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As a European I'll never cease to find it mind blowing that it is normal for a Americans that the cost to them of damn near everything is more than the cost initially shown to them.
You’re completely right to feel that way. As an American, it’s mind blowing to me, too. I really don’t like the fact that “hidden fees” have become normal.
Traveling in the US it can often feel like everyone wants to scam you or take advantage of you if you don’t pay attention.
Heck, even store prices and restaurant prices aren’t the real price.
Store prices are without sales tax/VAT, and restaurants wants you to tip 20% so they can keep not paying their “employees”.
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That's still my favorite EU legislation. The price that is displayed must be equal (or higher, discounts are still allowed) to the price that you pay. Taxes, tips, fees, everything must be included in the price.
I get the "but different states sales taxes thing", for national advert. However even then, just make them present example price
Get the new Moborola Bazer, only 549 dollars*
* price example for Buffalo new York, including taxes and fees
Since if one is going with "well the final price you pay might not be what was advertised", make it be more representative and real. Yeah the final price might be different sometimes even lower depending on your local taxes compared to the example prices calculation locations taxes.
Local advertising or on the shelf prices? There is no excuse, you are selling in that location. You know what the taxes and fees are just add them in. Any rare special discount and discrepancy cases, well the people eligible for those know to expect the difference.
It's government mandated. We have variable sales taxes on every product. And it isn't included in the 'price'.
Stores can show out the door pricing of most products, they just won't. It's fairly common in the cannabis space because they don't want to make change.
Depends on the state.
https://www.taxjar.com/blog/retail/can-retailer-include-sales-tax-in-the-price
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Variable taxes based on region. The rates don't change within a single store, which is where all of the labels are printed. Just print the label with the tax added.
Right. Same excuse as the cable companies. They can clearly calculate the price easily when you get the bill. They can just as easily calculate it when showing you how much it costs.
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Aww it's too hard.. well make it simpler by not charging shitty little fees.
That's what makes it hard. If they tell you how much bullshit they add on, you wouldn't pay.
Lol as if people have a choice and there isn't a monopoly on ISP coverage
If latency isn't a top-tier issue, a 5G hotspot is a viable alternative in good coverage areas. I switched from Charter to T-Mobile by selling myself as a sole proprietor seeking a business account. Immediate $35/month savings to $50 for unlimited (I used 150GB in my first month without hearing a peep) and ready to go into my van in a few weeks. Speeds are generally 250-300Mbit, dropping to 80Mbit during brief congested periods.
Oh, and no bullshit fees. It's actually $50 on the nose.
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If it's too hard to list them, it must be even harder to charge and bill them.
It is, that's why they probably overcharge you. They figure better to charge you for things and let you figure it out.
My ISP has no problem breaking out the fees.
And.... I am indeed, in the US.
So, not seeing the issue here.
It's not actually about listing the fees. They're worried that if they have to list the fees, customers will realize they're paying 19.99 a month to rent a router, or are getting charged for a land line they didn't ask for.
And get a discount for letting the cable company claim they have cable TV to scam money from ESPN.
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Yea... Comcast is really bad about that. When I had them a decade back, I made sure to being my own hardware.
You're paying $130 a month for your internet?? Where in the price gouging place do you live?
130 for 500gb fiber is an awesome deal in the US.
I used to pay $120/mo for business class 50mb asymmetrical coaxial with like 10 up. Had to get business class when Comcast started introducing data caps on the residential tier.
Now my ISP is bundled with my rent, so what I'm actually paying is totally opaque. No idea how much of my rent goes to Comcast. Oh, and it's not optional. I can't even get other service here because Comcast has a partnership with the building owners.
Telcos are fucked here.
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Here's a wild idea, simplify your pricing. Anyways, it's cool to see the FCC stand for the citizens every now and then.
If they can charge for something then they can adequately explain what the thing is they're charging for
Wasn't too much effort to add them to the bills of millions of people...
Okay everybody - this is one of those good things that the Biden Administration and Democrats are doing to properly run government.
It is also something that most people will not know about. Why? Because it's not a simple sound bite.
So my homework to all of us is to make sure our friends and Neighbors who are complaining about government not doing anything for us to point this and similar things out to them.
Real benefits, real work is almost never easily described in sound bites. So many people believe the Democrats don't do what they say they're going to do because getting s*** done is too complicated for most people.
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Wtf is happening in the US? Here I get an advertised monthly price for my subscription, I set up a direct deposit for that exact amount, when I buy it, then forget about it.
Maybe there is a commencement fee one time for the equipment they give me or work they do, but that's all.
How is it legal to advertise and agree on a price, then send random bills?
The companies make the rules since bribery is legal (see lobbying). They set whatever price they want, then use the money to buy the politicians that continue to create stronger pro-corporation laws continuing the lack of choice and change.
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One of those weird, rare situations where Google seems to do something right. They said the cost was $100, and every month I pay $100. I'm assuming fees are built into that, but my bill never deviates from the price I was told, which is really all I care about.
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So we finally got rid of Ajat eh?
If you can't list em, you shouldn't be able to charge for em
Paying every fee is even harder.
So let's stop doing that as well.
Comcast is sad that it can't fuck us in hidden fees anymore. I feel terrible...just terrible for them.
I bought a plane ticket this week and it had all the fees listed. If airlines can do it, so can any multi-national corporation.
They had to be forced to properly show all the fees, only happened in Sept 2022
Based FCC
I love when FCC at least appears to do something, not like under Shit Pai.
Frankly though they should revise Title II classification for the Internet and remove exception from the requirement to share last mile to competitors. This is the main reason there's almost no competition. It doesn't make sense for every single ISP to run lines to every home. Those lines should be leaseable.
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Couldn’t happen to a better bunch.
They could always remove those complex fees and make the bill simpler...
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this post was submitted on 30 Aug 2023
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