AIBU to expect the cinema to refund the booking fee?

[Bake]

Me, DD8 and DS3 went to watch Toy Story 3 at Cineworld last week. It was 9am viewing and we had the cinema to ourselves. We arrived early and were sat at the back, a minute or two after the screen turned on, something ran down the wall a couple of feet from where we were sitting. It moved incredibly fast but we saw it, heard the scuttling noise as it ran down the wall and a squeak. We were all startled by it and the kids immediately jumped out of their seats and asked to leave. I switched the torch on my phone on and shined it under the seat where it seemed to go but couldn't see anything.

We went back to the entrance and reported when had happened and the guy who was checking tickets said he'd get the manager. The manager dealt with it well, he immediately offered a refund and went to have a look. I'd left our water bottles at our seats so we went with him and I showed him where we'd seen it. Looked like it might have been in a speaker and then probably ran out once the screen turned on and the speaker started making noise.

The manager could clearly see my 3yo and 8yo in great distress, so refunded the nearly £30 ticket cost but said he couldn't do anything about the £3 booking fee. He also gave us 3 complimentary tickets, however, neither me nor my children are are likely to return to the cinema for a long time, if ever! I contacted Cineworld to ask for £3 booking fee to be refunded due to the circumstances, plus as goodwill, my £3.50 parking fee as it was 9am on a Sunday and nowhere else was open in the shoppong centre

Cineworld have replied with two more complimentary tickets (despite 3 of us attending), that need to be used within 30 days despite me telling them we definitely won't be back in a hurry.

AIBU to expect them to refund my £3 booking fee!? I really don't think I could ever return to any cinema after that.

Would be interested to know if the people who say I'm BU have read the full post or just the title? I used the Mumsnet AI suggestion for title which obviously doesn't mention the mouse!! 😱

A full refund, plus 5 complimentary tickets. I'd be delighted with that outcome and certainly wouldn't get my knickers in a twist over £3.50. Pass the tickets on or use them for date nights with your DH.

Honestly, I think you are being a bit OTT. You saw a mouse or a rat not a crocodile. If you look carefully they have mouse traps in all major shops - next, Tesco etc. You got a full refund and have 5 free tickets, quibbling over a £3 booking fee and parking is insanely cheap.
As for never going to the cinema again, wow. You should have calmed yourself and your children down and asked to see it in another screen.

I didn't get a full refund.

Do you think a mouse infestation would be confined to one screen?

You got a refund for the tickets plus 5 free tickets… YABU

The manager could clearly see my 3yo and 8yo in great distress, so refunded the nearly £30 ticket cost but said he couldn't do anything about the £3 booking fee. He also gave us 3 complimentary tickets, however, neither me nor my children are

Im confused then, cos this is what you wrote

How do you no they have a mouse infestation? Also if you ask they will probably make it so the tickets can be used in a different branch

You’re quibbling over £3, despite getting a refund and complimentarily tickets? Really not worth the hassle.

5 free tickets that are worthless as none of us want to go back

You’ve literally just copied and pasted there that she didn’t get a ‘full refund’ because they didn’t refund the booking fee. So if she paid £33.50 she only got £30 back

Pass them on to someone else or ask to use them at a different branch.

That’s your choice, but the manager responded well in this situation.

She was refunded her tickets in full plus given at least £50 i'd guess of free tickets.

She's ended up £3 out of pocket. I wouldn't embarrass myself asking for the £3

If I'd had a full refund I would be happy to draw a line under it. But I didn't get a full refund, the amount he refunded was £3 short as apparently the booking fee is non-refundable. But this wasn't me cancelling at the last minute, we were there with the full intention of watching the movie until something ran down the wall a few feet from my head.

I think you’ve been very adequately compensated.

This seems like a massive overreaction to me! My DD and I would have stayed and watched the film, possibly moved seats (but probably not tbh) and then mentioned it on the way out. Why would it cause your kids ‘great distress’? I’m confused.

Me neither, but £30 out of £33.50 isn’t a full refund. The tickets are a good will gesture and I think she’s bordering on CFery here. But facts are facts

Refund, five complimentary tickets - god almighty woman let it go!

Go to a different Cineworld and use the tickets.

YABU as it was only one mouse. I get it was a shock but come-on, get over it and stop wasting Cineworld’s staff time over such a small amount. It’s not like they put the mouse there themselves.

Sell the 5 tickets for the cost of the booking fee and the car parking fee.

5 tickets for less than a tenner would be a bargain for someone

A refund and 5 free tickets is pretty good. I’d let the £3 go.

Ah you have got to joking?
How do you make out that ONE mouse / rat is an infestation? There are mice absolutely everywhere... so much so you can buy mouse traps at the grocery store. There are probably mice in your garden or attic as we speak!

You got the tickets refunded (albeit £3 short) but you also got 5 free tickets worth c. £50?

Would you like us to start a Gofundme in your honor? I'd take this as a lesson for my kids that rodents are common.

You sound wound up on OPs behalf cos I said she got a full refund. Her tickets were refunded in full. Its the booking fee she never received.

So she didn’t get a full refund then, glad you agree.