MoviePass is still limping along, looking for ways to stretch out that venture capital long enough to get the next sweet, sweet cash injection (just one more, come on man, they’re good for it). They recently ended their annual subscription plan and restricted subscribers’ options after posting a $104 million loss, but now they’ve come up with a unique (but familiar) technique to drum up cash: re-subscribe people who already left. Genius. Definitely legal.
The Verge reports MoviePass sent out an email to a “select test group” of former customers who didn’t opt in to the three movies per month plan. The email informed these customers they’d be automatically signed up for a $9.95 per month “unlimited” plan unless they click the opt-out link in the email before this Thursday. Because everyone definitely immediately reads emails from companies they no longer do business with, and re-subscribing people who already left always goes over well. Not surprisingly, people are miffed:
https://twitter.com/bafeldman/status/1045792244647829505
https://twitter.com/socarolinesays/status/1045805563320446977
https://twitter.com/SuprDuprTylr/status/1045796369104076800
https://twitter.com/TobyCPhillips/status/1045793901594927104
https://twitter.com/JillinBmore/status/1045800303902302208
Here’s the full text of the email MoviePass sent to some customers:
In August 2018, we announced a new offering for three movies a month for $9.95, giving subscribers the ability to opt-in to this plan if they wanted to continue as a MoviePass subscriber. However, our records show that you have not yet taken any action on the new plan, and because of that your subscription was suspended and your monthly subscription charges have stopped.
Because we really hope you begin enjoying your MoviePass subscription again, we have chosen you to be a part of a select test group, who beginning Friday, October 5th will be restored to unlimited movies (up to one new movie title per day based on existing inventory) — the same subscription that you signed up for and you previously enjoyed. If you decide that you do not want this you must “opt out” before Thursday, October 4th at 9:00PM ET.
To be clear, unless you opt out, your unlimited subscription will be restored and you will begin enjoying unlimited movies again (up to 1 movie per day, based on existing inventory) at $9.95 per month, and your credit card on file will be charged on a monthly basis beginning Friday, October 5th, 2018.
If you do opt out of the restoration of your subscription to the unlimited plan, your subscription will be canceled and no longer held in a “suspended” status, and you will not be able to re-join until 9 months have passed.
So how much longer till MoviePass sends out an email that just says, “You can run but you can’t hide”?
https://twitter.com/chillnflix/status/1046057958994579458
Movie Pass is telling me to get MY act together? pic.twitter.com/fN00xI4QBc
— Kevin Seefried (@KSeefried) September 23, 2018
https://twitter.com/marklisanti/status/1030131438656450560
boy are you moviepass because you constantly change the terms of our relationship but still make poor attempts to give me some illusion of having control
— bb ghost (@emilywithcurls) August 16, 2018
https://twitter.com/netw3rk/status/1043895065540579329
If MoviePass got a nickel for every MoviePass joke… they’d have a much better business model
— Ina Fried (@inafried) August 15, 2018
MoviePass refusing to let me cancel is the hardest an ex has ever fought for me
— Kelsey Klemme (@KelseyKlemme) August 14, 2018
In the end, it seems MoviePass’s business strategy really was “Let’s just do it and be legends”
— Allahpundit (@allahpundit) August 16, 2018