Is the film craze dead?

[Sirius Glass]

What if I changed the price to $650 net to me, you wouldn't contact me? I know Sirius would.

I recognize you through Photrio.

 

[Arthurwg]

I don't personally see any reason to buy a used M6 for the same price as a brand new one.

From what I read here on Photrio, a used M6 might actually work better than a new one.

 

[Pieter12]

I really don’t care. The buyer ends up paying the fees, one way or another. If the seller has what I want and I can afford it is all that matters to me.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

The reason for selling an item with simple pricing ($150 Vs $149.99) and that includes everything is to make the customer feel better buying the product. Whether the true price payed is lower a la carte or prix fixe isn't part of it.

'Free' shipping doesn't do all that much unless it is the "Spend another $6.28 and get 'Free' shipping" gambit. People expect to have shipping charges added on at the end of the sale, their abscence doesn't seem to engender much response.

Charging for PayPal fees, though, is like charging someone an extra 10% because they used a credit card (though these days it may be a surcharge for using cash) - the practice can not help but leave a sour taste.

 

[Dan Daniel]

I really don’t care. The buyer ends up paying the fees, one way or another. If the seller has what I want and I can afford it is all that matters to me.

Same. Whatever the price, I will figure the 'gross to me' amount- tax, shipping, fees, etc. If I need to do some math rather than the seller doing it, I'll recover.

I always like salespeople who say something is, oh... $349. So I'll say, ok, $350 plus tax makes $380. And they insist on repeating, it is $349, $349... I guess this works on a lot of people.

In case people don't know, Ebay takes more than 10%. And with return policies, a regular seller probably adds in more to recover aggregate return shipping and such. Paypal takes a little over 3%. Hmmm.... just about the Federal self-employmnet Social Security tax hit! I wonder if they have figured out that people shrug and move on when something is under 15%...

Then again, I had a landlord whose electronic payment system added $0.50 if you paid by check- a 'convenience' fee. I called it the 'never forget that we are small minded scum who will nickel and dime you every chance we get' fee. Obviously it left a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[Pieter12]

European residents are regularly taken aback by the fact that sales tax is added when they made a purchase rather than it already being included in the marked price. As I said earlier, you end up paying for tax, shipping and fees one way or another. You’re the one laying out the money.

 

[jvo]

I'm not clear on the "sin" of using "net to me". When i go to a restaurant and they add 3% (the fee) for using a credit card, I will say something to the manager and not return. So, intellectually, I can sympathize with a persons reaction to "net to me",

I know the fee is buried in the price of the food I order, as is all the other costs of doing business and I accept that a seller should have a minimum amount he would find worthwhile to part with his equipment, or the meal at a restaurant. and price accordingly,

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

I prefer the tax being added seperately - you know how much it is. VAT is up to 21% - but you don't get to see that, it's almost like the tax is gratis. Charge a 21% sales tax in America and people will notice.

 

[Pieter12]

I prefer the tax being added seperately - you know how much it is. VAT is up to 21% - but you don't get to see that, it's almost like the tax is gratis. Charge a 21% sales tax in America and people will notice.

Although similar, VAT is not quite the same as sales tax In the US.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I'm not clear on the "sin" of using "net to me". When i go to a restaurant and they add 3% (the fee) for using a credit card, I will say something to the manager and not return. So, intellectually, I can sympathize with a persons reaction to "net to me",

I know the fee is buried in the price of the food I order, as is all the other costs of doing business and I accept that a seller should have a minimum amount he would find worthwhile to part with his equipment, or the meal at a restaurant. and price accordingly,

I agree. If the restaurant cannot absorb its costs and present a price it can live with, I can afford to live without the restaurant in my life. Also restaurants should price the food and service to provide a living wage for the staff.

 

[Pieter12]

I agree. If the restaurant cannot absorb its costs and present a price it can live with, I can afford to live without the restaurant in my life. Also restaurants should price the food and service to provide a living wage for the staff.

Most business include such costs and fees in the price of their goods and services. It is usually when a business wants to make a point that such fees are being charged that they list them as separate items. I don’t know if it is done any more, but restaurants used to add a “cover charge” that basically included things like the cost of clean dishes, napkins, tableware, etc. It’s just included in the price of your meal now.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Most business include such costs and fees in the price of their goods and services. It is usually when a business wants to make a point that such fees are being charged that they list them as separate items. I don’t know if it is done any more, but restaurants used to add a “cover charge” that basically included things like the cost of clean dishes, napkins, tableware, etc. It’s just included in the price of your meal now.

