: the later the ticket is returned, the greater the withholding amount.

These rules are fully consistent with the norms of current legislation, therefore, when purchasing tickets, you should pay attention to the conditions for their delivery. They can be indicated both on the tickets themselves and on separately published brochures that are freely available.

Attention! Our qualified lawyers will assist you free of charge and around the clock on any issues. Find out more here.

Procedure for returning a cinema ticket

The procedure for returning tickets is as follows:

Contact the cinema box office, but do not trust the word of the establishment’s employees. Their task is to sell tickets, and not to return money for those sold, so they will in every possible way dissuade you from returning the ticket, citing the Rules for Film and Video Services, which are approved by Government Resolution No. 1264. However, the Rules only say about the possibility of returning tickets if a session is cancelled, one film is replaced with another, or a low-quality film is shown,
write a written statement. Draw up the document in two copies. One should be submitted to the cinema administration, the second should be marked with receipt of the application,
Please enclose with your application a ticket, a copy of your passport, and contact information on how you can be contacted.

If the administration refuses to accept the application for a ticket refund, you should write a complaint to Rospotrebnadzor, attaching copies of the above documents.

Refund of theater tickets purchased online.

Is it possible to return tickets to a concert if you can’t go? Read here.

How to cancel a booking on Booking and get your money back, read the link: https://novocom.org/zashhita-prav-potrebitelej/kak-vernut-dengi-pri-otmene-bronirovaniya-na-bukinge.html

Please note! The law is on the side of the viewer:

Thus, Article 32 of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights provides the right to return the ticket and get the money paid back,
The Supreme Court, in its decision of April 16, 2009 No. GKPI 09-339, recognized some provisions of government Decree No. 1264 as inconsistent with current legislation.

The main thing is to remember that you cannot retreat. Consumer rights are protected by law. The administration’s reference to the fact that costs were incurred for the production of tickets that are subject to compensation does not stand up to criticism, because Article 782 of the Civil Code deals with compensation for the cost of the number of tickets that are handed over.

If the viewer returns one ticket, then the administration must submit a calculation for compensation for the production of exactly one ticket.

For this reason, the cinema administration usually refunds the full cost of the ticket, which is exactly what you need. If you are unable to receive money for a refunded ticket, the next step is to contact Rospotrebnadzor.

How to file a claim for compensation for moral damages?

There are two ways to complain. The first is to immediately call the territorial division of the Office of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection at the cinema and ask them to respond promptly.

Secondly, if for some reason a representative of Rospotrebnadzor cannot arrive at the cinema, you should prepare and send a complaint against the actions of the cinema administration, having previously left a negative review in the Book of Complaints and Suggestions of the cinema.

Where can I go to turn off the service and get a refund?

Through a Yandex profile

Open Yandex.Passport, there is the “Subscriptions” section.
Find the desired subscription and click “Manage”, it is located to the right of the subscription.
Click “Cancel subscription”.

Via the service website

Important! You can get a refund for a subscription to Kinopoisk only if the service was not in demand.

Go to the website kinopoisk.ru.
Find “Login” at the top right.
Log in.
Find the profile icon in the right corner and click on it.
A menu will appear, select “Settings” in it.
In the “KinoPoisk Subscription” section, click “Manage Subscription”.
An option will open.
Click “Cancel subscription”.
After cancellation you will receive a confirmation.

Via the app

Subscription auto-renewal for iOS occurs in the device settings or on the account page in iTunes.

For Android you need to go to the Play Store and your Google account.
Click on “Menu” and “Subscriptions”.
Find the subscription you need, click “Cancel Subscription” and follow the instructions.

With a valid subscription, the inscription “renewal on such and such a date” is visible, and with the trial period “ends on such and such a date.”

Call technical support

Kinopoisk:
Wait for the manager's response and report the problem.
Give your login in the CP and the email that was linked to your account.
Answer the questions asked.
Wait for a response to the above email.
They return the money in about a week.
Yandex : Phone 8-800-250-66-99 The actions are the same. Managers can ask item 3.

