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Post by Tiggerwoos on Apr 3, 2006 22:08:23 GMT
OK. the story briefly...... I'm a member of Cinewold Cinema's which has a scheme where my partner and I pay £10.99 a month to see as many films as we like..... good deal, but also loyal customers. Last week I ended up walking out of the Feltham Cineworld as they were rude about me taking my own food in, even though I told them, their food does not cater for my vegan requirements. Here's my email: I was very upset on Friday 31st March when I went to Feltham Cineworld with my partner to see Hostel. I am a loyal customer of yours, with my partner and I both being members of your £10.99 scheme and have done so for over a year. I, however was very dissapointed to be demanded a bag search by 2 members of staff on Friday in a rude manner, who due to the fact I had a couple of flapjacks with me, decided to tell us we couldn\'t bring them in and when I told them that my diet was not catered for by your company food as I am a vegan who eats no meat, fish or dairy and all your products contain some sort of animal by-product was told by a member of staff \"It\'s not my problem.\" I was upset by this and ended up going home. Could you please make an allowance for me bringing my own food in, or provide some vegan options, otherwise I sadly will be cancelling my membership. Many thanks in advance for your co-operation. I look forward to your response. And here's the stinky reply I have just received: Thank you for your email. Although we are mainly film exhibitors we are also indeed food operators. As company policy we do not allow outside food to be brought into our screens as it compromises our ability to keep the cinema clean between showings and adversely affects our own food operation. Outside foods often disrupt other viewers by their smell and noise, damage our seats and carpet and can create health and safety concerns. Many profitable food items are not on sale at our cinemas for these reasons alone. Am so annoyed, what would you do?
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Post by bobbywomble on Apr 4, 2006 9:16:46 GMT
contact the local paper they love stuff like that
contact the vegan society and boycot them
and most importantly send them dog poo in the post
the womble is taking the dog for a walk with a large supply of sandwich bags
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Post by squirrel on Apr 4, 2006 9:33:47 GMT
This sort of thing stinks It's blatant profiteering, write to your local paper and make a fuss. This sort of thing goes on all over the country, I always have to smuggle food into our local cinema
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Post by peaceandglitter on Apr 4, 2006 13:14:32 GMT
Ugh thats so silly, how can they say other food smells and creates noise? Do they think that gross cheese sauce on the nachos doesnt smell and that huge bags of crisps are silent?! I'd definately contact the papers and write back, their reply doesn't actually say why they don't stock vegan stuff.
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Post by Tiggerwoos on Apr 4, 2006 14:51:43 GMT
I know, and none of my issues were even addressed:
Eg, the lack of vegan food, or whether they were going to supply it Or The rudeness of the staff.
Have sent an email to my local paper and several of the nationals: The Sun, Mirror, Express and The Independant.
Am also going to email Cineworld up and see if I can't track down a managing director or something.
Will be very interesting to see what response, if any I get!
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Post by alisont on Apr 4, 2006 19:39:10 GMT
I remember when there had been a series of bomb scares, our cinema did bag checks and had a right go at me for my supply of gummi bear sweets! They said i couldnt take them in, they said we sell sweets.
I told them i was veggie (before my vegan days) and their sweets contained gelatine or artificial colours i didnt want to have. They made a right fuss about it but let me in, after that i still smuggled in my veggie sweets - under my jacket!
These places really need to stock healthier alternatives, and cater for everyone.
I also get annoyed at the prices so would always take my own supplies and water/juice.
A lot of cinemas are by shopping centres so will they start taking peoples shopping off them?
Id be very annoyed if i was you - hope you get a response from the company and some answers!
Alison
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Fauxmage
EV Friend
I eat food.
Posts: 186
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Post by Fauxmage on Apr 5, 2006 2:10:44 GMT
I would definitely refuse a bag search. I bring my own stuff into the theater all the time. And write to the president of the company. Going to the very top is often very effective, because they are not concerned with losing their jobs for not enforcing the rules, since they own the company. People on lower levels are afraid to make their own decisions, especially if they go against company policy, and will fear being disciplined if they make the wrong choice. They are much more worried about losing their jobs than losing your business. The owner of the company will have no such fear, and will be more receptive, hopefully. They should at least be more concerned with losing you as a customer than their employees are.
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Post by Tiggerwoos on Apr 5, 2006 9:29:18 GMT
Here's the latest reply and email sent! Makes entertaining reading!
