Cineworld Unlimited Card - Who has it?

1968

I know there was already a thread in the 'Bargain Alerts' section but I'm more interested in hearing the opinions of regular film goers rather than bargain hunters.

I usually go to the cinema once or twice a month. The only thing that stops me from going more regular is the price (€9 - €11 for a ticket!).

So, I'm seriously considering signing up online today to register for the Cineworld Unlimited Ticket under the monthly deal.

Is there any reason people feel I shouldn't? Any major problems with it that would put me off? Besides not being able to pre book tickets, I haven't heard of any major complaints.

Is it easy to sign up? Direct debit etc.. Is it easy to use? Have people found they've got their money's worth?

Thanks.

Galvasean

As it happens I aqcuired one last week. No real fuss setting up the account. Just go in with your bank details (something with your address on it) and two passport photos (theres a booth you can get it done in at Cineworld), fill in a form and Bob's your uncle. They give you a crude temporary card which you can use that day, then they send you out a proper one (why they dont just laminate them there andthen Im not sure).
You have to pay €40 up front (it's basically the first two months worth) in cash. Payments after that are direct debit.

I've seen two movies so far on it. I plan to see a lot more. The main thing that put me off going to the cinema much more in the past was the price. That said, I definately see more than two movies a month so it should 'pay for itself'.
Ask me again in 3 months time if I think it was good value.

Kane-N-Nite

Galvasean wrote: »

As it happens I aqcuired one last week. No real fuss setting up the account. Just go in with your bank details (something with your address on it) and two passport photos (theres a booth you can get it done in at Cineworld), fill in a form and Bob's your uncle. They give you a crude temporary card which you can use that day, then they send you out a proper one (why they dont just laminate them there andthen Im not sure).

Unlimited Card applications are sent to England & are not made In Dublin as Dublin doesnt make the cards, Cards are sorted over there & posted back. The same applies for staff discount cards. It would be easier of course if the cards were issued & laminated there & then but unfortunetly that's not the case.

senordingdong

If you go more than twice a month, you'd be mad not sign up.

Galvasean

The turning point for me was when went to the cinema twice in one day. Thats when I realised I had a problem.

That_Guy

Is there an option to pay all the money up front for the year without a direct debit?

Galvasean

That_Guy wrote: »

Is there an option to pay all the money up front for the year without a direct debit?

As far as Im aware no. That said, it would be good busness for them to get all taht money up front.

That_Guy

Galvasean wrote: »

As far as Im aware no. That said, it would be good busness for them to get all taht money up front.

Honestly I'd much prefer to do it that way. I don't have any time with college to set up a direct debit and banks are closed on the weekend.

And I don't do online banking so it'd be much easier for me to give the money up front.

I know I'd make loads of use of it. I go to the cinema every weekend and with the Unlimited card I'd probably end up going twice at the weekend sometimes.

Valmont

Supposedly the Unlimited customers are a problem in that they go to lots of movies but tend to hang off the crazily priced concessions. I went to a cinema in the U.S where after you purchased your ticket you had to navigate a maze of concessions to actually get to the screen. It worked on me:D

I stick exclusively to the Savoy or Screen on D'Olier street so the unlimited option is out for me.

Third_Echelon

That_Guy wrote: »

Is there an option to pay all the money up front for the year without a direct debit?

I had the unlimited card for about 4 years when I lived in town. The best purchase I ever made. Then anyway, you could pay all of it up front or, do the direct debit option. Also they used to print the card with your picture on it there and then.. they had a pc beside the door area for signing up etc.

If you go more than twice in a month, its a great idea. You could also go and see movies that you normally mightn't go and see and not feel ripped off if you didn't really like it. On the flip side, you end up seeing some really great films like this that end up surprising you...

I for one would definitely recommend going for it.

Galvasean

Yeah, I need to eat BEFORE going to the cinema. Spending nearly a tenner on some crap food is how they getcha.

re: Direct debit. I dont think you need to set one up. As far as im aware the bank does it automatically.

Tusky

That_Guy wrote: »

Is there an option to pay all the money up front for the year without a direct debit?

Yes. You can pay in one lump sum.

That_Guy

Tusky wrote: »

Yes. You can pay in one lump sum.

bedlam wrote: »

Cineworld sort out the Direct Debit, you fill in the form giving them permission to DD €19.99 a month. You don't have to go near a bank.

Cheers for these replies.

I'll most likely pay up front.

qwertplaywert

This sounds like a great deal, will prob give it a go if I end up in college in Dublin this sept!

grimm2005

That_Guy wrote: »

Is there an option to pay all the money up front for the year without a direct debit?

