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Were things always this scammy? (1 Viewer)

parasaurolophus

parasaurolophus

Footballguy
You have resort fees, baggage fees, a "gallon of paint" is 122 ounces now, chip packages are constantly getting smaller, 20 oz soda bottles are now 16.9 ounces, gatorade makes a special bottle for convenience stores that is a few ounces less, sales rep jobs are now advertised as sales manager jobs, mention this radio ad for 200 bucks off (but you have to mention it when you book the estimate aka we are just inflating the price 200 bucks first), auto renew being mandatory at purchase in the fine print, energy surcharge, etc etc. 

Were people always so dumb to fall for this stuff and companies were just more ethical or are people just too stupid these days to even see what is going on so companies are testing the limits? 

 
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Go to the supermarket and look at the pound can of coffee or the gallon/half gallon of ice cream and report back. This shrinkage has been going on for a long time now.

 
parasaurolophus said:
You have resort fees, baggage fees, a "gallon of paint" is 122 ounces now, chip packages are constantly getting smaller, 20 oz soda bottles are now 16.9 ounces, gatorade makes a special bottle for convenience stores that is a few ounces less, sales rep jobs are now advertised as sales manager jobs, mention this radio ad for 200 bucks off (but you have to mention it when you book the estimate aka we are just inflating the price 200 bucks first), auto renew being mandatory at purchase in the fine print, energy surcharge, etc etc. 

Were people always so dumb to fall for this stuff and companies were just more ethical or are people just too stupid these days to even see what is going on so companies are testing the limits? 
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Fall for it? What other choice do people have though.If you need paint or to fly somewhere, you just have to deal with it. The companies are doing the same thing to their employees too: pay freezes, increased health care cost, no more pension, etc.

 
The Big Guy said:
Go to the supermarket and look at the pound can of coffee or the gallon/half gallon of ice cream and report back. This shrinkage has been going on for a long time now.
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Yeah but the price is surely going down for those items, right? 

 
Ilov80s said:
Yeah but the price is surely going down for those items, right? 
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That is how they are keeping the price steady, by reducing the sizing of the package.

The funny thing that people complained about was the size of a can of tuna. The shrinkage screwed up people's recipes and that caused a little backlash.

 
The Big Guy said:
That is how they are keeping the price steady, by reducing the sizing of the package.

The funny thing that people complained about was the size of a can of tuna. The shrinkage screwed up people's recipes and that caused a little backlash.
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Don't mess with my tuna noodle castleroll. 

 
The Big Guy said:
That is how they are keeping the price steady, by reducing the sizing of the package.

The funny thing that people complained about was the size of a can of tuna. The shrinkage screwed up people's recipes and that caused a little backlash.
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so then shrink mayo containers too

 
thayman said:
FYI this is the worst thing you can do.  Always book directly with the hotel, at worst they'll match the price you found online.
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True. I am not a fan of the online searches, especially since there are so many sites and most run by the same couple of people. 

 
Had a home warranty provided by the seller on our recent house purchase.

A/C unit compressor goes bad, needs replacing. Call warranty service. $75 visit fee (which we knew about), no problem. Their contractor visits the house and diagnoses, gets approval to replace the compressor. Warranty calls me up and says that there is a $95 recovery fee for the liquid in the system, and a $90 disposal fee for the old compressor. Both fees are complete bunk. But they are mandatory fees not covered by the "warranty". I can choose to not use the warranty service, which would cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars to have it replaced myself, or I can pony up the $195 to the warranty company. Such bull####.

 
Ilov80s said:
Fall for it? What other choice do people have though.If you need paint or to fly somewhere, you just have to deal with it. The companies are doing the same thing to their employees too: pay freezes, increased health care cost, no more pension, etc.
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Almost always an alternative. Some paints still have 128 ounces in a gallon. Some airlines don't charge fees(although i guess this is actually one industry i should shut up about since prices are actually relatively suppressed). You can also be vocal about it to the company on social media or elsewhere.  

 
The Big Guy said:
True. I am not a fan of the online searches, especially since there are so many sites and most run by the same couple of people. 
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I mean from that angle.  You have a better chance of having your room upgraded, not being charged a resort fee, etc if you book directly.  If you book on Expedia for example the hotel only sees about 2/3rds of that so the hotel will be less likely to help you out.

 
The Big Guy said:
That is how they are keeping the price steady, by reducing the sizing of the package.

The funny thing that people complained about was the size of a can of tuna. The shrinkage screwed up people's recipes and that caused a little backlash.
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I remember one time, a guy complained at me and wanted to fight me because I opened a can of tuna in a movie theatre.  He was livid.  

 
Walking Boot said:
Yeah, it used to happen every once in a while before, but it's really ramped up the last 15 years. Everyone is doing it every chance they get. 

It's hidden inflation, and it's costing people more than just less product at the store. By not being captured in the government's calculations, it's actively hurting millions of people. 
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Food is usually excluded from inflation metrics too, not like that is a necessity that everyone needs and buys daily... 

 
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Walking Boot said:
Yeah, it used to happen every once in a while before, but it's really ramped up the last 15 years. Everyone is doing it every chance they get. 

It's hidden inflation, and it's costing people more than just less product at the store. By not being captured in the government's calculations, it's actively hurting millions of people. 
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How about the terms of service everyone doesn't read and then install spyware in all your devices. To me that's the worst of them all

 
What about seat license fees for season ticket holders?  All to get around revenue sharing with the players.

 
CletiusMaximus said:
Not always.  Sometimes they won't match, and have advised me to book online if I want the lower price.
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And if you book online you'll have zero chance of having that Resort Fee waived or getting a room upgrade, or an amenity in your room for your anniversary/birthday/whatever you are celebrating. 

