Hidden fees, drip prices in booking tickets: How Bookmyshow, PVR trick you

73% users of these platforms surveyed say that they frequently experienced Basket Sneaking where a social contribution or other charge was added to their transaction or cart without their consent.

A recent survey by LocalCircles has exposed the prevalence of deceptive marketing practices, known as dark patterns, in the movie and event ticketing industry. At least 73 per cent of respondents reported experiencing "Basket Sneaking," where additional charges are added to their cart without their consent, while 80 per cent of users encountered hidden charges that were not disclosed upfront and 62% of respondents felt pressured to book tickets quickly due to misleading urgency messages.

LocalCircles conducted a national survey which received over 22,000 responses from users of movie and event ticketing apps located in over 296 districts of the country. 61% respondents were men while 39% respondents were women. 44% respondents were from tier 1, 31% from tier 2 and 25% respondents were from tier 3, 4 and rural districts.

A subset of the same users who participated in the survey submitted their ratings for PVR, BookMyShow and PayTM Insider online ticketing platforms. Users reported experiencing 3 dark patterns i.e. Basket Sneaking, Drip Pricing as well as False Urgency on BookMyShow. On PayTM Insider and PVR both Basket Sneaking and Drip Pricing were reported as well. 

Deceptive marketing practice to advertise a low ticket price for a show or movie or an event and then levying a hefty online booking fee at the laststep is one of the most common dark patterns reported by many consumers across India. Another common practice as reported by consumers is that of ticketing platforms adding a contribution or some other charge in the basket and requiring consumers to uncheck it and remove it. Such a practice is also identified as a dark pattern known as Basket Sneaking. 

The central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) in a gazette notification on November 30, 2023 identified 13 such deceptive practices and classified them as dark patterns and classified them as amounting to misleading advertisement or unfair trade practice or violation of consumer rights. These 13 dark patterns include false urgency, basket sneaking, confirm shaming, forced action, subscription trap, interface interference, bait and switch, drip pricing, disguised advertisement, nagging, trick question, SaaS (software as a service) billing and rogue malwares.

Common Dark Patterns explained:

• Drip Pricing: Advertising low base fares and then adding fees during the booking process.
• Forced Action: Requiring unnecessary steps or information before completing a purchase.
• Confirm Shaming: Using guilt or fear to pressure consumers into completing a purchase.
• Basket Sneaking: From physical stores to eCommerce platforms it is not unusual to seek consumers’ contribution for a social cause. Sometimes this contribution is added to the consumers’ bill without consent, also known as Basket Sneaking.
• False Urgency: Creating a sense of limited availability or time pressure, such as displaying messages like "Only a few tickets left!" or "Limited-time offer."
• Interface Interference: Designing websites or apps in a way that makes it confusing or difficult to navigate, leading consumers to make unintended purchases.
• Bait and Switch: Example: Advertising a product or service at a low price but then making it unavailable or promoting a more expensive option.
• Nagging: Continuously prompting users with pop-ups or notifications to make a purchase.
• Trick Question: Using confusing or misleading language to trick consumers into making unwanted choices.
• SaaS (Software as a Service) Billing: Enrolling consumers in recurring subscription plans without their explicit consent.
• Rogue Malware: Using malicious software to manipulate consumer behavior or steal personal information.

 "Platforms like BookMyShow, PayTM Insider and PVR all currently have prevalence of dark patterns per the user feedback excersise and there is an urgent need for them to fix it given that it has already been a CCPA requirement for 9 months now," said Sachin Taparia, founder of LocalCircles