As others have said, that is an option, ALSO, as has been pointed out in the bargain alerts thread, if you sign up from www.cineworld.co.uk instead of the irish site and pay in pounds sterling, you'll save yourself around €60, paying only €175 - 180 or thereabouts, depending on the exchange rate, as opposed to €240 from the irish website

eiretrailer

i think you are getting a bit confused . Direct debit means that you'll fill in a form, it will be sent to your bank but as far as I know you agree to be a member for 1 year. they'll deduct the amount each month. just the first 2 months you have to prepay at once.
why would you like to pay for one year in advance? you're wasting the value of the programme...

grimm2005

eiretrailer wrote: »

i think you are getting a bit confused . Direct debit means that you'll fill in a form, it will be sent to your bank but as far as I know you agree to be a member for 1 year. they'll deduct the amount each month. just the first 2 months you have to prepay at once.
why would you like to pay for one year in advance? you're wasting the value of the programme...

cos you can save a load of money, plus you don't have to worry bout having the money taken out of your account each month, its all paid up already

conorhal

I've had one for several years now and I always pay up front for the year. A rolling direct debit has a habit of rolling on and I like to evaluate come the end of the year whether or not it's worth it before shelling out for another one.

The Good:
If you are likely to see more than 24 movies a year, it makes financial sense. At 20 euro a month it equates to the average price of two cinema tickets a month.
Cineworld, with 17 screens does show quite a diverse number of film as it has enough space to dedicate a couple of screens to arthouse fair. This weekend I caught the excellent, 'A Prophet' which would have meant a trip the The Screen or IFI back in the day.
Seating and projection in the screens are pretty good in terms of quality

The Bad:
Chavworld, Due to it’s north inner city location, the theatre is a bit of a chav magnet. I know it’s next to near impossible to have a night out at the movies these days without some tosser that can’t seem to shut up for 90 bloody minutes and seems to believe that the audience is there to hang in every fart noise and sub literate witticism that comes out of their mouth but it’s particularly bad in Cineworld and things have gotten to the point that I won’t go near any film that’s a teen horror, teen comedy in that cinema. You might well ask, but why would you even want to? But hey, as much as I enjoy a fillet steak, I sometimes crave a dirty big burger too.

The toilets are like open sewers.

You will on impulse end up catching movies that your ordinarily discerning self would think twice about spending money on. I call it. ‘What’s on right now syndrome?’ The good news is that it will also cost you nothing to walk out of Transformers 2 after 15 minutes because you’re seriously concerned that your IQ might drop sharply if you stick around for the end credits.

1968

grimm2005 wrote: »

As others have said, that is an option, ALSO, as has been pointed out in the bargain alerts thread, if you sign up from www.cineworld.co.uk instead of the irish site and pay in pounds sterling, you'll save yourself around €60, paying only €175 - 180 or thereabouts, depending on the exchange rate, as opposed to €240 from the irish website

Can you sign up to the UK site and pay the £13.50 per month Direct Debit?

grimm2005

conorhal wrote: »

I've had one for several years now and I always pay up front for the year. A rolling direct debit has a habit of rolling on and I like to evaluate come the end of the year whether or not it's worth it before shelling out for another one.

The Good:
If you are likely to see more than 24 movies a year, it makes financial sense. At 20 euro a month it equates to the average price of two cinema tickets a month.
Cineworld, with 17 screens does show quite a diverse number of film as it has enough space to dedicate a couple of screens to arthouse fair. This weekend I caught the excellent, 'A Prophet' which would have meant a trip the The Screen or IFI back in the day.
Seating and projection in the screens are pretty good in terms of quality

The Bad:
Chavworld, Due to it’s north inner city location, the theatre is a bit of a chav magnet. I know it’s next to near impossible to have a night out at the movies these days without some tosser that can’t seem to shut up for 90 bloody minutes and seems to believe that the audience is there to hang in every fart noise and sub literate witticism that comes out of their mouth but it’s particularly bad in Cineworld and things have gotten to the point that I won’t go near any film that’s a teen horror, teen comedy in that cinema. You might well ask, but why would you even want to? But hey, as much as I enjoy a fillet steak, I sometimes crave a dirty big burger too.

The toilets are like open sewers.

You will on impulse end up catching movies that your ordinarily discerning self would think twice about spending money on. I call it. ‘What’s on right now syndrome?’ The good news is that it will also cost you nothing to walk out of Transformers 2 after 15 minutes because you’re seriously concerned that your IQ might drop sharply if you stick around for the end credits.

