One price doesn’t fit all online. Retailers adjust prices and discounts based on each customer’s online habits and persona.
Travel website Orbitz says that it sometimes shows customers using Apple computers more expensive travel offers than Windows visitors, as the former typically spend 30% more, The Wall Street Journal reports. But that’s just one of many variables sites use to set prices, e-commerce experts say. “It’s common practice for retailers to make offers based on everything from your zip code to the kind of smartphone you’re using,” says Robert M. Weiss, technology practice group at Neal Gerber & Eisenberg, who notes the practice is legal so long as the vendor doesn’t change prices based on race, religion or gender.
The customer’s location in particular has a huge influence on the size and quality of discounts, experts say.
Online prices change depending on who you are
By Patrick Follow Sun, 1 Jul 2012, 9:01am 1,071 views 9 comments
In Menlo Park CA 94025
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Online marking companies are pure evil in every way. That said, when dealing with prices, I often go through an Internet proxy just to see if the price changes for me, especially if they ask for my zip code. I'll give them two zips, one for the non-proxy session and another for the proxied session.
If the price differs, I know they are trying to rip me off, and I just don't buy from that company even if it's the lowest price I can find on a product. I simply do not trust any company that does such things, and I don't want to waste my time figuring out how not to get ripped off or having to return a broken product. Companies that act unethically do so ubiquitously.
Well, that tells you everything you need to know about what marketers think of Apple users. They are dumb and easy to take advantage of. They will pay more for the same product just because it has a shiny logo on it. Apple users are well-known as sheeple among marketers and buying an Apple product indicates that you are a mark ready to be grifted.
Also, as the article indicates, marketing firms look at your smart phone's info when determining price. This is another reason to never shop online with a smartphone. Get your ass to your desktop/laptop and shop with it. There's far less spyware on it.
And use Firefox or Chrome, not Safari unless you want to be known as an Apple user and an easy mark.
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Dan8267 says
This happens all the time with medical costs too. If you're an individual, hospitals and doctors charge you ridiculous amounts because:
1. They don't have to tell you the price in advance.
2. They can legally force you to pay that price that they refused to tell you, as long as you agreed to be treated.
If you're part of some group plan, there is some incentive not to rape you, because they might lose the whole group. So prices for group medical are lower.
Anyway, the medical scam is the biggest one for most people. Even with real estate you generally know the price before you are obligated to pay it.
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I love seeing my statements from my insurance company....dr. billed 448 dollars, amount allowed by your plan...30 dollars, amount we paid toward this claim...30 dollars. The discrepancies between the numbers never cease to amaze me.
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Patrick says
Absolutely this happens at hospitals which is exactly why a centralized national clearinghouse, i.e. single payer, has to exist. It is the only way to get affordable and just medical pricing at hospitals.
I haven't seen any individual practices that charge different people different amounts for a procedure. My experience with medical centers and private practices is that the costs are given up front, which is totally different from the way hospitals work. As such, I blame the hospital owners and administrators, not the doctors.
Patrick says
And despite what anyone says, the hospitals do force you to go to the emergency room before getting any treatment and they force you to accept undisclosed prices and terms before treating you. Sure, they might be required to treat all patients even those who refuse to sign anything, but the law doesn't put a time limit. The hospital can and will wait for you to die before treating you if you don't sign over all your rights.
Again, that's why single payer is absolutely necessary. And that's why ObamaCare/RomneyCare is a joke, not real reform.
Patrick says
The downside is that group is almost always associated with employment. And as someone in IT, you know how often we have to switch jobs to stay employed, relevant, and marketable.
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woppa says
Those discrepancies exist only to facilitate fraud, except it's not called fraud because the victim is the little guy and the government cares not for him.
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woppa says
Your plan actually pays the doctor????
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Yes, I pay a copayment.
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Take your broken windshield to a high end body shop, or some body work cheap enough you are willing to shop around and pay cash. They will send you away because they make SOOOO much more money off the Insurance companies. Insurance companies do not negotiate, they simply adjust the numbers and apply them to your premium. Why would they constantly go through all the hassle of negotiating with the mechanics (Doctors) or telling you that you should have gotten a second opinion.
Maybe we are ALL probing you deeply. Who ya gonna believe ? Those making a profit off ya ?
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I used to charge people living in gated communities a hell of a lot more than I would charge some retiree in Century Village, or someone in a lack luster suburb address to do carpet and other flooring.
Though to be honest, those people if you didn't charge enough, they would feel they were getting inferior service and would go with the highest bidder any way.