MoviePass now re-enrolls its old customers in an "unlimited" package unless they "opt out"

If the startup of the MoviePass electronic ticketing is not quite dead yet, there is no doubt about the telltale signs of a man who has been walking for months now. After months of reporting that the service was about to hit a brick wall, it suddenly stopped paying for new major releases, offered an unlimited plan and offered to customers who did not want card selections from movies a month and a fourth ticket at a reduced price a cancellation and a refund. He has recorded huge quarterly losses and is facing shareholder lawsuits for alleged fraud.

And now, the cardiac arrest has really started. According to Le Verge, the company is now sending emails to what it has described as a "selective test group" of customers that it says has not joined the three new movies a month. E-mails indicate that these subscribers' accounts will be reactivated on October 4th and will be returned to the $ 9.95 monthly billing cycle unless they click on a specific unsubscribe link.

In the email, MoviePass wrote that these subscribers would be brought back into a program that would offer "unlimited movies (up to a new movie title per day based on existing inventory)". He added that the company chose to do this: "Because we really hope you can enjoy your MoviePass subscription again …" [this is] the same subscription that you signed and already appreciated. "

Of course, this is not the case, because subscribers who have left have done so because MoviePass is now a game of shells that changes the availability of movies according to their financial whims. For example, if you wanted to see the thriller of horror Hell Fest, the only date to come is Monday, October 1st. MoviePass does not even have a list of movies available after October 3rd on its website.

The email also tells customers that if they do not, their "subscription will be canceled and will not be suspended." [they] will not be able to re-join before 9 months. "

According to The Verge, MoviePass seems to believe that he has the right to re-register people whose accounts are out of date simply because he says he does:

The company says its TOS give it the freedom to change any aspect of the service, no matter when you subscribe or when it's time for your next billing cycle. When MoviePass realized that it had to change its subscription terms for its annual members before the start of a new billing cycle – a step that would lead to lawsuits – the company tried to repair his debts by offering repayments or an option. transition to a paid monthly plan.

Previously, members who canceled the service in August during the period of tumultuous and seemingly uninterrupted service changes were automatically reinstated in their new plans, which the company attributed to "bugs" in its service.

This is at least the second time since August that MoviePass has resorted to a shady tactic to re-register its customers. But this last move is at least unethical and it is debatable to be legal. Customers on Twitter and Reddit describes it as a form of fraud, and some users claim to have explicitly canceled their accounts (instead of simply letting them expire) or disassembled their payment cards, while still receiving email. MoviePass has long been plagued by allegations of missing customer service, and the countless number of changes to its services has been quite frustrating. But it's a whole different level.

This seems more likely to end with the complete and total destruction of the remaining customer traffic and / or class action than a trial to revive MoviePass, but it is clearly a desperate decision. If you do not want MoviePass to start charging you $ 9.95 per month without your consent, check in your inbox for the following email:

In August 2018, we announced a new offer of $ 9.95 for three films per month, offering subscribers the option of subscribing to this package if they wished to continue to subscribe to MoviePass. However, our records indicate that you have not taken any action on the new package. Your subscription has been suspended and your monthly subscription fees have been stopped.

Because we really hope that you will start enjoying your MoviePass subscription again, we have chosen you to be part of a selected test group, which will be reinstated from Friday, October 5th with an unlimited number of movies (up to to a new movie title per day based on inventory) – the same subscription that you have subscribed and that you have already enjoyed. If you decide that you do not wish to do so, you must "opt out" before Thursday October 4th at 9:00 pm ET.

To be clear, unless you withdraw from the list, your unlimited subscription will be restored and you will be able to resume watching unlimited movies (up to 1 movie per day, depending on the existing inventory) at 9 , $ 95 a month. Your registered credit card will be charged. on a monthly basis from Friday, October 5, 2018.

If you disable the reinstatement of your Unlimited Plan subscription, your subscription will be canceled and will no longer be held in a "suspended" status and you will not be able to re-register more than 9 months later.

Even if the "unlimited" a la carte package suits you, we encourage you to cancel, because nothing will indicate the tips that MoviePass will draw in the future.