Hidden fees annoy me

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– April 14, 2010Posted in: Money

After being in Europe and getting used to the way things are priced (well not 12 EUR for a slice of pizza and pop, mind you)…

I am now getting frustrated with the way things are priced in North America.

Why are hidden fees like taxes EXTRA on top of the retail price?

I know it’s a way to get us to think the price is lower and therefore a great deal, but we are all seasoned shoppers here in one form or another.

When we see things priced at $29.99, we know we can’t just hand over $30.

We have to hand over $40 to cover the tax.

Very frustrating.

I now want to only pay the sticker price (taxes should be included). Not the sticker price + tax.

If it costs $413, please put it at $413.

Do you always check your receipts? You should.

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Tags: Europe, Hidden Fees, Money, North America, Purchases, Rant, Retailers, Shopping

About the Author

Just a girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver. I cleared $60,000 in 18 months earning $65,000 gross/year. Now I am self-employed, and you can read more about my story here, or visit my other blog: The Everyday Minimalist.

http://aspiringminimalist.wordpress.com/ Aspiring Minimalist

I was so surprised when I was in Europe. It felt like I was actually getting a deal since I was only paying the amount on the tag. I much prefer it the European way, though I have gotten used to the North American way – having lived here all my life.

Ditto on the complaints about restaurants! Price + additional 25% and that's no included alcohol tax. Hmph!

http://www.FabulouslyBroke.com FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com

I totally felt like I was getting a deal. *laughing*

Me: WOW! Really? $2.50? You’re kidding. Not $2.73?

Zan

I just discovered your blog and I adore it I have been reading the archives too!

I live in Minneapolis, MN where there is no tax on clothing. Its quite nice to walk up to the counter and pay $10 for a $10 shirt, but now I get really disoriented when I travel to other states!

That said, I live/work in the downtown zone where there is an additional 3% sales tax on restaurants which means the total tax is over 10%!!!!!

The other one that drives me crazy is ticketmaster (or any ticket outlet). Often you HAVE to go through them now, I used to just go directly to the venue to avoid those fees, but they reroute you now Its annoying when you see a ticket is $20 something and REALLY they mean $35+

-End Rant-
Yukino

That was one of the bigger annoyances of my US stay. I would always wonder, if they are so adamant to let people know how much you spend yourself and how much you give the government, then why not have a sticker that lists both pre-tax and after-tax? Or at least the amount of tax, even as a % statement, so one could figure out the approx total before heading to check-out?

http://www.FabulouslyBroke.com FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com

Good point!

A before and after would really be helpful for me. I usually have to whip out my calculator and in the grocery store, wonder if what I am buying (non-food) has tax, or not, versus my carrots…

http://juliettemaxwell.com Julie

Mexico includes the tax on the prices, I hated going to the US and seeing everything was + TAX, that certainly put a damper on my shopping spree in SF.
L.A. Daze

I hate sales tax. And they keep increasing it here in So Cal as well. When I first came to the US that was one of my gripes, and it still is. Also when dining out, you have to add the tip on top of the tax. WTF! Grrrr.
http://eemusings.wordpress.com eemusings

I really want to visit the States, but I know tipping and hidden taxes will annoy me no end. I can imagine having a coronary everytime I went grocery shopping!

One of my friends is off to the US this week so I can't wait to hear all about his experiences

http://www.FabulouslyBroke.com FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com

The tipping is something I don’t mind doing on the pre-tax amount. But I wish they’d give a list of those amounts so I can stop having to calculate it at the table, and I can clearly see what 15%, 20%, 25% and 30% is.

simple in france

You know what is the worst? Paying tax AND tip in restaurants. Here in France, if you choose le menu a 22 euros, you know you're going to pay just that–plus maybe a euro in tip. In California, we always had to add nearly 25% extra to the restaurant bill–ugh.
http://www.lastbornchild.com Last Born Child

Every time I visit the US, I get suckered into thinking things really are as cheap as the sticker price says they are. Then the sales tax hits at the checkout desk. It gets me every time!

http://www.FabulouslyBroke.com FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com

Ditto

You think: wow, what a great deal!.. and then BAM! 15%.

fred

Tips get calculated on the non-tax portion.
Londonkiwi

It is not just Europe that is priced that way – it is the same in New Zealand and Australia as well. I heard that the reason for this is so consumers can be reminded that the Government is taxing them on the price of goods. It is incredibly annoying for tourists in North America as you never know how much the tax will be and on what goods.
http://www.randomanny.com Anny

Its worse because tax isn't consistent from state to state or even city to city.
http://melaniemh.blogspot.com MelanieMH

Things in the UK & Europe are priced this way… all taxes in (and it's soooo much easier for the consumer)…however, I think the reason we don't do it is so that we know EXACTLY what we are paying the government (which is both good and bad for a variety of reasons *L*).

But yes, returning back to Canada and having to figure out how much everything 'really' is, is a bit of a nightmare.

Melaka

Even though the tax is included in the pricetag here (australia), it's still listed separately on the receipt so you know exactly how much tax you have paid.

It was such a pain in North America not knowing the real price until everything had already been rung up.

Alissa

Yeah! Tax sucks. That's the same with online shopping. It's all cheap and then they add tax & shipping! UGH!
E_Z

Unfortunately, as much as everyone likes it, it will never happen here. Reason: By including the taxes into one price, it makes the product or service a higher price naturally. When your business "neighbour" has the same product but a "lower" price (i.e. taxes "hidden"), people will flock to that business. An individual person may be logical and rational, but when it comes to shopping, or just a representative of a larger group, they're stup…err…irrational. And so we're stuck with that annoying scenario. Damn I hate sheep mentality.
Emma

I don't think that would fly in the US as each state has their own sales take and sometimes even each county with in a state on certain items like gas. These can also change often if tax levys are raised.
http://mogulsintraining.blogspot.com Young Mogul

I've never been to Europe, is that how things are priced there? It would be nice if things were priced like that in North America because it would eliminate the need to calculate what the final cost will be with tax. However, I don't see this ever happening.
http://meinmillions.blogspot.com/ me in millions

Agreed! And each state has different sales tax policies. My home state doesn't charge sales tax on food or clothes, but my current state does. Very tricky!
http://tbnottb.blogspot.com Lili

I didn't know this when I first visited the States. It gave me such a headache to have to calculate the real prices of things all the time!

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