Roland Perry wrote:
at 13:52:10 on Mon, 23 Jan 2012, Adam H. Kerman remarked:

Here in many (if not all) parts of Europe, the price that you pay for
something already has relevant taxes figured in.

Yet here in the United States, when prices for airline travel and hotel
rooms are stated, they included taxes. In Europe, travel prices are
more often stated without all taxes included.

Travel itself doesn't have any "sales tax",

It's a service tax, true.

although some airlines dress up various items like airport and security
fees as "tax and charges". But so do USA airlines.

That's a point. Sometimes there have been fuel surcharges. There are
often baggage surcharges.

Many hotels in tourist spots have a "surprise" city tourist/hotel tax,
but not in the UK.

That would be unheard of in the United States. Various places have plenty
of taxes on hotel charges, but these would be quoted up front.

In message , at 16:49:20 on Mon, 23 Jan
2012, Adam H. Kerman remarked:
Many hotels in tourist spots have a "surprise" city tourist/hotel tax,
but not in the UK.

That would be unheard of in the United States. Various places have plenty
of taxes on hotel charges, but these would be quoted up front.

Maybe that's why Expedia is so bad about warning people. They should get
out more.
--
Roland Perry

On 23-Jan-12 10:49, Adam H. Kerman wrote:
Roland Perry wrote:
at 13:52:10 on Mon, 23 Jan 2012, Adam H. Kerman remarked:
wrote:
Here in many (if not all) parts of Europe, the price that you pay for
something already has relevant taxes figured in.

Yet here in the United States, when prices for airline travel and hotel
rooms are stated, they included taxes. In Europe, travel prices are
more often stated without all taxes included.
....
Many hotels in tourist spots have a "surprise" city tourist/hotel tax,
but not in the UK.

That would be unheard of in the United States. Various places have plenty
of taxes on hotel charges, but these would be quoted up front.

Not always. Most of the travel sites I use do _not_ quote the various
taxes and fees when comparing options; you may not see those until you
get to the payment stage.

This is understandable, since they want to present the lowest price
possible until you're mentally committed to purchasing it, in hopes that
the price going up by 25%+ at the last moment won't cause you to back
out at the last minute.

It is the same in many other industries, which tack on all sorts of
"fees" that, in any sane country, would be required to be included in
the price. The extreme example is offering a product for "free, just
pay $19.95 shipping and handling."

S

--
Stephen Sprunk "God does not play dice." --Albert Einstein
CCIE #3723 "God is an inveterate gambler, and He throws the
K5SSS dice at every possible opportunity." --Stephen Hawking

Stephen Sprunk wrote:
On 23-Jan-12 10:49, Adam H. Kerman wrote:
Roland Perry wrote:
at 13:52:10 on Mon, 23 Jan 2012, Adam H. Kerman remarked:
wrote:

Here in many (if not all) parts of Europe, the price that you pay for
something already has relevant taxes figured in.

Yet here in the United States, when prices for airline travel and hotel
rooms are stated, they included taxes. In Europe, travel prices are
more often stated without all taxes included.

Many hotels in tourist spots have a "surprise" city tourist/hotel tax,
but not in the UK.

That would be unheard of in the United States. Various places have plenty
of taxes on hotel charges, but these would be quoted up front.

Not always. Most of the travel sites I use do _not_ quote the various
taxes and fees when comparing options; you may not see those until you
get to the payment stage. . . .

Then that stinks.

On Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:02:16 -0600, Stephen Sprunk
wrote:

On 23-Jan-12 10:49, Adam H. Kerman wrote:
Roland Perry wrote:
at 13:52:10 on Mon, 23 Jan 2012, Adam H. Kerman remarked:
wrote:
Here in many (if not all) parts of Europe, the price that you pay for
something already has relevant taxes figured in.

Yet here in the United States, when prices for airline travel and hotel
rooms are stated, they included taxes. In Europe, travel prices are
more often stated without all taxes included.
...
Many hotels in tourist spots have a "surprise" city tourist/hotel tax,
but not in the UK.

That would be unheard of in the United States. Various places have plenty
of taxes on hotel charges, but these would be quoted up front.

