Two Things That I Think Are Priced Unreasonably (1 Viewer)

[Shane Martin]

Technically nothing is overpriced because we are still consuming it at that price. We don't like it but we keep paying thus the company feels they can continue to sell this stuff at that price.

That's why we have alternatives or we do w/o. If you are still paying it then the company is thinking that you think its a perfectly fine price.

I do think that homes tend to be overvalued a bit but as long as they keep selling then they are another item that is "not overpriced".

We hashed this out at HTT a long time ago. It's sort of a joke now when we bring it up.

 

[MarkHastings]

I think a lot of people only compare prices and never look at what you're getting for the price.

Example:

I know many people dislike Starbuck's, but I have to explain why I don't feel it is overpriced.

Every day, I order the EXACT SAME latte at Dunkin Donuts! I've been doing this ever since they started selling Lattes. The same people are behind the counter and they almost ALWAYS screw it up. I once had this woman screw up my order 3 times in a row! She just couldn't get it right! ARGH!!!

The same thing goes with DnD's EVERYWHERE! I order a Large Iced Latte with Milk and 1 Splenda....7 times out of 10, I get what I ordered

NOW, when I go to Starbucks, I order something more complicated...
I'll say (really fast) Iced Venti, sugar free vanilla, skim latte and they NEVER get it wrong!!!!

In fact, if they DO get it wrong, they redo it for me and give me a voucher for a free one next time

If you complain at DnD, all you get is attitude.

So while you may be able to get coffee elsewhere cheaper, you just won't get the same service. And that's why I don't mind paying Starbucks price.

 

[Micah Cohen]

Huh.

Alas, whatever happened to good old regular joe?

Whatever that is (that you order "really fast"), I doubt it's actually coffee. That's a dessert.

That said, DnD is indeed staffed by recipients of unsucessful lobotomies. The only way to get what you actually want is to order coffee black and get your cream and sugar on the side. Same with Wendy's or Burger Kings around here; try to "customize" your burger order at the drive-thru, and everyone in the car suffers. It's so simple, this stuff. How do you get it so wrong?

COFFEE!

MC

 

[Ruz-El]

This is how the razor companies make their money as well. I use the same Mach 3 blades that Chu Gai uses when I'm not cultivating my "Hobo Look" (Plaid shirts and big beards well come back in style again DAMNIT!). For the longest time, I could get a better deal with a new Razor, 3 blades and promo trinkets (saving bag, wrench thing) than buying 5 blades.

Houses and apartments are insanely expensive. You can't even get shitty fixer uppers for under 250K any more.

 

[ChrisHeflen]

Razor blades are a huge rip off. This is something that people will always need. So it is like permanent bank for these companies so why do they need to raise the prices. Did it really take alot of R&D to add that third blade?

I don't know why they don't give you refills on milk at resturaunts. I mean you can buy a gallon with what you pay. Just bring me out the jug.
Another thing along these lines is that fast food is harldy fast anymore.

Skiing. (at least around here) Lift tickets go up every year. Does snow cost more every year? NO! Have they added more lifts, chalets? No! Yeah, sometimes there isn't much snow and so a short ski season. I can understand that, but then give 'em a break the next year. It's not like they tell their workers, "since there isn't much snow we're only gonna pay you $5.50 an hour instead of last years banner ski season where we payed you $8."

 

[Jack Briggs]

That "small town" would be the happy little 'burg known as Los Angeles. A Penn & Teller helper (who played the "water bar matron" at the restuarant) was filling the bottles of "exotic water" with the tap hose in back of the eatery. It was a terrific episode.

And the bottom line is this: Bottled water, basically, is not an improvement over what comes out of one's tap. A rip-off.

Yet, I still buy the stuff. Go figure.

 

[MarkHastings]

Exactly. I don't like coffee.

 

[James Edward]

Mattresses and Boxsprings. A bunch of foam, wire, and some fabric and wood. Cost can go into thousands of dollars.

 

[Brian W. Ralston]

A friend of mine uses this to his advantage actually. He ALWAYS buys his printers at Staples and makes sure to purchase their $40 "no questions asked" replacement plan on the printer. Basically, the $40 is cheaper than the cost of replacing all 6 ink cartridges in his Epson Photo printer. Of course...the new printers come with ink which are full size cartridges (despite the fact that the salesmen say they are just starter inks...they are not).

So anyway...when he needs to replace the ink...he just goes in and gets a new printer...sometimes Staples will upgrade his model if the models have changed. They offer him a new $40 plan on the new printer and he takes it.

