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For the longest time I have been sending my show times per E-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . I sometimes had a problem with it (Wrong Movies, Wrong Show times, No Listing), but never very regular. That is until about for 4 weeks ago: I started to receive E-Mails from them to promote their Cs-Express program. I ignored them as I do with unsolicited mail. Then I noticed my listings on Google were wrong or missing 3 times in a row, so I contacted them to see if they are still doing their free service. I was told that they do, but because of the sheer amount of E-mails & Faxes they get it could happen that they make mistakes. That's why I should get CS EXpress. Turns out the program is far to expensive for me. Again this week my show times are not listed yet (I sent them Monday afternoon). Anybody experienced similar things or is this all just coincidence?
Jay

I have had the exact same issue - two weeks in a row. I flipped out on them on the phone and got them back on it, but they are absolutely trying to extract cash from us for our showtimes through a "deal" to subscribe to CS-Express. They should be providing us the web interface for free (like TMS at Tribune) since they are selling our data!

Jeff,
and here I am thinking I am becoming paranoid. After my initial conversation with them, I did not hear back from them for 2 weeks. Then the "consultant" called to say they can do my price. "Never done it so low before". Yeah right. I don't care. Just knowing that I am now in charge of entering my show times and nobody else can mess it up, worth my money.
Jay

Yea, I got that pitch too.

Surprise, my listings are missing again today. If you email me with your email address, I will copy you on my complaint e-mail letter to Cinema Source, it would be good if more than just me is complaining.

my email is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

I haveone of their clients who pay for the listings cc;d on my email and on my side. He is pretty upset.

Jeff

Care to share how much they are charging you? Send me an email and I can compare quotes with you.

when I first started in this business I e-mailed yahoo movies about getting my showtimes listed and they sent me to cinema source. I asked them how I could get my showtimes listed and they told me the only way was to sign up for their service. a few months in and I heard you could just e-mail your showtimes to them. GRRRR

I've really had it with these guys at CinemaSource.

Now they are refusing to send out my showtimes because I won't sign up for their service. I sent out a note to Yahoo Movies (who use Cinemasource for their data) and let them know and I'm going to send one out to the other websites as well. Is everybody getting the hard sell and having to pay to send out your showtimes or am I the lucky one?

With all due respect to everyone, why shouldn't CinemaSource charge for their services?
Why should we get our web movie listings entirely for free?
If web listings are valuable to your operation pay for it, just like we've done (or for some of us, "did") for years with newspapers.
Everything on the web isn't free.
AllenD

The trouble is that they are listing my times without my input or consent and often times getting it wrong. I don't want to be coerced into having to pay to have them listed correctly. I don't want them listed at all. I'm in a small town, no competition, I want my times on my website only. I would not pay for the service if it were offered.

We have had two instances this year where the times were incorrect on some random website and we've had customers that were upset with us for that. I felt bad, and worse for feeling helpless in the situation.

P.S. How are they getting my times? I have been busy enough not to take the time to look into it. Is it through the newspaper company I advertise with or RTS or what?

no, I don't think I should have to pay for it. It's $175 a month! Yahoo Movies, Google, etc are already paying cinemasource for the data set in the first place. They should make money on both ends of this transaction? Why was it free in the first place? Why am I the lucky one who has to start paying for it? My listings are still going to fandango for free from the tribune company

I'd just as soon google and yahoo would link to my website and be done with it rather then paying somebody else for my showtimes.

It seems to me that advertising, in some cases, has turned into a modern "protection racket" of sorts.

"Pay me the money... or else!"

"Or else what?"

"Or else we'll tell everybody the wrong showtimes and mess your business up! And at the same time we'll collect from your competition who won't stand up to us and make them look good."

The conversation above is purely fictional, but it seems to capture the content of this thread and also captures the way I feel about many advertising companies, online and off. I'm sure there probably is no company that maliciously publishes incorrect showtimes or performs any act against those who don't pay to advertise. But, by being negligent when they advertise a theater's information (as an unsolicited service) and get it wrong with no concern for the results, that is nearly as bad. They carelessly sell false information to their customer's, such as Google Movies or whoever. Sure, mistakes are probably inevitable, but if they don't correct their mistakes when asked, it seems to me that would be an actionable offense. So, if they publish the wrong information, ask them to correct it. If they refuse, then maybe you should seek legal counsel. If they don't want to provide a free service, I don't think there is anything you can do about it, unless you can prove discrimination or antitrust violation, or some other type of conspiracy against your theater.

Since I'm not a lawyer, my advice is probably worth what you paid for it.

When I was operating my theater, I didn't even pay for a yellow pages ad. I was the only theater in the county and everyone knew it. In this kind of situation, your customers will find your information wherever it may be. You do your best to put it in convenient locations, and that is all you can do. You don't have to hurt yourself in the process by overpaying.

I remember Verizon Super Pages called me and tried to sell me an online listing. He wanted a lot of money, just like cinema source. I gave him a quick "NO".

There are so many phone books that come out each year. Every one of them is from a different company who likely makes the merchant feel like he should advertise in all of them to avoid missing out on customers who find the competition's listings.

You just can't advertise everywhere. Some bigger companies will, but not everyone can justify it. Only spend money where it brings you customers. Forget the rest who are in the "protection racket".

If your information isn't on Google or Yahoo or is incorrect, then maybe you can put up a sign in the Lobby or create an on-screen announcement that says, "Find our showtimes on (insert your site or preferred info providers here). Other sites are not authorized to provide our information and may do so incorrectly."