Not always. Most of the travel sites I use do _not_ quote the various
taxes and fees when comparing options; you may not see those until you
get to the payment stage.

This is understandable, since they want to present the lowest price
possible until you're mentally committed to purchasing it, in hopes that
the price going up by 25%+ at the last moment won't cause you to back
out at the last minute.

guffaw Like the ad in Saturday's "Globe and Mail" Travel Section for
an outfit called "Canadian Affair" (presumably an air charter outfit)
offering $49/round trip Toronto-London but the small print warning of
"taxes and fees $522"

It is the same in many other industries, which tack on all sorts of
"fees" that, in any sane country, would be required to be included in
the price. The extreme example is offering a product for "free, just
pay $19.95 shipping and handling."

S

Yet here in the United States, when prices for airline travel and hotel
rooms are stated, they included taxes. In Europe, travel prices are
more often stated without all taxes included.

Airline prices are quoted with tax because there is an FTC rule that says they have
to do that. They decided, quite reasonably, that quoting the price without the tax
is misleading.

The rule isn't quite that simple, they're apparently allowed to quote the fake price
so long as the real price is in tiny print nearby.

R's,
John

In message , at 20:47:29 on Mon, 23 Jan
2012, John Levine remarked:
Airline prices are quoted with tax because there is an FTC rule that says they have
to do that. They decided, quite reasonably, that quoting the price without the tax
is misleading.

The rule isn't quite that simple, they're apparently allowed to quote the fake price
so long as the real price is in tiny print nearby.

Which is presumably why my flight to the USA last summer was quoted as
(all the same font size):

Price 491.00
Taxes and fees 291.30
Total 782.30

plus £4 "Service Charge".
--
Roland Perry

John Levine wrote:

Yet here in the United States, when prices for airline travel and hotel
rooms are stated, they included taxes. In Europe, travel prices are
more often stated without all taxes included.

Airline prices are quoted with tax because there is an FTC rule that
says they have
to do that. They decided, quite reasonably, that quoting the price
without the tax
is misleading.

The rule isn't quite that simple, they're apparently allowed to quote
the fake price
so long as the real price is in tiny print nearby.

It's not an FTC rule. It's a US DOT rule, according to several news articles
I've read. No, it is NOT acceptable to list the price, net of taxes and
fees, in large type, with the total price in small type. The new rule
on advertising total prices including taxes and fees takes effect on the 26th.

I cannot find anything similar for hotel quotes, though.

It's not an FTC rule. It's a US DOT rule, according to several news
articles
I've read. No, it is NOT acceptable to list the price, net of taxes and
fees, in large type, with the total price in small type. The new rule
on advertising total prices including taxes and fees takes effect on the
26th.

I cannot find anything similar for hotel quotes, though.

In America, on goods subject to sales taxes, practically 100% of pricing is
always without local, state taxes. They are added at the time of payment.

In Canada, because we have a value added tax and depending on what province
you live in as it varies, shown prices will not include federal and
provincial taxes. These are also added at the time of payment.



--
Cheers.

Roger Traviss


Photos of the late HO scale GER: -

http://www.greateasternrailway.com

For more photos not in the above album and kitbashes etc..:-
http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l9...Great_Eastern/

On 1/23/2012 7:54 PM, Roger Traviss wrote:
It's not an FTC rule. It's a US DOT rule, according to several news
articles
I've read. No, it is NOT acceptable to list the price, net of taxes and
fees, in large type, with the total price in small type. The new rule
on advertising total prices including taxes and fees takes effect on the
26th.

I cannot find anything similar for hotel quotes, though.

In America, on goods subject to sales taxes, practically 100% of pricing is
always without local, state taxes. They are added at the time of payment.

In Canada, because we have a value added tax and depending on what province
you live in as it varies, shown prices will not include federal and
provincial taxes. These are also added at the time of payment.




Indeed. I do love Canada, its people, including the many expats (here in
sunny Southern California) that I know, and it's beautiful landscape and
history.

But I do question the sanity of a country where you must pay tax on a
postage stamp. Is that still the case? It was in Vancouver in 1998. Oh,
and I mean federal VAT, not provincial taxes, as far as I recall.

Regards,

DAve