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Companies use drip pricing to overcharge consumers

passingtime.substack.com

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Re: Companies use drip pricing to overcharge consumers

#261

Post by Quarrelsome »

chottocharaii wrote: post #237
II2II wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Restaurants must be happy that I am not the type of person who eats out more than once or twice a year. I don't tip unless there is table service. I withhold tips if the quality of the product is bad (sorry servers). Even in social situations. That doesn't mean I don't tip when it is appropriate, but I view it as more of an incentive for good service than to reinforce bad business practices. I'm not sure how I would…

If you live in America you're an asshole if you do this. Tipping is the well-established cultural way for servers to make income. It is -not- something reserved for situations where good service is to be incentivized. Maybe in other countries ... but not the United States.

> Tipping is the well-established cultural way for servers to make income.

One could also argue that its a means for companies to intentionally under-pay their staff while also re-directing any anger at being exploited from the company to the consumer.

Perfect divide and conquer tactics that has somehow become culturally engrained to the point that if anyone refuses to be part of this macabre tragedy they are framed the villain.

Re: Companies use drip pricing to overcharge consumers

#262

Post by db48x »

maweki wrote: post #226
xbar wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is that all of EU?

Probably not. In Germany you have to show an excerpt of the menu (including prices) outside the restaurant. Usually the owners prop one or two of the middle pages of the menu and a page of the seasonal menu in a wall display by the entrance.

Many but not all restaurants in the US do that as well, even though they aren’t required to do it. They do it because customers appreciate it, and they know that customers are more willing to try an unfamiliar place if they have some idea of what the food is like.

Re: Companies use drip pricing to overcharge consumers

#263

Post by flandish »

chottocharaii wrote: post #237
II2II wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Restaurants must be happy that I am not the type of person who eats out more than once or twice a year. I don't tip unless there is table service. I withhold tips if the quality of the product is bad (sorry servers). Even in social situations. That doesn't mean I don't tip when it is appropriate, but I view it as more of an incentive for good service than to reinforce bad business practices. I'm not sure how I would…

If you live in America you're an asshole if you do this. Tipping is the well-established cultural way for servers to make income. It is -not- something reserved for situations where good service is to be incentivized. Maybe in other countries ... but not the United States.

Truthfully, while it IS well established, this is only because the class of “owners” have beaten it into us (workers/consumers) and it is a great example of capitalism gaslighting more exploitation.

Re: Companies use drip pricing to overcharge consumers

#264

Post by michaelmrose »

carlosjobim wrote: post #191
michaelmrose wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They can decline to charge payment for anything other than the full figure leaving you with the ability to walk out or pay. If you opt not to pay you are dining and dashing and subject to prosecution the fact that you offered to partially pay notwithstanding. Logically pay the bill then leave a negative review and never eat there again.

You are not right. The crime being committed is fraud and the guilty party is the restaurant. If they refuse payment for the actual payment, that is their problem. Any court in any jurisdiction in the world will side with the customer in a case such as OPs.

Why hasn't anyone court in any jurisdiction found this by now then? Added fees are pernicious and annoying but I'm not aware of them being found to be illegal. The most likely end result is the court finds your lawsuit is frivolous and simply dismisses it then you end up paying the $8 charge if you are unlucky legal fees for bringing a frivolous suit.

Instead of relying on your fictional understanding of how the law works in every state of the union the more logical thing would be to either vote with your wallet or work to pass local laws against such fees or hell why not both.

Re: Companies use drip pricing to overcharge consumers

#265

Post by db48x »

pcthrowaway wrote: post #221
cute_boi wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does the link have some issues? I see a hair in the upper right part of the screen and it scrolls too. I thought it was my hair strand and tried to remove it. I realized it was not my hair and then suspect my monitor has damaged. Opened a new tab and finally realized it was the page haha.

This is the mildlyinfuriating subreddit. It's intentional

That’s just mean.

Re: Companies use drip pricing to overcharge consumers

#266

Post by flandish »

TuringNYC wrote: post #29
voakbasda wrote: post #20

Boost Mobile did this recently when my wife and I switched cell carriers. They advertised a $30/month/line plan (after a 3-month introductory period at an even lower price), but we are now paying closer to $45. This has pissed me off enough that I want to look for another carrier, but this seems to be SOP for this industry. Telcos behave like nothing less than a criminal cartel, so I was hardly surprised by this play…

My favorite is when wireless carriers can charge a "Regulatory Recovery Fee", which is basically part of the price, but can magically change and magically appear on your bill. The fact that the FTC is fussed about free chat apps rather than wireless carrier practices in the US is obscene.

It should be law that “recovery” fees, for a service as critical to infrastructure, be tax deductible as charity/donation.

If Eversource fucked up and didnt have enough resource to deal with a storm, and the state paid with our taxes to bail out, how is that different than them charging us a line item for that same end goal?

Re: Companies use drip pricing to overcharge consumers

#267

Post by QuarterReptile »

voakbasda wrote: post #20

Boost Mobile did this recently when my wife and I switched cell carriers. They advertised a $30/month/line plan (after a 3-month introductory period at an even lower price), but we are now paying closer to $45. This has pissed me off enough that I want to look for another carrier, but this seems to be SOP for this industry. Telcos behave like nothing less than a criminal cartel, so I was hardly surprised by this play…

FWIW, TMobile seems not to do this.

Re: Companies use drip pricing to overcharge consumers

#268

Post by ketralnis »

phpisthebest wrote: post #61
dqv wrote: post #23

It would be nice to have bundle reform that requires all prices to be listed as taxes-and-fees-inclusive here in the US. Ok, it’s not going to happen federally, but I’d at least like it where I live. Changing prices is already regular maintenance, so the idea that this would place a burden on businesses is BS. If they have metadata at the cash register to know how to tax different items, they can have it at the label…

>>It would be nice to have bundle reform that requires all prices to be listed as taxes-and-fees-inclusive here in the US No no no no Taxes should be listed for atleast 3 reasons 1. The company is not paying the tax, you are. You owe the tax not the company, the company is merely collecting the tax for the government. In many states the company is paid to collect this tax on the governments behalf. If the tax was not…

But the rest of the world does include the tax in the advertised price and they do just fine

Re: Companies use drip pricing to overcharge consumers

#269

Post by dataflow »

spoils19 wrote: post #258
jgeada wrote: post #248

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They know how much to charge you at the till, therefore they know what price to put on the label. It is that simple. For webstores, require customer to disclose location so the right price can be computed; they have to do that when it comes to the billing page so it isn't novel work. Everything else is bullshit reasoning to get away with false pricing/false advertising.

Okay but what happens if the tax changes, do you really expect retailers to reprint their labels every few months?

What do they do when the price of gas changes?

Re: Companies use drip pricing to overcharge consumers

#270

Post by LadyCailin »

adamc wrote: post #98
jzb wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, because as we all know, service staff have enormous power and dictate restaurant policy. This is why they're so highly paid and aren't abused at all by customers, for example. /s

Their only power is to leave. I don't like sticking them either, but it's true that they are complicit.

Or unionizing.
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