"The Movie Started an Hour Late, and They Just Expected Us to Watch It?" ... Can You Get Compensation for a Delayed Movie Screening? [Consumer Savvy]

[Financial News]#. "Many people planned their schedules around when the movie was supposed to end. Shouldn't they be compensated?"One weekend last February, A booked two tickets for a 2 p.m. movie through the theater's website and paid 20,000 won. But the movie shown in the theater, which A entered with excitement alongside a blind-date partner, was completely different from the one booked. The theater stopped the screening and began preparing to restart it.
The booked movie finally began at 2:52 p.m. The schedule was delayed by more than 40 minutes compared with what it would have been under normal screening conditions. A filed for damage relief with the Korea Consumer Agency (KCA), saying that despite wasting a significant amount of time because of the theater's mistake, no meaningful compensation guidance was provided.■ Compensation is required when a movie screening is delayed by 30 minutes or moreAccording to the Korea Consumer Agency on the 27th, Article 4 of the Standard Terms and Conditions for Movie Theater Admission stipulates that if a screening starts at least 30 minutes later than scheduled due to the theater's intent or negligence, the admission fee must be refunded at the audience member's request. If the delay is one hour or longer, the standard compensation is twice the admission fee.
There are also rules for interruptions during a screening. If a movie is interrupted for 10 minutes or longer, or interrupted at least twice, the admission fee must be refunded. If the interruption lasts 30 minutes or longer, or occurs at least three times, twice the admission fee must be refunded.
The KCA determined that the other moviegoers in the same theater had suffered the same harm as A and pursued collective redress. After a fact-finding investigation confirmed that the delay lasted 42 minutes, it recommended that the theater provide compensation equivalent to the admission fee.
The theater accepted the recommendation and compensated all 175 audience members present at the time with one movie ticket voucher worth 10,000 won each, for a total of 1.75 million won. It also sent the audience members text messages explaining the compensation.■ When a screening is delayed, keep photos or other evidence confirming the timeIf a movie screening is delayed and the theater takes no meaningful action, consumers can request an appropriate refund or other compensation. A KCA official emphasized, "Because the theater and the consumer may disagree about the length of the delay, consumers should secure evidence, such as photos or videos, showing the time. Since theaters are often crowded and measures are frequently not taken on-site, it is advisable to raise the issue with the customer service center or the Consumer Counseling Center."
[email protected] Kim Hyun-ji Reporter