Email

Write https://yandex.ru/support/kinopoisk/feedback.html#feedback.
Choose a topic.
Describe the problem clearly, without unnecessary emotions, in detail, with evidence (screenshots, receipts).
The answer arrives in 2-3 days.

In addition, you can write to the VKontakte group.

How to make an application

application from the cinema administration for the return of tickets free of charge in word format

Remember! An application to return a ticket and receive a refund of the money paid for it must contain the following information:

position, surname, initials of the director of the cinema, address of its location,
last name, first name, patronymic, address of the viewer’s place of residence, means of communication with him, including telephone number, email address,
document name: “Application for ticket refund”,
circumstances of purchasing a cinema ticket, on what date, show time, name of the film, series and ticket number, price paid,
the reason for the return, if this is the fault of the cinema administration. If the reason is personal reasons, it is not necessary to indicate them,
Legal grounds for returning a ticket and receiving money paid:
requirement for ticket acceptance and refund,
attached documents, namely a ticket and a copy of a passport or other identification document of the viewer,
date, time, signature, surname and initials of the applicant.

The application is drawn up in two copies: one, with the attached documents, is handed to the administration representative, on the second a note is made indicating receipt of the application.

If the administration refuses to receive the application, it can be sent by mail with a list of the contents and a receipt.

ATTENTION! Look at the completed sample application from the cinema administration for a refund of tickets:

How to file a complaint to the Ministry of Culture?

When can I return it?

There are deadlines for returning tickets to a movie, theater performance, or concert. So, you can return a cinema ticket one to two hours before the start of the show. Depending on the category of the locality, the class of the cinema, these terms may be different, so when buying a ticket, you should inquire about the terms of its possible return.

There is a deadline of five days for returning theater tickets. In some cities it can be larger. Refunds for concert tickets are only possible if there are 10-15 days left before the start of the performance. If you apply later, problems cannot be avoided or you will have to sell the ticket yourself.

It should be borne in mind that the administration of cultural institutions sets the deadline for returning tickets independently, so in any case you can try to return the ticket and get your money back, even if the established deadline has already passed.

To ensure that consumers who have purchased tickets do not return them, event organizers introduce rules according to which the amount paid for a returned ticket is reduced depending on the number of days remaining before the start of the event.

Attention! As practice shows, standard deductions from the cost of tickets are:

up to 20% when returning tickets two weeks before the performance,
up to 40% – in 7-10 days,
up to 70% – in five days.

However, this amount of deduction is not justified. It does not comply with current legislation. That is, one can argue with such demands of the organizers. True, already in court.

Typically, event organizers' costs per ticket do not exceed 10 percent of its cost. This size should be the starting point if a dispute arises.

Is it possible to return an electronic ticket?

Along with the sale of tickets on paper through the box office of cinemas, theaters, and concert halls, it is possible to purchase a ticket via the Internet. That is, buy an electronic ticket. It is paid online using a bank card.

When returning an electronic ticket, the money must be credited to the card from which the payment was made. The rules for returning electronic tickets are indicated on the sales website. Usually they are not much different from the rules for returning tickets purchased offline.

The movie portal is not responsible for:

3.1.
Temporary failures and interruptions in the operation of the Electronic Sales System and the loss of information caused by them, as well as the safety of information, the correctness and timeliness of its transmission and delivery.
3.2.
Reliability, quality and speed of operation of the Electronic Sales System (as well as the services of the Cinema Portal’s partners) and for the safety of information created, used and received by Clients.
3.3.
Failures occurring in telecommunication networks and/or energy networks, the action of malware, as well as dishonest actions of persons aimed at unauthorized access and/or disabling the software and/or hardware complex, resulting in failures of the Electronic Sales System (services of Kinoportal partners ) or illegal access, deletion or modification of information stored within the Electronic Sales System (services of Kinoportal partners).
3.4.
Reliability, quality and speed of communication channels owned by third parties.
3.5.
Actions of third parties involved in settlements when paying for Tickets for a Session, as well as for the actions of partners of the Cinema Portal who directly provide services to Clients.
3.6.
Correct functioning of software and/or hardware created by third parties and used when working with the Electronic Sales System (services of the Cinema Portal’s partners).
3.7.
The correctness of the data entered by the Client and the correctness of transactions between settlement participants (banks, mobile operators, payment agents, etc.).
3.8.
Quality, range and availability of Goods sold in cinema premises.