I'd certainly agree with you on the d!ckhead front but with that said, I go more during the day (after college and such) and during the week which is not peak time and so rarely have encounters with them unless its a big new release on its first weekend or somthing.
I'm not sure what you mean about the toilets though? i've found them to be mostly fine and certainly a lot better than your average pub.
I do tend to see a lot of sh!te but as you say it's not really an issue cos you don't pay anything. On the other end, i also catch a lot of films that surprise me, where i go in with zero expectations and end up really enjoying it.

Can you sign up to the UK site and pay the £13.50 per month Direct Debit?

Unfortunately not, i signed up this way in my first year but after my first credit card payment, none of the subsequent DD payments went through. This actually worked out in my favour as they hadnt noticed for 4months and then after that point i rang them (when they suspended my account) and he gave me the option of cancelling or paying for the rest of the year (in sterling) so the year cost me about €100 in total. i resubscribed using the annual option in october and it cost me €177 for the year

eiretrailer

how are you going to save a lot of money when you pay them in advance? my only point was about prepayment of a whole year. they offer you to take the option each month a small amount to be deducted from your account. as a nominal value it seems less but i don't like paying them for 1 year straight away. i have to get in depth of the theory about the value of the money in time showing you formula ...;)
why to worry about the money taken from your account? - the set up of the direct debit is for this reason - you set it up once and after that it's automatically. i would be more worried to pay 240 euro at once. i read somewhere it's €19.99 per month /if we take this numbers for valid/. at least they can offer discount for paying lump sum other wise it's loss for me.

grimm2005

eiretrailer wrote: »

how are you going to save a lot of money when you pay them in advance? my only point was about prepayment of a whole year. they offer you to take the option each month a small amount to be deducted from your account. as a nominal value it seems less but i don't like paying them for 1 year straight away. i have to get in depth of the theory about the value of the money in time showing you formula ...;)
why to worry about the money taken from your account? - the set up of the direct debit is for this reason - you set it up once and after that it's automatically. i would be more worried to pay 240 euro at once. i read somewhere it's €19.99 per month /if we take this numbers for valid/. at least they can offer discount for paying lump sum other wise it's loss for me.

As i mentioned above, by signing up on the UK website, you pay in sterling which amounts to around a €60 saving over paying monthly on the irish system which is a pretty significant savings. If you plan to keep using it for the whole year, it seems silly not to take that route. And in terms of the paying monthly, I'm a student and don't have a job, by paying it all in one go, i can then keep the rest of my money for nights out and other stuff without having to have €20 in there all the time

offwego

grimm2005 wrote: »

I'd certainly agree with you on the d!ckhead front but with that said, I go more during the day (after college and such) and during the week which is not peak time and so rarely have encounters with them unless its a big new release on its first weekend or somthing.
...On the other end, i also catch a lot of films that surprise me, where i go in with zero expectations and end up really enjoying it.

I'd be much the same, I'd go in on my days off during the afternoon when it's pretty quiet. In fairness, I really, really hate people talking and coming late into the cinema and it does happen at some of the bigger releases at the weekend but it's just a matter of picking your time. Don't go see Transformers on it's opening weekend on a Friday night; don't go see Up on Saturday afternoon, don't go see Couples Retreat ever etc.

I signed up in October but leaving the country to go travelling for 7 months in February so wondering if they'll let me cancel. Their terms and conditions say they'll let you if you move permanently abroad but I'm not going to have a fixed address or anything to prove it. Anyone had similar experiences?

Coriolanus

grimm2005 wrote: »

As others have said, that is an option, ALSO, as has been pointed out in the bargain alerts thread, if you sign up from www.cineworld.co.uk instead of the irish site and pay in pounds sterling, you'll save yourself around €60, paying only €175 - 180 or thereabouts, depending on the exchange rate, as opposed to €240 from the irish website

Glad I never got around to signing up this week! I'll be doing it this way instead.
Cheers!

AnonoBoy

I've had one for a few years. Well worth it I think.

Never had any problem with the toilets there, always a decent standard kept up I found. I tend not to buy popcorn and that so don't spend any money in there and I like the fact that there's a bar so you can have a coffee/beer if you're waiting for people (they don't jack up the prices hugely in there).

As for it being chav central - I tend to find it alright but then again I mightn't be going to the same films as the annoying teenage audience so I probably miss them.

Also Cineworld does get in some films that you wouldn't see in the Savoy so you can see stuff with a more arthouse leaning sometimes without having to sit in the uncomfortable IFI.

grimm2005

offwego wrote: »

I signed up in October but leaving the country to go travelling for 7 months in February so wondering if they'll let me cancel. Their terms and conditions say they'll let you if you move permanently abroad but I'm not going to have a fixed address or anything to prove it. Anyone had similar experiences?

