I have been seeing these on the board forever but am confused on this part; "If the 14-17 year old is allowed to purchase the R rated ticket without showing any ID...(No ID is to be shown at anytime) then the shopper will purchase the ticket and walk inside the theater and call/text the adult to purchase a ticket. If the 14-17 year old is not allowed to purchase the R Rated ticket, then the 14-17 year old can purchase any ticket to any other movie, rated PG-13, PG or G." So, if they do sell the R-rated ticket to the teen, then what, I am to purchase an R-rated ticket and let them see it with me? That doesn't sound right. Am I not understanding this right? I'm sure there are more detailed guidelines once you accept, but this has always held me back, so any feedback would be appreciated!

The ticket they bought is for the R-rated movie, so presumably that is the theater that they would have to enter. In truth, most of the theaters I have been to in the last few decades have had a single ticket taker for all of the movies, so you could enter a different movie. The only time an issue might arise would be if the movie you picked was sold out, or if it was a premium (IMAX or ??) showing and they checked tickets again upon entry.

I don't really see what the problem is----people take kids under 18 to R-rated films all the time. I think I was about 11 the first time my family took me to see one...and frankly, it was pretty innocent compared to a lot of PG-13 stuff that came out the same year. Ratings are quite inconsistent, and children are allowed in to see R films if they have an adult with them. You would technically be with the teen you bring, though you do not have to sit next to them if you think it will spoil the shop or it would look weird to other movie-goers.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2015 04:06AM by OceanGirl.

Also, for the record...when I was a teenager, I went through a phase of always wanting to pay for my tickets separately from my family. I liked buying my own. I think a lot of kids probably do once they get to those teenage years, and some kids are embarrassed about being seen with their families. Even if you later sit down with the teen you bring, I do not necessarily think it would look suspicious.

@OceanGirl wrote:

I don't really see what the problem is----people take kids under 18 to R-rated films all the time. I think I was about 11 the first time my family took me to see one...and frankly, it was pretty innocent compared to a lot of PG-13 stuff that came out the same year. Ratings are quite inconsistent, and children are allowed in to see R films if they have an adult with them. You would technically be with the teen you bring, though you do not have to sit next to them if you think it will spoil the shop or it would look weird to other movie-goers.

If this shop is still the same as it was last year when I did it, the teenager goes to the box office and attempts to purchase the ticket alone without an adult present, and then later you (the adult) purchase your ticket to the same show. So it's not really the same as someone taking their teen to an R-rated movie. It is supposed to look like the teen is going by himself/herself to the R-rated movie, which is not supposed to be allowed per the client (the theater).

In response to the OP, both tickets have to be to the same show. I actually had a shop rejected for messing that up, so I am sure of it. If they sell the teen the R-rated movie's ticket, you have to purchase a ticket for the R-rated movie as well.

@RedRose22 wrote:

@OceanGirl wrote:

I don't really see what the problem is----people take kids under 18 to R-rated films all the time. I think I was about 11 the first time my family took me to see one...and frankly, it was pretty innocent compared to a lot of PG-13 stuff that came out the same year. Ratings are quite inconsistent, and children are allowed in to see R films if they have an adult with them. You would technically be with the teen you bring, though you do not have to sit next to them if you think it will spoil the shop or it would look weird to other movie-goers.

If this shop is still the same as it was last year when I did it, the teenager goes to the box office and attempts to purchase the ticket alone without an adult present, and then later you (the adult) purchase your ticket to the same show. So it's not really the same as someone taking their teen to an R-rated movie. It is supposed to look like the teen is going by himself/herself to the R-rated movie, which is not supposed to be allowed per the client (the theater).

Right, at the beginning, but do they care about what happens once the ticket has been purchased or withheld? As long as it LOOKED like the teen was trying to get into the movie by himself or herself, I don't see why what happened later would matter unless the client has also specified that they want to see whether the child is able to sit through the whole movie or if an usher tries to card him or her. As I mentioned earlier, there are perfectly ordinary, non-mystery-shop reasons why a teenager might want to buy the ticket without an adult there, then sit with an adult later. Additionally, they may not have any preference one way or the other and simply be going into the theater to wait for someone who has not yet arrived. If in doubt, I'd ask the scheduler. It's been my experience that they tend to understand/forgive questions about age compliance shops.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2015 07:17AM by OceanGirl.

Of course, bearing in mind that even if that approach is okay with the scheduler for a one-time situation, it could still make you memorable if you try it a second time in the same location. So, it might not be the best idea. Wouldn't necessarily reek of mystery shopping if it happened once, though.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2015 07:25AM by OceanGirl.

If the shop is just about BUYING the ticket, could you ask the scheduler if you could exchange the tickets at guest services? I don't think it would make you super memorable to approach the guest services area just once, citing that you purchased the tickets for the wrong show. I would think they would exchange them for you once....I just wouldn't make that a habit.

I assume that you need to submit scans of the two used (ripped in half?) tickets in order to be reimbursed. And they have to be for the R-rated movie. Maybe you could take a photo of the two intact tickets, and then exchange them, but I would definitely check the shop details and with the scheduler first.

The original issue posed by the OP seems to be that they do not want the "child" to see the R-rated movie. I would say that it really depends upon the movie and the "child." It would even depend upon the adult.

If the issue is that you don't want your child watching an R rated movie then leave after the purchase. The guidelines don't say that you have to view the movie. (Or just don't do this shop if you're worried about what your teen might view)

Thanks everyone. It's more clear to me now. It's not necessarily that I don't want the teen to see an R rated movie, (God knows they are wise beyond their years these days), but was thinking about bringing someone else also who is only 9 and not ready for R rated movies yet. I was confused on that part but makes sense now and probably won't be doing these.