So..for $40, he gets a new set of inks EVERY TIME and a new printer whenever he needs to change inks. It makes me shake my head everytime he does it. I ask, "When are they going to catch on to this?" He says (after doing this for over 2 years)..."I hope never." He is completely playing by their rules of "no questions asked...for any reason"...so it really is a loophole in their replacement plan program.

 

[Eric Kahn]

the bad thing about razors is that since they came out with the 3 bladed ones ( I have the disposible ones, 16 disposibles were cheaper at sams than 12 refills for my mach 3, and have the exact same head on them)the 25 cent each good news twin bladed razors with the pivoting head have disappeared from the market, so if you want a razor with a pivoting head, you have to buy the 3 bladed ones for whatever outragious price they are charging

and anyplace that would call a miniture cup of coffee "tall" is really overpriced (my coffee cup holds 32 ounces)

 

[Carlo_M]

Well, in their defense, bookbinding for hardcovers can be an expensive process. Anywhere from $8-$20+ (depending on the type of binding). Those are commercial rates from binders to libraries, so I'm sure that the big publishers get some discount. But it does cost more to produce a hardcover book (which I prefer to softcovers because, if taken care of properly, they last much longer).

Besides, with Costco and Amazon, who pays MSRP anymore on hardcovers?

 

[Scott L]

+1 on homes. A decent townhome costs $500-600k around here, and then you have to worry about parking, trash, HOA fees, etc... A real pita if you wanna live near a major city.

Some breeds of dogs. An English bulldog pup runs for $2k from a licensed breeder. Crikey!! I'm sure there are other more expensive breeds but I can't name any.

Videogames. Going up to $59.99 this coming generation.

 

[Kirk Gunn]

I used Atra blades and recently switched to the Mach 3. The Mach 3's last so much longer that they are actually cheaper in the long run. YMMV....

I also buy my print cartridges from 123Inkjets, featured on the Deals page on HTF.

Coffee.... make my own ! (though it is with an over-priced Cuisinart coffee maker )

 

[Shane Martin]

You can shop around on this though. When we went looking for another Golden we found them in Missouri for 1/3rd of what they wanted here for one.

Home are exhorbently expensive but It has to do alot with where you want to live. You could always move especially if your career choice is easily moved to another location like for instance a pharmacist.

 

[Garrett Lundy]

Am I the only person who uses pharmacy-brand 2 blade razors? 3 - 5 blades don't really carve your face up any nicer. (Yes, they have a 5 bladed Gillette now)

 

[Christ Reynolds]

i was going to post the same thing. but if everyone thinks a particular item is overpriced, then it stops selling.

CJ

 

[Francois Caron]

That was the "unofficial" one (hilarious bit). There was also a "real" one which they discovered by tracking down the address of the bottling plant.

Life imitating farce...

 

[MarkHastings]

Also, as is the case with my Starbucks example...Price is dependant on perceived value. Of course if you don't find the value in the price, you're going to think it's overpriced, but does that mean it is??

As others have mentioned, if the majority thinks something is overpriced, they won't spend the money for it and the product won't be on the market very long (unless, of course, the price drops).Yes, so in order for something to sell, it has to be at a price where people are willing to pay for it, which means it's 'valuable' at that price. And if something has 'value' to the majority of people, it can't really be considered overpriced.

It's only over priced to those who don't see the value, but (as explained) those people are in the minority and the minority isn't enough to make it so.

 

[Linda Thompson]

A little razor tip (to help prolong blade life since they're so expensive...and, yes, of course we females use them too!):

After use, thoroughly clean and dry your razor, then store it with the cartridge / blade completely submerged in mineral oil.

Before the next use, use regular isopropyl rubbing alcohol to remove the oil (just put a bit in the bottom of a small cup and swish / stir the razor head in it). I use the tops from my Skintimate shaving gel cans for this purpose...they're perfect. (This step also acts as a disinfectant process as well, but that's just a bonus.)

This process helps to stop oxidization (rust) by keeping air and water off the blades in between uses and thus helps to maintain blade edges and can greatly extend the life of a blade or cartridge. Try it and judge for yourself.

Also, for the gents... I've read that you can make your own hot lather without a dedicated hot lather machine, by putting a bit of shaving foam (NOT gel or cream) into a microwavable dish and heating it at a low setting (medium or defrost) for about 30 seconds in a microwave. Then, use a moistened shave brush (or your moistened hand) to apply it. Supposedly it just about doubles in volume as well, with the heating. (Never tried it myself, of course...)

 

[Linda Thompson]

And, as for the mineral / bottled water discussion: DON'T TELL MONK!!!