Havn't cancelled myself before but heard others who have (while still on their contract) with not too many problems. They should probably take that as a valid excuse but worst case scenario, take the money out of the account they are being paid from, they'll send you a letter about it and just say i wanna cancel it. You could also try cancelling the DD payments which would probably be easier

MementoMori

I have it and I'd recommend it, especially if you have any some of serious interest in film. I find I get great use of it around this time of year (with the longer evenings and the Oscar releases) and slightly less use during the summer months, when I do less film watching anyway. I would normally make out like a bandit this time of year (seen 7 movies this month, which is probably a record for me) and probably break even in the summer months (i.e see two in a month)

A big advantage is that you can go along and see stuff that you wouldn't consider paying a tenner for at no extra cost. Seen a couple of gems this way, seen some dreck as well but at least it wasn't costing me anything but time.

If you want to avoid the scummier elements, it helps if you avoid the most popular screening times and also if you avoid the teen comedies. For the bigger movies if you wait a week or two after they come out on release, then things tend to be a bit more relaxed as well.

Also if you want to avoid spending money just simply stay away from the snack bad/concessions or bring your own stuff. I normally have a bag with me and it's never been checked.

Haven't noticed the toilets being particularly bad there myself.

Galvasean

Toilets are generally quite clean. They clean them very regularly. Unfortunately, like any pblic restroom some eijit will inevitably make am horrid mess. It's unavoidable.

1968

Just signed up today for one. Let's hope it works out.

Just to clarify, there's no way to book seats in advance (i.e. phone/internet) with the card? You have to go in person to book the tickets?

candy-gal1

Just wondering do you have to have a credit/laser card to get this?

Galvasean

candy-gal1 wrote: »

Just wondering do you have to have a credit/laser card to get this?

Nope. Just a bank account.

grimm2005

1968 wrote: »

Just to clarify, there's way to book seats in advance (i.e. phone/internet) with the card? You have to go in person to book the tickets?

You can't book tickets in advance at all unless it's on the day. For example, you can't go in on a monday and get a ticket for a wedensday showing but you can go in on a monday morning and get a ticket for a monday night showing.

Just wondering do you have to have a credit/laser card to get this?

Yes, you need to have a credit card for the initial months (maybe 2 months) payment but after that the money is taken directly from your account but you do need one initially

paulanthony

Is it possible to go in with two cards (your own and a friends) at say 11 a.m. and get two tickets for that evening without the other person being with you?

Thanks

grimm2005

paulanthony wrote: »

Is it possible to go in with two cards (your own and a friends) at say 11 a.m. and get two tickets for that evening without the other person being with you?

Thanks

Pretty unlikely I would say, although it would probably depend on the person serving you but I imagine that's against their rules

senordingdong

paulanthony wrote: »

Is it possible to go in with two cards (your own and a friends) at say 11 a.m. and get two tickets for that evening without the other person being with you?

Thanks

In my own experience, no. They won't allow it.

paulanthony

Thats a pity as I would tend to be passing it in the morning. Don't they check for your card when you are handing your ticket in at the bottom of the stairs?

grimm2005

paulanthony wrote: »

Thats a pity as I would tend to be passing it in the morning. Don't they check for your card when you are handing your ticket in at the bottom of the stairs?

In the 2 years i've had the card, i was checked once. They're meant to but they pretty much never do

Galvasean

paulanthony wrote: »

Thats a pity as I would tend to be passing it in the morning. Don't they check for your card when you are handing your ticket in at the bottom of the stairs?

I've never been asked.

billyhead

Lads,

Has anyone purchased this from the UK website and if so where it looks for to eneter an address did you have any problems were it kept bouncing back giving an invalid address error?

Galvasean

You can purchase in Cineworld itself if you cant get the online form to work.

grimm2005

billyhead wrote: »

Lads,

Has anyone purchased this from the UK website and if so where it looks for to eneter an address did you have any problems were it kept bouncing back giving an invalid address error?

I just put in a valid UK post code and on the next page it allows you to put in a full address and you can delete the postcode

Skinfull

Mine is gonna run out in Jan (christmas pressie) and upon reflection it was totally worth it. Cheaper in the long run (I got the uk one!) though the lack of preboking, while understandable is annoying.
They check your card at ticket purchase not at the stairs. Reckon I will be renewing it.

goose2005

conorhal wrote: »

I've had one for several years now and I always pay up front for the year. A rolling direct debit has a habit of rolling on and I like to evaluate come the end of the year whether or not it's worth it before shelling out for another one.