My experience has been predominately on the luxury side of the market though.  

 
I know 90% of the FFA are cord cutters but check your cable bill for a Regional Sports Fee

also I had to pay a 6% Saftey Tax on my fireworks purchase for 4th of July

 
thayman said:
And if you book online you'll have zero chance of having that Resort Fee waived or getting a room upgrade, or an amenity in your room for your anniversary/birthday/whatever you are celebrating. 

My experience has been predominately on the luxury side of the market though.  
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I disagree. I’ve used Priceline plenty in Manhattan and I’ve almost never paid over $150 per night for 4 and 5 star hotels. I’ve gotten some amazing deals that the hotel wouldn’t begin to match.

 
kutta said:
I disagree. I’ve used Priceline plenty in Manhattan and I’ve almost never paid over $150 per night for 4 and 5 star hotels. I’ve gotten some amazing deals that the hotel wouldn’t begin to match.
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:shrug:

I've worked in Luxury Hotels for over 15 years.  Just trying to throw out some useful information, I'm sure you can find good deals here and there online.  But you'll miss out if that's the way you book 100% of the time.

Also this is the Luxury Market, where are you staying in Manhattan for $150?

 
thayman said:
:shrug:

I've worked in Luxury Hotels for over 15 years.  Just trying to throw out some useful information, I'm sure you can find good deals here and there online.  But you'll miss out if that's the way you book 100% of the time.

Also this is the Luxury Market, where are you staying in Manhattan for $150?
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FOUR AND FIVE STAR HOTELS, it's right there in the post.

 
shadyridr said:
My favorite is the resort fee. Isnt that what I am paying the room charge for? To use the resort? Unfortunately cant do anything about it.
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Just stayed at a hotel last night.  Had a resort fee, a state tax, a city tax, a county tax, and a parking fee, all on top of a pretty run-of-the-mill Hampton Inn that already charged $149/night.  I gotta pay three separate taxes because someone decided years ago to place cities inside of counties inside of states? 

 
thayman said:
:shrug:

I've worked in Luxury Hotels for over 15 years.  Just trying to throw out some useful information, I'm sure you can find good deals here and there online.  But you'll miss out if that's the way you book 100% of the time.

Also this is the Luxury Market, where are you staying in Manhattan for $150?
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And I’ve stayed at luxury hotels the last 15 years.

I am a Marriott Platinum Premier Elite members, so trust me, I understand the difference between booking direct and using a site like Priceline. I’m on the road over 100 nights per year.

I’ve stayed in Manhattan about 30 times. I have found the best prices to be bidding on Priceline. I don’t think I’ve ever paid over $200, and usually it’s $150 or less. Off the top of my head, I’ve stayed at the JW Marriott Essex House, The Omni Berkshire, The Bryant Park Hotel, Viceroy Central Park, and the Waldorf Astoria. If you’d like a complete list let me know and I’ll have my assistant send it over.

:shrug:  

 
kutta said:
And I’ve stayed at luxury hotels the last 15 years.

I am a Marriott Platinum Premier Elite members, so trust me, I understand the difference between booking direct and using a site like Priceline. I’m on the road over 100 nights per year.

I’ve stayed in Manhattan about 30 times. I have found the best prices to be bidding on Priceline. I don’t think I’ve ever paid over $200, and usually it’s $150 or less. Off the top of my head, I’ve stayed at the JW Marriott Essex House, The Omni Berkshire, The Bryant Park Hotel, Viceroy Central Park, and the Waldorf Astoria. If you’d like a complete list let me know and I’ll have my assistant send it over.

:shrug:  
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Joke's on you. Now you'll never get that complimentary bottle of champagne (wholesale price: $6) for giving the hotel that extra 33% of revenue that they'd normally lose to Priceline.

 
sports_fan said:
Not sure I understand this one. They charged you extra to use their product safely? If you said you would shoot them off in a department store would it have resulted in a lower price?
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“The seller must also have a current sales tax license as they will need to collect the Fireworks Safety Fee, “…a 6% safety fee collected in addition to the 6% sales tax collected by the retailer on the retail sales of both consumer and low-impact fireworks. The fees are used to fund the operations of the Bureau of Fire Services and firefighter training.”

seems like a BS money grab by the state to me :shrug:

 
CletiusMaximus said:
I remember when I first learned a 2x4 is actually 1.5x3.5.  Has it always been that way? Perhaps @tommyboy remembers.
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Yes.  It's been awhile since wood shop, but the stick starts as 2 x 4 and then is finished to the smooth surface to 1.5 x 3.5.  Same with all dimensional lumber.

Plywood is not this way.  

I rehabed a house that was build around 1900 and the walls were framed with 2x4's that were actually 2x4 (they were unfinished).  It was a real pain in the ###.

 
kutta said:
I disagree. I’ve used Priceline plenty in Manhattan and I’ve almost never paid over $150 per night for 4 and 5 star hotels. I’ve gotten some amazing deals that the hotel wouldn’t begin to match.
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Yeah no hotel will match priceline or hotwire hidden rates. Hotwire is awesome for NYC. Hotel Tonight is too. 

 
sports_fan said:
Not sure I understand this one. They charged you extra to use their product safely? If you said you would shoot them off in a department store would it have resulted in a lower price?
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It's just a tax like a sin tax on booze or tobacco. Fireworks are not necessary and they do cause some harm to society. 

 
The Big Guy said:
That is how they are keeping the price steady, by reducing the sizing of the package.

The funny thing that people complained about was the size of a can of tuna. The shrinkage screwed up people's recipes and that caused a little backlash.
Click to expand...
Tuna casseroles gone bad. Catastrophic 

 
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