Why do we still accept hidden costs?
Sometimes I go to Woolies, the local supermarket, armed with just a few coins. Usually, I know what I already want to buy - say, some soy milk. I know it costs AUD2.59, because that’s what I have been paying all this while. Because I hate carrying coins, and because I am such a dick, I only bring AUD 2.60.
I enter Woolies, and lo and behold, the price tag says AUD 2.59 for my bone enriching muscle building energy providing low sodium ultra healthy albeit super processed soy milk. I grab a packet and head to the express lane of the check out counter. There are tonnes of people at the queue, so, being the increadibly considerate man that I am (note I am using the word ‘man’ somewhat loosely), I prepare my coins to expedite the purchasing process. My turn comes, Samantha, my favourite hot check-out girl scans the bar code on the packet, and says "two dollars sixty thanks". See, she even thanks me before I give her the money. Now that’s politeness. I give her the money, and walk home - mission accomplished.
As I walk home, I wonder - what would I have done if the hotty Samantha had said "two dollars sixty five thanks" ? What would I have done if the price was higher than price as displayed? It would be highly embarrasing, seeing that I didn’t have enough money, and with the long queue behind me. As luck would have it though, it never does happen. Shoppers around the world would go mental if it did happen. I mean, come on, of course you only pay the amount of money that’s on the price tag (or perhaps less on sale). If not, what’s the use of the price tag in the first place? Paying more than the displayed price - simply ludicruos. No one would accept it.
Or rather, no one would accept it if it happened in a supermarket. But it happens all the time. The biggest culprits? Airlines. No matter what airline you go to, no matter what travel agent you go to, you almost ALWAYS pay more than the initial price. If you have travelled before, this must sound very very familiar : "Hi, do you have flights available from Adelaide to Kuala Lumpur in December please?". "Sure thing sir, let me just key in the details and check for you. Please be patient. Let’s see, you’re in luck sir, there are ample flights available on Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways". "What are the prices like?". "The best offer seems to be the Malaysia Airlines, which would be seven hundred and twenty three aussie dollars". "That’s not too bad, can I book the flight for the 20th of December, returning on the 7th of January please?". Two minutes pass, and in between the minutes the lady at the travel agent is busy typing at her keyboard. "Here is your invoice sir, flight leaving on the 20th of December, arriving on the 7th of January, Malaysia Airlines - total cost comes to AUD 1388. Thank you for coming".
AUD 1388?? WAIT A MINUTE WAIT A MINUTE. Didn’t she just say it was AUD 700 something? I have written proof! It is written a few sentences above this one! "Oh sir, AUD 723 is the cost of the airfare, the rest is tax". TAX ?? What tax? The damn government tax is 5%. Last time I checked, 105% of 700 plus is NOT anywhere close to AUD 1388.
But of course, its not government tax now is it? It’s airport tax, petrol surcharge, the ANSETT levy, and all kinds of bullshit. It’s fucked up. Airlines are screwin us. Petrol surcharge? What the fuck man. If the cost of your damn company is going up, fine, raise the cost of your product, just make sure you tell me from the freaking beginning you maternal parent fornicator. Cadbury doesn’t charge no fucking petrol surcharge even though their cocoa beans are shipped from Brazil. No one pays a damn fuel surcharge when they buy papayas even though its shipped from Indonesia now, do they? Hell, taxis don’t charge no petrol surcharge, even though they should since their pricing is government controlled!
Airlines are blatant liars and con artists. Or at least their marketing and pricing people are. Obviously, it is understandable that prices can go up, especially with high fuel prices and general consumer malaise over international travel (especially with all this terrorist crap), but, the answer is to increase prices, not fuck us up with bullshit asterisks and *taxes apply crap. Next thing you know they are going to be charging us pilot tax and stewardess tax.
But airlines are not the only ones. Go online, and there are tonnes of them. Purchasing a DVD boxed set online? Advertised price, AUD 69.99. Click click click, after you put in your credit card info (carefully), and just before you click ‘confirm’, the price suddenly becomes AUD 82.50. Postage and handling fee. Admin fee. Internet fee. What the fuck (again). Admin fee??? That’s the one that really gets me. Admin people do NOTHING. Their jobs is to create more layers of bureaucracy to fuel inefficiency and stifle productivity and therefore create more jobs for themselves. A bunch of useless gits. And they charge us for being useless pricks! The nerve!!!
Some restaurants in Malaysia have a 10 - 15 % service charge. MANDATORY service charge. That’s whether you like the service or not. So I guess the price of food on the menu literally buys you the food only. The act of putting that food on a washed plate, and bring the food to you from the kitchen costs, apparently, another 10 - 15 %. Bullshit.
It’s time for us to claim back our consumer rights. No more misleading advertising and pricing. When we buy our milk and veges, we don’t get charged any ‘admin fee’, nor do we get charged ‘dealer delivery’, nor ‘fuel surcharge’. The displayed price is what we pay. No more. It works well for us consumers, and it works for the supermarkets as well. There is no reason it shouldn’t work for all products.
