I’ve been given permission to post the response in full, I will first post my email and then the response.
Hello,
I’ve been asked to email this address regarding my official response for the blog post – http://www.thehodge.co.uk/random-musings/rants/vue-cinemas-have-banned-laptops.php
The reasoning I have been given is that ‘It is in our ts & cs that sound & video recording equipment..is not permitted in the screens.’
(http://twitter.com/vuecinemas/status/22625273565 and http://twitter.com/vuecinemas/status/22625145333 )
It is such that I ask why
- This policy of taking laptops has only just begun recently (with no visible signage to say so
- This policy does NOT extend to all items that can record sound / video, mobile phones for instance, banning mobile phones would also stop people turning them on during a film to check for messages.
As I mentioned in the blog post, I feel this decision is utterly stupid and its yet another reason for me to stay at home and not support the film industry, I really don’t trust your staff with my laptop and if I have to go home to drop it off then come back out again… I’m not going to come back..
Most modern laptops do have a camera in them correct, but the resolution of the camera would make a video terrible (unlike say, an iPhone with HD recording which can record a few hours worth of HD video and is a lot less visible than my 13inch macbook,), I could record the film’s sound with my laptop in my bag but I could just as easily buy a £20 dictaphone from Argos and stick that in my pocket.
I had a digital camera and an iPad in my bag, both can record audio at much higher quality and both were looked at and given the all clear by the attendant? Does the policy to take away video and audio recording devices not count these?
Having paid £13+ to see a film (which is more expensive than buying the DVD on release day) I’d rather not have to sit through a patronising advertthanking me for not downloading the film -after- having my bag searched and possessions taken away because they could possibily be used to record some portion of the film.
iTunes for instance is cheaper than both buying the dvd and going to the cinema plus it means I can stay at home
If this is the new policy (or an old policy that Vue are suddenly enforcing) I would ask that it actually be enforced fully and ALL devices that can record sound / video be removed from persons rather than ‘the ones which are easy to spot’ I would also ask that some signage was displayed in the cinema announcing this policy as when asked I was told it was all over the building but we certainly couldn’t spot any.
Thanks for reading and I await your response.
Dear Dominic
Thank you for your email and giving us the opportunity to respond directly to your concerns.
It is indeed within our terms and conditions that sound and video recording equipment will not be permitted within the auditoriums; we also reserve the right to search customers. Laptops increasing have recording functionality and therefore this is not uncommon to ask our customers not to take them into the auditoriums and this is certainly not a new policy. There is obviously no excuse why the staff did not address the issue of your camera/iPad and please be advised that I have addressed this with the General Manager at our venue in Leeds Light where I believe you attended.
Ultimately we adhere to this policy to protect our business from the real risk which film piracy threatens to the cinema industry; we try to lessen the impact to our customers by only applying the policy when the risk is high – for example, opening weekends, the bigger the film the greater the risk and if the UK have a release in advance of the rest of the world. I am sorry that this approach causes more confusion in the inconsistency which obviously results, I hope you can appreciate this is not our intention.
I do fully recognise your comments regarding the recording capability of mobile phones and the apparent disparity in our current policy; please be advised that this matter is currently under review and I have forwarded your comments to those concerned. I expect the policy to change in early October and I will email you again at this time to let you know the outcome of our review.
Once again, sincere thanks for taking the time to email us directly with your comments and should you wish to discuss this matter further please do not hesitate to contact me again directly.
I have to thank Vue for being so quick to respond to the email and in full, I’m still not happy about the policy and still think its utterly stupid but at least they are discussing it and have allowed me to post the response.
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September 2nd, 2010
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