In what cases can they refuse?

The administration does not always accept sold tickets back.

Refusal to accept a ticket and refund is possible in the following cases:

the consumer requested a refund of the ticket when there was less than one or two hours left before the start of the session,
the ticket is not attached to the application or it is damaged,
the call occurred after the end of the session,
a request has been made for a refund for payment for courier services,
A fake ticket is attached to the application.

It is important to know that if there is less than one or two hours left before the start of a show, performance, or concert, the administration of the cultural institution will not accept return tickets. The only way out is to sell the ticket yourself.

Watch the video. How to return movie tickets:

Is it possible to submit tickets before or after the session?

According to the Law, you can return your ticket before the start of the show without explaining the reason. There are situations in which the cinema itself is obliged to offer the full cost of the ticket before the start of the screening:

session cancellation;
replacement of the film announced in the movie poster.

Refund or exchange of a ticket after the end of the session is possible in the following cases:

poor quality of demonstration;
incorrect information about the film was provided on public websites (for example, Kinopoisk);
lack of any important information (age restrictions or a ban on the film for people with unstable psyches).

Even if there is one minute left before the end credits and the fire alarm goes off, the film organization is obliged to refund or offer another free ticket to watch the same film.

It must be remembered that a citizen has the right to both a refund and a replacement ticket for another film or for the same one, but on any convenient date.

Step by step instructions

To make a ticket refund you need to proceed in the following sequence:

Go to the cinema box office with your passport, check, ticket (if it is not a check).
Fill out an application, a sample of which is available on the cinema website or at the cashier.
We submit the application to the administration of the establishment.
We are waiting for a positive result.

You need to contact the same cash desk where the purchase was made.

Refund

In most cases this is enough. Funds are usually returned immediately or within a couple of days at most. Refunds are made in person or to a bank card, at the client’s request.

Complaint to Rospotrebnadzor

The legislator does not impose any requirements for its preparation for a document such as a complaint.

standard complaint to Rospotrebnadzor for free in word format

Important! However, practice has developed its own approaches to writing:

the document is written on a sheet of A4 paper by hand or in typewritten text, in two copies,
in the upper right corner the full name of the territorial division of Rospotrebnadzor, its address, including the name of the locality, street name, building number,
if the name of the manager is known, it should also be indicated,
last name, first name, patronymic of the service consumer, address of his place of residence, methods of contacting him, including landline or mobile phone number, email address,
in the center of the sheet the name of the document is written: “Complaint”,
a new line describes the problem that arose, that is, when, where, for what session, at what price was the ticket purchased,
the reason for the need to return the ticket,
date and time of filing an application with the cinema administration with a request to return the money for the refunded ticket,
actions of the administration,
legal grounds for applying to Rospotrebnadzor, the relevant article of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights is indicated,
what is the essence of the request,
list of attached documents,
day, month, year of filing the complaint, signature, surname and initials of the applicant.

You should know that when writing a complaint, you should adhere to the business style of writing the document. The events that took place should be presented in chronological order. There is no need to clutter the document with detailed information. There should be no obscene words or insults.

The law provides a 30-day period for consideration of a complaint. If additional time is required, the applicant must be notified in writing.

If the response measures taken by Rospotrebnadzor do not satisfy the applicant, the only option left is to file a claim in court.

ATTENTION! Look at the completed sample complaint to Rospotrebnadzor for the return of movie tickets:

How to submit a complaint to the Prosecutor's Office via the Internet?