The beginning of the end of online retail

Stinsok · #1 09-09-2011, 03:22 PM

Amazon Agrees To Collect State Tax In California : NPR

Funky Ghost · #2 09-09-2011, 03:26 PM

That

sucks

Stinsok · #3 09-09-2011, 03:27 PM

Now, the ball is rolling. It's just a matter of time.

Funky Ghost · #4 09-09-2011, 03:29 PM

It blows. I use Amazon a LOT too. My main source for books and coutless other doo dads I find interesting.

MJ5150 · #5 09-09-2011, 03:30 PM

I heard about this rumor. Yep folks, the party is almost over. I'll still shop online quite a bit, but now going to the store won't be so bad after all.

-Mike

Funky Ghost · #6 09-09-2011, 03:41 PM

I agree Mike, but MAN I hate dealing lame stores. Fry's Electronics will never get my money. I'll remain loyal to NewEgg and Amazon. I refuse to go to Wally World either.

macaroni tony · #7 09-09-2011, 03:45 PM

Meh. I'd still rather shop online than drive around to different stores, in most cases. Paying a little extra in tax never mattered much to me, anyway

MJ5150 · #8 09-09-2011, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Funky Ghost

I agree Mike, but MAN I hate dealing lame stores. Fry's Electronics will never get my money. I'll remain loyal to NewEgg and Amazon. I refuse to go to Wally World either.

I know what you mean. We have some of those joints around here too, so I'll still buy online for some things. I don't mind WalMart though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by macaroni tony

Meh. I'd still rather shop online than drive around to different stores, in most cases. Paying a little extra in tax never mattered much to me, anyway

Yeah, plus you have to get dressed to go to the store and go when they're open. I can shop from home in my underwear at 2:45AM.

-Mike

BurningSkies · #9 09-09-2011, 04:05 PM

Eh.

I've been paying sales tax for online purchases with any company that has a NY presence for a while now...that's nearly everyone.

i_got_a_mohawk · #10 09-09-2011, 04:05 PM

They will still be cheaper, they won't need shop fronts, sales people and as many buildings.

CA has a sales tax of what? About 5% or something?

Hardly a deal breaker!

macaroni tony · #11 09-09-2011, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

They will still be cheaper, they won't need shop fronts, sales people and as many buildings.

CA has a sales tax of what? About 5% or something?

Hardly a deal breaker!

8.75%

seanm · #12 09-09-2011, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BurningSkies

Eh.

I've been paying sales tax for online purchases with any company that has a NY presence for a while now...that's nearly everyone.

+1 I thought paying tax was the norm.

I shop online a lot, but rarely because of the price. I can get a lot of stuff online that I can't get in Ottawa. I also don't have to travel.

But mainly I can buy stuff when it is convenient for me, not when the store wants to be open. I sometimes put off purchases for months (or forever) because I don't think about it until I am starting to relax about 10:00pm.

i_got_a_mohawk · #13 09-09-2011, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macaroni tony

8.75%

Still not very much (heck, in the UK it's 20%, some EU countries are even higher).

Still don't see it being "the beginning of the end" for online shopping, still much cheaper to run an online business than one that requires multiple storefronts.

(as a side note, something that irks me every time I go to the US, why is the sales tax only added at the checkout? Why not just have it included in the on-the-shelf price?)

kesslari · #14 09-09-2011, 04:21 PM

Depends on how you value your time, and how much time and effort it is to go to a store for a particular purchase. Also how much shipping adds to the cost.

I'll still shop online for many purchases. The convenience is worth it to me, unless it's a local retailer that I want to support.

hover · #15 09-09-2011, 04:25 PM

I'll always shop online vs. big chain, most of the time the price in question qualifies for free shipping anyway. The exception: Old Navy, where I buy most of my basics, because I tire of driving to find they don't have my size. I'm a tad fluffy. Rag if you want, I'm not a fashion whore when it comes to jeans and tees.

If I wanna shop local, it's gonna be local owners I patron... I enjoy the journey as much as the destination when I shop in this manner, so that makes it enjoyable too.

**peledog** · #16 09-09-2011, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macaroni tony

8.75%

It was reduced in July to 7.75%

macaroni tony · #17 09-09-2011, 04:27 PM

For OC, yeah. For LA it's 8.75

And I am happy about that

**Staccato** · #18 09-09-2011, 04:27 PM

Let's see, a $2 'used' CD with an added .15 cents, or do they charge sales tax on the shipping, too?

I can live with that increase if you mean that everyone will pay it, and not just CA residents...

Funky Ghost · #19 09-09-2011, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kesslari

Depends on how you value your time, and how much time and effort it is to go to a store for a particular purchase. Also how much shipping adds to the cost.

I'll still shop online for many purchases. The convenience is worth it to me, unless it's a local retailer that I want to support.

Bang, on.

stingraysvt · #20 09-09-2011, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Staccato

Let's see, a $2 CD with an added .15 cents, or do they charge sales tax on the shipping, too?

I can live with that increase if you mean that everyone will pay it, and not just CA residents...

No tax on shipping, you can't charge tax on that or out of state purchases.