FTC bans hidden junk fees in hotel, event ticket prices

Post by mulmen » Tue, Dec 17, 2024, 11:04 PM UTC

tokioyoyo wrote: post #216

mulmen wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It somehow works almost anywhere outside of NA? Is North America unique in allowing local municipalities to set their own taxes? > It's really not a crazy concept - estimate it based on geolocation and say "more exact will be available once you enter your address". That’s exactly what happens now, except the advertised price is actually correct instead of an “estimate”. I have an intuitive sense for local tax. How…

Out of my head, if I recall correctly, Australia, Japan, Denmark do local municipal taxes as well (some are more flat than others). Anyways, all I was saying that it's a solved UX problem, and the reason why you're not getting full price is because A/B testing has shown that when customers see the complete price, they get a shock and less likely to buy the item. This doesn't have much to do with websites caring about…

Post by nodamage » Tue, Dec 17, 2024, 11:06 PM UTC

sudoshred wrote: post #179

breadwinner wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But then that becomes unpaid bills and they send you to collections.

You can dispute debt in collections by requesting proof of the debt. The consumer protections in that area (debt collections) are quite a bit more developed than any consumer protections about intentional procedural inefficiency when cancelling service.

Post by _zoltan_ » Tue, Dec 17, 2024, 11:07 PM UTC

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #42

guidedlight wrote: post #10

They should ban hidden taxes too. The sticker price should be the final price.

I remember shopping in Japan. The price on the tag, is exactly what you pay (same with services, like hotels). Since this is Japan, it's a high price, but no surprises. Also, the service is amazing , and they won't accept tips. If you leave money on the table, they will chase after you, to give it back.

Post by _zoltan_ » Tue, Dec 17, 2024, 11:09 PM UTC

ssl-3 wrote: post #196

Symbiote wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the EU, the site guesses the location based on the IP, writes "Delivery to Denmark [Change?]" and shows prices with Danish VAT. If I'm signed in to the shop from making a previous purchase, they will use the location of the previous purchase.

If Denmark has just one sales tax rate or VAT, then maybe that can work OK for Denmark. But this isn't about Denmark -- it is about the US. In the US, there are over 13,000 different sales tax jurisdictions, and each one of them may have a different tax rate. I wish the best to anyone who would ever be tasked with sorting that out with any semblance of accuracy using IP geolocation databases.

Post by blitzar » Tue, Dec 17, 2024, 11:11 PM UTC

tokioyoyo wrote: post #137

crazygringo wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Correct, it doesn't. IP geolocation is nowhere near precise enough. Remember, sales tax isn't something big like state-level. It's literally town -level, including tiny towns. Two sides of the same street can have a different sales tax. Not to mention all the extra rules, such as individual clothing items under $110 being exempt in New York.

It somehow works almost anywhere outside of NA? It's really not a crazy concept - estimate it based on geolocation and say "more exact will be available once you enter your address". The problem is, that genuinely negatively affect the sales because people see the true price of things.