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Two Marriott Hotels Introduce New Junk Fee

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Re: Two Marriott Hotels Introduce New Junk Fee

#31

Post by CaptainZapp »

jjeaff wrote: post #20
fps-hero wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thankfully we have great consumer laws in Australia. This is referred to as drip pricing. It also makes practices such as mandatory minimum tips illegal, which would make someone from the US’s head spin. https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/pricing/price-displays

The only case I can think of where there is a mandatory minimum tip in the US is that a lot of restaurants will charge a minimum gratuity for parties larger than 6-8.

You are expected to tip 15% for service, even if mediocre or outright bad.

You're expected to tip north of 20% for good service.

Sure, in theory this is not strictly mandatory. Socially, if you don't play the game you're a leeching pariah.

Re: Two Marriott Hotels Introduce New Junk Fee

#33

Post by Scharkenberg »

lzazz wrote: post #22
blamazon wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not a tax. This article outlines the impact of the ordinance: https://www.fisherphillips.com/news-insights/8-things-los-an... In short: it's worker protections. Is there a "food safety fee" for following food safety requirements? Is there a "this building has adequate fire suppression" fee? This is basically a "we follow local labor laws" fee. The cost of business increasing is not the issue here, although some peopl…

I don't like the idea of the price of a service being increased during checkout, but it's good that people are shown what part of the price that they pay goes to complying with regulations, city taxes, etc - that information allows them to vote better.

Even if we assume you have a point there, are people staying at city A's hotels the ones voting in city A's elections?

Re: Two Marriott Hotels Introduce New Junk Fee

#34

Post by nirimda »

macinjosh wrote: post #27

I don’t see the issue they aren’t charging the fee. The government is. The anger is severely misplaced here. Consumers should know why prices go up.

Do you seriously think any company is ever going to give you a fully accurate and itemised bill, that identifies which costs were incurred because of legal compliance, which costs were incurred in the pursuit of profit, which costs are pay and benefits for employees, which costs were incurred to acquire consumable resources etc? This is not how ordinary businesses act, and it's dishonest to imply that that's all they're doing here.

Re: Two Marriott Hotels Introduce New Junk Fee

#35

Post by lzazz »

Scharkenberg wrote: post #33
lzazz wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't like the idea of the price of a service being increased during checkout, but it's good that people are shown what part of the price that they pay goes to complying with regulations, city taxes, etc - that information allows them to vote better.

Even if we assume you have a point there, are people staying at city A's hotels the ones voting in city A's elections?

No post body was provided.

Re: Two Marriott Hotels Introduce New Junk Fee

#36

Post by prvit »

Scharkenberg wrote: post #33
lzazz wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't like the idea of the price of a service being increased during checkout, but it's good that people are shown what part of the price that they pay goes to complying with regulations, city taxes, etc - that information allows them to vote better.

Even if we assume you have a point there, are people staying at city A's hotels the ones voting in city A's elections?

Yeah, a lot of people stay at hotels like this to have sex with prostitutes and whatnot.

People also book hotels for their family members coming from elsewhere.

Re: Two Marriott Hotels Introduce New Junk Fee

#37

Post by floor2 »

ok_dad wrote: post #23
lzazz wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't like the idea of the price of a service being increased during checkout, but it's good that people are shown what part of the price that they pay goes to complying with regulations, city taxes, etc - that information allows them to vote better.

That’s so naive, who says how much complying with labor laws costs? A business owner will lie and say it cost two times as much to gain advantage. Business owners should charge an up front price and if they can’t survive because they’re following the law then they can shut down and find a job. Owning a business isn’t a right bestowed by god.

> who says how much complying with labor laws costs?

Basic accounting? If you used to pay $X for something and a new tax goes into effect that makes it $X * 5% tax, you can hide that into the overall price or be transparent to your customers about why your prices are increasing.

> they can shut down and find a job

Love it. The financial equivalent of "Why should I care about farmers? I buy my food at the store".

> Owning a business isn’t a right

If you're not allowed to independently make a living, but must be a wage slave for a different entity, then none of your other fundamental human rights really matter. The right to start your own business is one of the most fundamental human rights.

Re: Two Marriott Hotels Introduce New Junk Fee

#38

Post by exabrial »

josephcsible wrote: post #10
exabrial wrote: post #3

This is not a junk fee, it's a junk law. Stupid in, stupid out.

Sure, the law is stupid, but that doesn't make the fee okay. Complying with laws, even stupid ones, is a cost of doing business.

Better said: Covering the cost of stupid laws with stupid fees is a cost of business.

Re: Two Marriott Hotels Introduce New Junk Fee

#39

Post by blamazon »

CaptainZapp wrote: post #31
jjeaff wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The only case I can think of where there is a mandatory minimum tip in the US is that a lot of restaurants will charge a minimum gratuity for parties larger than 6-8.

You are expected to tip 15% for service, even if mediocre or outright bad. You're expected to tip north of 20% for good service. Sure, in theory this is not strictly mandatory. Socially, if you don't play the game you're a leeching pariah.

To put it explicitly: if you don't tip, you're personally choosing for that person to make as little as $2.13 an hour for that transaction. Most would balk at pulling that lever.

Re: Two Marriott Hotels Introduce New Junk Fee

#40

Post by jjeaff »

blamazon wrote: post #39
CaptainZapp wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are expected to tip 15% for service, even if mediocre or outright bad. You're expected to tip north of 20% for good service. Sure, in theory this is not strictly mandatory. Socially, if you don't play the game you're a leeching pariah.

To put it explicitly: if you don't tip, you're personally choosing for that person to make as little as $2.13 an hour for that transaction. Most would balk at pulling that lever.

Well, you are actually pushing their wage downward, but not to $2.13. The lowest would be the minimum wage of the area since the company is required by law to make up the difference.
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