Cover charges I have mostly seen only in Europe where tipping is not an obligatory 20% regardless of the service.

 

[BrianShaw]

Cover change is different from service charge is different from tip/gratuity. Unless you go to a particularly expansive and obnoxious French restaurant in Los Angeles then you get an 18 or 20% service charge AND an impassioned plea from the waitstaff that they also deserve a tip.

Here in America a cover charge is mostly focused on buying entry to a nightclub or strip club.

 

[reddesert]

I think in the context of forum classifieds like Photrio, the subtext of "net to me" is "You can either send me paypal friends & family and trust me completely, or if you want any buyer protection, you have to pay for it." This is clear about the fees, but I think it also puts some buyers off. For some people, camera swapping is somewhere between financing a hobby and a hobby business; some degree of professionalism is more friendly to the customer.

I also don't think that the prices of high-end film gear are a strong indicator of film use enthusiasm, likely this was covered earlier in the thread.

 

[Richard Man]

I usually say "$XYZ USA shipping included, PayPal G&S only". Save some back and forth.

One time I tried to buy a $$$ camera, and the seller insisted "F&F" only, and I said, "add 3%, I will cover it and we both have some protection", and he insisted not. So... no sales to me.

 

[campy51]

Nope. Not interested at any price when the seller says, "net to me". It is very off-putting. Not nice. Basically, it feels like the seller is saying "screw you".

How do you feel about the buyer paying for insured shipping?

 

[logan2z]

From what I read here on Photrio, a used M6 might actually work better than a new one.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

European residents are regularly taken aback by the fact that sales tax is added when they made a purchase rather than it already being included in the marked price. As I said earlier, you end up paying for tax, shipping and fees one way or another. You’re the one laying out the money.

In America, sales tax charges are never shown in the price displayed. That's added on when the vender totals the receipt. Not all states have sales taxes and the percent varies from state to state. Some items like medical supplies, food, etc. have no sales tax added. Every state does this differently. Individuals cannot collect sales tax for the state unless they have a state sales tax certificate issued by the state authorizing them to do the collection. So then the buyer is responsible for paying the sales tax later which is called a Use Tax.

If you're a "middle man" and intend to resell the item, you can furnish a Resale Certificate to the seller so they don;t collect sales tax from you since you're not the final buyer. Then when you resell it, you collect the sale tax on the final sales amount from the final buyer and reimburse the state.

Having said all that, I think the seller should include the eBay percent fee in their quoted price as it has nothing to do with the buyer. Then include something about shipping charges and other taxes however they want to handle it.

Regarding adding charge card fees, its becoming prevalent in restaurants mainly here in New Jersey. They add on 3-4% "convenience fee" as they call it. Well, it's certainly not convenient to me.

The other thing they've started to do is charging at the table where they give you option for tips at 20%, 22% and 25% instead of 15%, which is pretty nervy. I hit the button and type in my own tip amount in dollars or percent. Of course, the waiter is standing over you watching to make you feel guilty so you don;t undertip them.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

I usually say "$XYZ USA shipping included, PayPal G&S only". Save some back and forth.

One time I tried to buy a $$$ camera, and the seller insisted "F&F" only, and I said, "add 3%, I will cover it and we both have some protection", and he insisted not. So... no sales to me.

Reminds me of restaurants that only take cash so they can hide income from the IRS tax people.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

How do you feel about the buyer paying for insured shipping?

Wouldn't the buyer bring that up?

 

[Don_ih]

Insured shipping protects the seller. The buyer is just going to ask for their money back if the thing shows up smashed. And the buyer doesn't get to request the payout from the insurance, either.

That said, in Canada, Canada Post does not insure glass. So a broken lens doesn't get covered (guess how I found out that tidbit?).

 

[Hassasin]

Don't mean to digress, is the film craze dead, or not yet ?

 

[Cholentpot]

Don't mean to digress, is the film craze dead, or not yet ?

Alive and kicking.

 

[VinceInMT]

…Charge a 21% sales tax in America and people will notice.

Propose ANY sales tax here in Montana is a quick way to get run out of office.

 

[VinceInMT]

If you're a "middle man"….

I think I’ve been “middle man” in the past. Someone close to me lives in a high sales tax state. When they have purchased something small and expensive it gets shipped to me, living in a no sales tax state. I’m instructed to reship it somewhere and the cost is shipping is way less than the sales tax would have been. I suppose I am guilty of some crime.