Keep the customer satisfied

[Kontiki]

How can something be dishonest if you know with certainty that it's going to happen, and the other side isn't trying to hide it or deny it?

Your argument is one of personal convenience. On the flip side, you have national pricing and scenarios where the amount of tax isn't actually determined until the time of purchase. For instance, in BC, clothing for children under the age of 15 is PST exempt. That determination is made at the cash register, and often means the customer must sign a declaration. What price would you suggest be mandated for these items? Both? Is the retailer responsible for determining what clothing items could possibly be worn by children under 15, or should they just mark everything with two prices? And of course, different prices in different provinces would mean changes to inventory control and new SKUs for stores that have outlets in more than one province.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Kontiki
How can something be dishonest if you know with certainty that it's going to happen, and the other side isn't trying to hide it or deny it?

Your argument is one of personal convenience.

My argument is one of common sense.

Since we all know the 7% will be added on, why do we force consumers to do mental math every time to figure out what the real price would be?

It's dishonest because it's misleading, even if smarter people know it'll be added on again later. It reminds me of the airfare ads that used to say something like "$39 one-way from Calgary to Toronto," and in reality it was like $150 after fees and taxes.

[Theben]

Originally posted by rah
And MOST of the time, the cashier will just waive the extra amount as long as it's not more than a few dollars.

This is usually done because;
I'm a good customer or
I've treated them like a human being and not a salesdroid or
It's the first time in the store and they want me to come back.

Sometimes it pays not to get beligerent.
It costs nothing to be nice and it usually pays off in the long run.

What rah said.

I went to JCPenney's the other day to return a $15 belt and get a $30 one. I didn't have the receipt, but was very pleasant. The saleslady swapped them out for me, same price.

Also bought $300 of stuff and a different lady offered to discount 10% via "JCP Credit Card Application", even though I told her I already had a card.

Next time try more honey, and less vinegar.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Federally, this should be mandated. It has everything to do with honesty, if we all know 7% is being added to the price of items, it should be on the damn price tag.

Oh please! When you are advertising something across the US, it isn't feasible to include the price for every state based on each state's sales tax. So you show the base price. State taxes get added on depending on the state. Hell, cities down here have their own seperate sales taxes. That would make it even more messy!

That, and paying extra for tax shows you, obviously, EXACTLY where your money is being taken from (which is why the payroll tax sucks. Most people don't realize how much is taken in taxes.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Oh please! When you are advertising something across the US, it isn't feasible to include the price for every state based on each state's sales tax. So you show the base price. State taxes get added on depending on the state. Hell, cities down here have their own seperate sales taxes. That would make it even more messy!

That's fine and all, but I'm not talking about a country with 50 states.

In Canada most advertising is localized already anyway. The stuff in my newspaper always have local store addresses on them anyway. And if it is national there's always fineprint for Quebec and other provinces anyway.

Maybe the first step would be to mandate local store pricing to include taxes -- the store you're in shows you the tax.

That, and paying extra for tax shows you, obviously, EXACTLY where your money is being taken from (which is why the payroll tax sucks. Most people don't realize how much is taken in taxes.

That's funny, because all of the payroll stubs I've gotten have broken down tax deductions, pensions, etc.

[KrazyHorse]

Television advertisments don't.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Asher

That's fine and all, but I'm not talking about a country with 50 states.

In Canada most advertising is localized already anyway. The stuff in my newspaper always have local store addresses on them anyway. And if it is national there's always fineprint for Quebec and other provinces anyway.

Except cars. And hamburgers. And...

Then there is the fact that some people do not pay GST.

[Imran Siddiqui]

That's fine and all, but I'm not talking about a country with 50 states.

Ben was attempting to buy shoes from which country now?

Maybe the first step would be to mandate local store pricing to include taxes -- the store you're in shows you the tax.

Yes, but then people end up thinking its the store's higher prices rather than the local tax rate. They don't full realize the tax burden the state is putting on them.

That's funny, because all of the payroll stubs I've gotten have broken down tax deductions, pensions, etc.

And people pay attention to that stuff how often? Hmmm..?

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Asher
That's funny, because all of the payroll stubs I've gotten have broken down tax deductions, pensions, etc.

I always thought one of the best things about the GST is that is smacked people in the face with cost of government as it replaced older, very regressive taxes, that ranged up to 13 or 15%... that most people had no clue even existed.

[Asher]

Originally posted by notyoueither
Except cars. And hamburgers. And...

Then there is the fact that some people do not pay GST.

I've never seen anyone not pay GST in a store.

I don't see any reasonable excuse for not putting the price people have to pay on an item, on an item, in a store.

There's more of an issue with national advertising, but that's okay provided they say "plus tax".

[Asher]

The reason CompuSmart is one of my favorite stores is all of their stickers on items have both the "sticker price" and then the tax amount and then the total price. It's just the right thing to do, it's classy.

[Theben]

There are rare exceptions when the taxes will be included in the price, but generally this isn't done for 2 reasons:

1) If the company wants to advertise $99.99, if they must include the tax then it's a cut in their profits;

2) Most Americans know the cost of the % of tax where they live anyway.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Asher

I've never seen anyone not pay GST in a store.

I don't see any reasonable excuse for not putting the price people have to pay on an item, on an item, in a store.

There's more of an issue with national advertising, but that's okay provided they say "plus tax".

There are people who do not have to pay GST. Treaty Indians where the goods are delivered to the reserve are exempt.

It doesn't come up for hamburgers, but it does come up in transactions for large amounts of money.

[Mrs. Tuberski]

As I have been reading this thread i have to laugh. I dont think ihave seen one person mention that advertising rates of things in the paper or what have you. All over the us especially if it is a computer product, the stores, even comp usa advertise these products at a certain price but only to find out that is after various mail in rebates, and in store rebates. The price advertised is not what you originally going to pay for it, but most folks i assume can read and assume the tax and warranties and the rebates are there. By the time your checking out you are a few more hundred dollars in the hole for the time of sale.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Wezil


Why not just call him a Jew? Just as offensive a stereotype.

Don't know many Scots, then do you ? Otherwise you'd know even they joke about the legendary pecuniary parsimonious of the Scotsman.

And given the history of anti-semitism in Christian Europe and its relationship to one of the few roles a Jew was allowed to fill in Christian society, you're way off base in your absurd comparison.