The Basque Consumer Institute, Kontsumobide, has imposed on Yelmo Cines a penalty of 30,001 euros for preventing users from accessing their facilities with food purchased abroad.

This body began an investigation in January after complaints raised by eight individuals and two complaints filed by two consumer associations: Association of Basque People and Consumers and Users (EKA/ACUV) and Facua-Consumidores en Acción.

The sanction imposed is not yet final, since Yelmo Cines has filed an appeal, which has not yet concluded the administrative process, Kontsumobide has explained to EFE.

In the lawsuit filed by EKA/ACUV, it was reported that in the Megapark and Artea cinemas in Bizkaia and Boulevard de Vitoria there was Banned since the beginning of this year from introducing food and drinks purchased outside of these establishments.

The organization understood that it was a “abusive practice“and requested the imposition of a penalty of up to 150,000 euros, considering that it was a “serious consumer infringement.”

“The main activity that Yelmo Films provides is movie screening and it is not legal to prohibit food from outside unless your main activity is hospitality or it is prohibited in general,” EKA/ACUV explained this Monday in a note.

Along these same lines, Facua argued in his writing that the main activity of a cinema is the exhibition of films and not the restoration, so it was not valid for them to use this excuse to prevent entry with food and drink from outside when, In addition, food can be purchased within the premises itself.

In the Community of Madrid, this consumer association has taken Yelmo Cines to court for this same reason. In its cinemas, the chain has signs with the text “the company does not allow access to these facilities with food and/or drinks purchased outside of Yelmo, therefore reserving the right of admission“, a warning that it also makes on its website when selling tickets, Facua explained in a note.

The company “intends to rely on the exercise of an alleged right of admission” which, in its opinion, is contrary to the legislation. The ambigu service is not the essential defining activity of cinema, “so You cannot exercise this right of admission as if it were a restaurant“.

Facua also argues that the film exhibition activity exists “regardless of whether the company offer an ambigu servicenot requiring this for the existence of that”. Currently, this procedure is still pending the holding of the trial and its subsequent resolution.