AIBU to think that if I have paid £24 for 1 adult and 2 children to see Nativity 2, they should not charge me 20p for a glass of tap water

[kitsmummy]

grrrr, I bought two lots of sweets at £2.25 a packet, paid £7 for myself and £6 for each DC and then asked for a glass of water (they do serve alcohol at this cinema) and was told I could buy a bottle of water. I declined and said could I not just have a glass of tap water? The woman looked awkward and said they have to charge 20p for the plastic cup to put it in!!!

I pointed out that I thought that places that sold alcohol had to offer free tap water and she said that their water is free but they have to charge for the plastic cups . It's not free is it if they're going to charge for plastic cups? They're hardly optional, unless i cup my hands for a handful of water .

So hit me with it, were they being complete grasping dickheads, or is it ok, they're only trying to make a living etc etc? If anyone knows the legal stance on it I'd also be very interested to know if they actually had any right to do this. I'm probably more pissed off than I should be, but it has really riled me!

thanks

[LtXmasEve]

I haven't been to the cinema for ages, took DD back in October. I'd already bought sweets etc, knowing that the prices would be outrageous, but I was really shocked when we were queuing up to see that if I had wanted to buy snacks I would have paid £8.00 for a hotdog, £3.50 for a crappy coffee and £3.00 for a Fruit Shoot.

I knew that prices were bad, but was honestly shocked at quite how bad.

[SoupDragon]

But they were giving free water, they were charging for the cup. You could have taken your own cup and had water for free [shrug]

[StuntGirl]

I appreciate they're a business but christ, they can't even give out free water? Cheapskates. It's not like every customer who comes in is going to drink water even if it is free

[kitsmummy]

and the law is the LICENSING ACT 2003, ORDER 2010

fwiw, I never thought I was going to keel and die by not having water. My title did not read "AIBU to think this cinema almost killed me"

[SchroSawMummyRidingSantaClaus]

Whois Maybe if you had read the links that I provided, you would know that it isn't a myth.

It has been that way for years in Scotland and since 2010 in England, I presume it took longer for England to be included because of water metres.

OP, YANBU.

[kitsmummy]

Whois - this home office document specifically says that from April 2010 all licensed premises in England and Wales MUST provide free tap water home office.

[whois]

Oh yay, the tap water myth again.

THERE IS NO LAW THAT SAYS PLACES HAVE TO GIVE YOU TAP WATER

THERE IS NO LAW THAT SAYS PLACES CAN NOT CHARGE YOU TAP WATER

Humans are not finely balanced on the edge of hydration and dehydration, you will not die by waiting an hour or so to get home and have a free drink there!

FFS

[greenfolder]

they are just thieving bastards!

went for a trip to see madagascar 3- tickets were £30 for the five of us- and only 1 paid full price.

followed by £24 for 2 bags of popcorn and 4 small cokes- yes really. Followed by £2.45 for a small cup of tea- in reality a tea bag and hot water and £3 for a bag of sweets that i could buy in tesco for a pound.

next time i am going to ask for tap water and see what happens.

[Cezella]

Our local cafe charges 30p for water, you don't get ice or lemon. The whole place is really overpriced for a small country cafe though, but I was so shocked that they charged for a glass of water (which I'd had as well as another drink not instead of one)

[MrsTwankey]

Considering you've bought tickets and paid for their highly inflated sweets they should have given you a cup of water and waived the charge of the cup.
I don't know the ruling on free glasses of water. In my local Wetherspoons I have a glass of water with my meal - big glass, lots of ice and a slice of lemon and they never charge.

[SchroSawMummyRidingSantaClaus]

What they did was illegal, if you had already spent every penny at their establishment and you needed a drink of water, it wouldn't have been easily accessed.

20p would be a lot if you didn't have a penny left.

[BornInACrossFireHurricane]

I can't believe that I pay their prices to be honest but I do like a mug

It's about £7 for a large pepsi and popcorn- crazy prices considering the mark up. It's part of the cinema experience for me though

[kitsmummy]

Obviously 20p is not a lot, but it's clearly about the principal isn't it? According to the home office it's illegal, and I think they were being particularly money grabbing and trying to twist the law (with regard to charging for the cup) to benefit themselves.

Next time it will be sweets and drinks hidden in my bag, so they don't get anything extra out of me.

[valiumredhead]

Everyone knows how expensive cinema food and drinks are and everyone who has any sense will take a big bag with goodies and bottles of water in it. Seems daft to complain about 20p when you already shelled out so much on sweets.

[InLoveWithDavidTennant]

im pretty sure charging for tap water IS illigal now.

i go to the cinema a couple of times each week. i always take my own food and drink with me. they charge a blooming fortune for everything!

[piprabbit]

Basic plastic cups cost approx 2p each.

So the 20p charge for a cup is a 1000% (yes, one thousand percent) mark up. They are profiteering.

[SchroSawMummyRidingSantaClaus]

Actually, it seems it now covers England as well.

Here.

[SchroSawMummyRidingSantaClaus]

Here.

[SchroSawMummyRidingSantaClaus]

If you're in Scotland then it is a legal requirement if they also sell alcohol.

Don't think this is the case in England though.

[squeakytoy]

They sold water in bottles, so yabu to expect free water from the tap. They are running a business and have wages to pay, it isnt a charity.

[bondigidum]

Its actually logical to charge for the cup, it may seem silly because the price of that cup to buy is not even a drop in the ocean for the mega chain cinemas (I presume you went to one of them) butttt its still a tiny minute loss to give something they paid for away for free. Plus water isn't free (may feel like its free to turn the tap on but we all pay water bills). 20p seems reasonable, if it were a quid you'd have a point.

Also you paid a very good amount for the sweets. I don't eat sweets but DH does and it costs him about £7 to fill one of them bags and its frigging £2.50 or something for a bag of m&ms. Daylight robbery.

[AyeOopMoose]

Ha ha Kits you'd never believe it but that is MY local cinema!

I think you should write to the Journal, especially after a letter in the last week about another piece of rubbish customer service they provided.

Next time I'm there I'll ask for some tap water but go forearmed with my glass or maybe a bottle .

They are generally shite there though.

[kitsmummy]

Wells Film Centre in Wells, Somerset. It's like a flipping tin shed too and always a bit whiffy

[AyeOopMoose]

What they've done IS legal but crap customer service. Especially if you name & shame.