The Good:
If you are likely to see more than 24 movies a year, it makes financial sense. At 20 euro a month it equates to the average price of two cinema tickets a month.
Cineworld, with 17 screens does show quite a diverse number of film as it has enough space to dedicate a couple of screens to arthouse fair. This weekend I caught the excellent, 'A Prophet' which would have meant a trip the The Screen or IFI back in the day.
Seating and projection in the screens are pretty good in terms of quality

The Bad:
Chavworld, Due to it’s north inner city location, the theatre is a bit of a chav magnet. I know it’s next to near impossible to have a night out at the movies these days without some tosser that can’t seem to shut up for 90 bloody minutes and seems to believe that the audience is there to hang in every fart noise and sub literate witticism that comes out of their mouth but it’s particularly bad in Cineworld and things have gotten to the point that I won’t go near any film that’s a teen horror, teen comedy in that cinema. You might well ask, but why would you even want to? But hey, as much as I enjoy a fillet steak, I sometimes crave a dirty big burger too.

The toilets are like open sewers.

You will on impulse end up catching movies that your ordinarily discerning self would think twice about spending money on. I call it. ‘What’s on right now syndrome?’ The good news is that it will also cost you nothing to walk out of Transformers 2 after 15 minutes because you’re seriously concerned that your IQ might drop sharply if you stick around for the end credits.

I haven't found the chav thing a big problem, then again I avoid most "lowbrow" films. As for the toilets, use the disabled ones (there are about 8 of them in the building so you're unlikely to inconvenience a wheelchair user)

billyhead

grimm2005 wrote: »

I just put in a valid UK post code and on the next page it allows you to put in a full address and you can delete the postcode

Hi Grimm,

Can you remember the code you used?

Cheers

mikhail

billyhead wrote: »

Hi Grimm,

Can you remember the code you used?

Cheers

SW1A 1AA is Buckingham Palace's.

A V A

can you get tickets for you and a friend on this card???

senordingdong

conorhal wrote: »

Chavworld, Due to it’s north inner city location, the theatre is a bit of a chav magnet.

That's hardly an accurate description of the problem.
Chavs don't go to the cinema simply because there is one near where they live, you'll find that chavs go to the cinema because many of them like to go the cinema, regardless of where they, or the cinema is based.
Furthermore, you'll notice that most cinemas in Dublin are based in other chav heavy areas,..Cineworld Parnell st, Savoy O Connel st, Screen Hawkins st, IFI Temple Bar, UCI Coolock, Blanch & Tallaght formerly, Vue in Liffey Valley, Movies @ Swords & Dundrum.
Etc... etc..

Basically my point is that one cinema can't be labelled as a chav hotspot.

Edit...also, Mikhail did you just say that you buy a UK unlimited card?
Does that work out cheaper?

Galvasean

A V A wrote: »

can you get tickets for you and a friend on this card???

Just the one ticket. You will have to pay full price for your friend's ticket.

mikhail

senordingdong wrote: »

Edit...also, Mikhail did you just say that you buy a UK unlimited card?
Does that work out cheaper?

No, billyhead was having some trouble with an online form. I don't know what he's up to.

Skinfull

senordingdong wrote: »

That's hardly an accurate description of the problem.
Chavs don't go to the cinema simply because there is one near where they live, you'll find that chavs go to the cinema because many of them like to go the cinema, regardless of where they, or the cinema is based.
Furthermore, you'll notice that most cinemas in Dublin are based in other chav heavy areas,..Cineworld Parnell st, Savoy O Connel st, Screen Hawkins st, IFI Temple Bar, UCI Coolock, Blanch & Tallaght formerly, Vue in Liffey Valley, Movies @ Swords & Dundrum.
Etc... etc..Basically my point is that one cinema can't be labelled as a chav hotspot.

Agreed. Its not cineworld thats the chav magnet its...cinema! lol.
And As for the toilets being like open sewers...I dunno what you are doing in the guys but the women's toilets are grand.
Con - The popcorn is AWFUL unless you get it early in the day.

senordingdong wrote: »

Edit...also, Mikhail did you just say that you buy a UK unlimited card?
Does that work out cheaper?

Yep get the UK version (nominating cineworld dublin as your place of choice) and it does work out cheaper. A good bit cheaper.

senordingdong

Skinfull wrote: »

Yep get the UK version (nominating cineworld dublin as your place of choice) and it does work out cheaper. A good bit cheaper.

How much?
If it's twenty euro here how much is it in the UK?