Did you ever get far enough in the process to find if a second child, especially one under age for an R rated movie, would even be allowed? Seems to me the MSC would probably forbid it as a little CYA on their part.

I, too, found the instructions confusing. But I take my 17 year old to R rated movies sometimes. I didn't like the rquirement that you have to go to the pg-rated film if the teen is refused buying the ticket alone. You should be able to say, "it's ok, I'm with her," and then go to the R-rated movie. That's why I haven't taken this shop- ambiguous instructions make me nervous.

Once a ticket is purchased, are you restricted to going to that same movie without switching tickets? I haven't found issues here with doing that unless you bought a reg. price and trying to go into a higher venue.

sillysister74 - I you happened to want to go into a movie which was sold out, that could be an issue. While most movie tickets are general admission, but for popular shows, they sometimes print seat numbers on the tickets. I think the odds of having a problem walking into a different movie are low. Of course, movies start at different times and they often clear the theaters after each showing.

@kathierost wrote:

I, too, found the instructions confusing. But I take my 17 year old to R rated movies sometimes. I didn't like the rquirement that you have to go to the pg-rated film if the teen is refused buying the ticket alone. You should be able to say, "it's ok, I'm with her," and then go to the R-rated movie. That's why I haven't taken this shop- ambiguous instructions make me nervous.

Well, therein lies the rub!

What the client is really concerned about is whether or not a minor (either obvious or not) who appears to be there without supervision is able to buy the ticket, and though 'Oh, it's okay! I'm with them' is still a scenario which sometimes happens even on non-mystery shops, it would still be suspicious, memorable, or both. They are already making the compromise of possibly having you identified as the child's supervising party at some other point in the shop, so it's not really unreasonable for them to try to downplay or conceal that fact before one or both tickets have been purchased. It's basically damage control in case the shopper is identified or suspected at some point. That could impact employees' behavior for not only this shop, but also future ones performed by either you or another shopper.

As far as ambiguous instructions----if a shop interests you but has ambiguous-seeming instructions, I'd encourage asking the scheduler before you run the other way. If you don't want to be placed in a situation of possibly having to watch the PG-13 movie and that actually is a requirement, then definitely don't take the shop, though I don't know if it specifies that you are even required to watch the film at all. If it's not worth the money to you, though, then it's not worth the money. You could always try for a bonus, though.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/05/2015 07:51PM by OceanGirl.

@myst4au wrote:

sillysister74 - I you happened to want to go into a movie which was sold out, that could be an issue. While most movie tickets are general admission, but for popular shows, they sometimes print seat numbers on the tickets. I think the odds of having a problem walking into a different movie are low. Of course, movies start at different times and they often clear the theaters after each showing.

This is true, but people will sometimes go to the movie theater with their teens and end up seeing different movies. If the teens are mature enough that the parents are comfortable leaving them for a few minutes, then then a well-behaved teen can typically get away with loitering in the lobby for 5-20 minutes or so if they say that they were seeing a different movie from their parent and are waiting for the parent's movie to get out. (Of course, it might also help to set the employees' minds at ease/normalize the situation if the theater has video games, candy machines, a seating area, or so on and the child spends some time hanging around those.) I always used to bring a book to read when my movie was going to get out before my mom's. If the kid's behaving himself or herself and the parent's movie is supposed to get out soon, then the theater employees aren't too likely to mind.

Or if the weather's nice and the parent is comfortable letting the teen wait outside the theater, the teen could just say, "My parent's picking me up in a few minutes," or, "I'm waiting for some friends to get here."

Its a simple shop to see if the theater is carding.
Anyone under 17 or without ID(age suspect) is required to have a 21 year old accompany and stay with them in an R rated feature. They cannot buy a ticket on their own without an adult(21) buying a ticket at the same time for the same movie.
17 thru 20 can only purchase their own ticket for an R rated and cannot be responsible for another person.
Yes once they get past the ticket pole in a multi screen its impossible to enforce that because the payroll would surely end the profits. but as long as the box office cards and the ticket taker double checks ID we all make believe it works. And yes some PG's are more disgusting than R's with childish toilet humor and whatnot.

That's why I don't understand why they won't just let me buy the tickets for the R rated film after my teen has been turned down. What skin is it off their butt what film I decide to go to after I've given them their information?

@kathierost wrote:

That's why I don't understand why they won't just let me buy the tickets for the R rated film after my teen has been turned down. What skin is it off their butt what film I decide to go to after I've given them their information?

Because that's the way the client wants it. They probably don't want the theater employees to draw an association between you and the minor, if it can be avoided. This could potentially influence future shops.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2015 03:09AM by OceanGirl.

@Vlade wrote:

Its a simple shop to see if the theater is carding.
Anyone under 17 or without ID(age suspect) is required to have a 21 year old accompany and stay with them in an R rated feature. They cannot buy a ticket on their own without an adult(21) buying a ticket at the same time for the same movie.
17 thru 20 can only purchase their own ticket for an R rated and cannot be responsible for another person.
Yes once they get past the ticket pole in a multi screen its impossible to enforce that because the payroll would surely end the profits. but as long as the box office cards and the ticket taker double checks ID we all make believe it works. And yes some PG's are more disgusting than R's with childish toilet humor and whatnot.

This will vary depending on location. Here in the U.S., at least, 'adult' is defined as anyone 18 or over. The 21 years of age thing is applied to the purchase of alcohol nationwide and to marijuana where it's legal; it does not apply to movie tickets.

A person under 17 can see an R film if accompanied by a 'parent or adult guardian'. What 'adult guardian' means isn't very well-defined. In my general experience, most theaters will let a minor see an R film as long as at least one person accompanying them is 18 or older.

Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2015 03:22AM by OceanGirl.