-----Original Message----- From: everything vegan [mailto:everything_vegan@yahoo.com] Sent: 04 April 2006 20:16 To: Al Alvarez Subject: RE: E-Mail from the CineWorld Website about Feltham
Thankyou for your reply.
However I feel that many of my issues were not addressed, such as why my bag was searched, why the staff were so rude and the lack of availability of vegan food at your cinemas and whether or not there are plans to introduce any and if not, what happens as vegans end up being discriminated against.
If you could furnish me with details of higher management I would like to speak to to discuss this matter I would appreciate that.
Thanks
Al Alvarez <Al.Alvarez@Cineworld.co.uk> wrote We do random checks at all cinemas for security reasons and full checks at some.
During these spot searches we often encounter dangerous foods we do not want in a dark auditoria such as pizza, burgers, apples, bananas, and fried chicken and ask customers to finish these before entering an auditorium. We have also found drugs, knives, laser pens, smoke bombs, camcorders and live pets during these searches.
I apologise if our staff was less than polite. Many of our snack products include no animal by-products, such as our popcorn which is raw corn popped on the premises with coconut oil. We do not enforce the buying of our snack items as a condition of admission. All we ask of moviegoers is to refrain from eating for a couple of hours while at our premises if they choose not purchase anything from our stands.
Regards,
Al Alvarez Vice President of Operations
Now a) I was told their popcorn had butter in it previously and b) How dangerous can an apple be?
Still no response from the press..... hmmm, off to write to The Vegan Society next.
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Post by squirrel on Apr 5, 2006 10:14:24 GMT
Many of our snack products include no animal by-products, such as our popcorn which is raw corn popped on the premises with coconut oil. Now a) I was told their popcorn had butter in it previously and b) How dangerous can an apple be? And since when has a single product been classed as MANY ? Get to him provide a complete list of vegan products available and to mark them as such in the cinema. (But don't hold your breath)
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Post by bobbywomble on Apr 7, 2006 22:00:05 GMT
just to let you know im cooking dinner now using "dangerous foods"such as burgers and bananas and custard for pudding so if you see smoke coming from the wimbledon common direction you know whats happened the burgers have detonated and the custard has exploded
bloody stupid obvious profiteering cinema toss pot
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Post by callybeg on Apr 13, 2006 12:14:07 GMT
How did it go with the Vegan Society? Neil and I have just had an argument with Cineworld, about the terrible provision they have for the disabled. They ignored our complaints as well. Basically, they have a raised platform, so that Neil in the wheelchair was hovering somewhere by Séamus and my right ears while we were watching Séamus' birthday film. As well as making Neil feel like he was being gawped at (he was) it meant that we couldn't even hold hands watching the movie. Plus which they were the worst seats in the house anyway, as we were so near the front our noses were practically squeezed onto the screen. Neil is long sighted, and had to keep closing his eyes to stop getting a headache, and we paid for a family of three for this priveledge.
I wrote and complained and got a similarly snotty response back. I pointed out that Neil was kicked several times as people ran about the aisles, and that he couldn't see the screen. And also that when he asked about disabled seating he should have been told that it was one of the front seats, not one of the back ones (which are much easier for us to use.) Then we would have known to go see something else.
I'm pretty disgusted with Cine World, and as someone mentioned here, they are blatantly profiteering. Since when is a flap jack dangerous food?
You should perhaps take in some glucose tablets, and tell them you are diabetic. Or stop going - we aren't going again. We got a reply that failed to answer any of our concerns. At the very least we could have done with an apology.
Grrrr!
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Post by Tiggerwoos on Apr 13, 2006 17:25:41 GMT
That is awful Callybeg, but of no surprise to me........ I know what you mean about getting no reply. I have spent the last 2 weeks arguing with them and the post I can get is a reply from one person says popcorn is vegan and another doesn't.
They really seem to be an awful company, as far as customer service goes, and feel they do discriminate against disability as you mention and vegans...... basically anyone with a special requirement that would not cause them to profit.
I did lose heart and energy after several papers did not contact me back and I must have sent about 5 or 6 emails to Cineworld and didn't contact The Vegan Society, but after hearing your story, it has made me want to contact them, as these sort of people disgust me.
I don't suppose the person you dealt with was Al Alveraz?
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