Resort Tax, pax ???

[p6x]

@68C

As a European from France, I will share what has always been my most puzzling experience here.

None of the price shown to you includes Tax and/or fees.

In the whole of Europe, and the UK, the price shown to you is the price you pay, in that it includes VAT.

This is never the case here. I was once explained that the rationale is that taxes vary per state, city and so on. But my local supermarket does not include taxes either. Why not?

Something you also need to be wary about: tips! with the contactless payments, came the flip tablets, which impose you to select a tip percent before you can complete the transaction; even when there is no service provided, such as you purchasing something that is given to you over a counter, or even better, when you do all the work yourself. I am just back from Orlando Florida, the home of Mickey, and I discovered a new one: the no tip option altogether missing. It felt a little bit like extortion. Can you picture going to your supermarket, filling up your cart, and at the check-out, you are presented with a tip percent selection with no opt-out?

Are you renting a car?

[docc]

In my past life, in the world of "finance" we cleverly said of this sort of "shell game":

"The LARGE PRINT giveth, while the small print taketh away."

[footgoose]

4 hours ago, p6x said:

impose you to select a tip percent

a technique I'm not altogether opposed to, considering how our "tipped" employees are treated at income tax time. Just realize they are only asking...It's a convenience for some, annoyance for others (me).. if you think it's not appropriate, don't pay it. There is always a way around it. Stand your ground.

[p6x]

On 3/10/2025 at 12:36 AM, footgoose said:

if you think it's not appropriate, don't pay it. There is always a way around it. Stand your ground.

It is not about "appropriate"; the whole concept of "tip" is detourned.

My first encounter was in February 1983, when I took one of these yellow cabs from JFK to get to my hotel in Manhattan. Upon arrival, I was yelled at in the open by a pretty irrate taxi driver. I did not understand. In France, even today, you are not required to tip. You pay for the transport, yes? so a tip should be left at the appreciation of the customer, and never an obligation. But as i learned later, this did not hold true in NY. Apparently, the tip is compulsory in a number of cases.

In France, a "tip" is called "pourboire". Which literally means "for drinks", combined into one word. The meaning is on point. This is an extra that you provide, because as a paying customer, you felt that someone went out of his/her way to give an impeccable service. It is not something that should be automatically claimed because today's technology enables it. NFC which is the technical name of contactless payments should make transactions faster. As it turns out, because you invariably need to select a tip in cases that should not require one, you end up having to fumble with the payment terminal.

On 3/10/2025 at 12:36 AM, footgoose said:

if you think it's not appropriate, don't pay it. There is always a way around it. Stand your ground

They found a new way to enforce it, by removing the "no tip" option. I am starting to see it more too. But as you suggest, I am not ashamed to tell them I don't want to tip, so complete the transaction.

 

Edited yesterday at 05:21 PM by p6x