Would this type of pricing p*ss you off?

Tyler Durden · 14 July 2012

I go to a regular dry cleaners near my work to have my shirts and suits dry cleaned. I've been going since mid-2011 and the price for a suit has always been $18. They have always given you the option of paying either when you drop it off or when you pick it up.

Now they have changed it, so that the price is $20, but if you pay when you drop it off you get a 'discount' so that it's $18.

To me, that's not a discount at all. That's penalising people who prefer to pay when they pick it up, and that's always been my choice in case there is damage or they haven't done a good job.

Would you be annoyed with this type of stuff?

Knobby22 · 14 July 2012

Mine is the same but I think its because people forget and don't pick up their clothes and they make a loss.

springhill · 14 July 2012

$1.80 in the hand is worth $2 in the bush.

I sympathise with you, but that is business. Their business, their choice. You have the choice (i hope!) to go elsewhere, and if you do, you should inform them why you have done it.

Market forces usually prevail.

young-gun · 14 July 2012

Knobby22 said:
Mine is the same but I think its because people forget and don't pick up their clothes and they make a loss.

If people don't ever go back to pick up their item(which although it happens seems completely stupid to me) then the dry cleaner should have a written policy that states after x amount of weeks if items are unclaimed they become sole property of the cleaner. From there they are then able to sell the items at front of store to re-coup some cost

Smurf1976 · 14 July 2012

I have recently become aware of a few business failures which were brought about by payment disputes with major customers. Likewise I have become aware of sub-contractors who are refusing to work for large contracting firms who insist on payment 3 months after completion of the job - the subbies just can't carry the costs for that length of time.

I also know that there are businesses, most notably electric/gas/water utilities, where about half of all customers fail to pay accounts by the due date, a significant number being very late (months).

There are even petrol stations which now expect payment before you fill the car. I'm not sure how this actually works, since you wouldn't know in advance exactly how much fuel you need to fill the tank, but it happens in practice and arises due to problems with people driving off without paying.

So I can certainly understand why a dry cleaner or any similar business would want payment before they do any cleaning. It's sad, but they have probably had people who either don't show up at all, or who turn up a month later expecting to collect their clothes.

It's just the way society is going. Is it even possible to open a new phone account (either landline or mobile) with a 3 monthly billing period which is what everyone had some years ago? Even taxi drivers want up front payment under some circumstances these days because they have trouble with passengers trying to avoid payment upon completion of the trip.

burglar · 14 July 2012

I bought ten dollar jeans from Kmart
Took them to a tailor to hem.
$21 ?

No thanks!
I roll them up and look like almost everyone else (Almost)!

Julia · 14 July 2012

springhill said:
$1.80 in the hand is worth $2 in the bush.

I sympathise with you, but that is business. Their business, their choice. You have the choice (i hope!) to go elsewhere, and if you do, you should inform them why you have done it.

Market forces usually prevail.

Agree. Recently I had some furniture made by a person who works from home, only contact a PO Box and a mobile phone number. He gave me the quote and the terms were 50% on acceptance of the quote and the balance on delivery. How could I be sure I wouldn't put the money in his bank a/c and then never see him again?

He explained that he had been caught many times by people ordering furniture, he bought the materials, did the work, and then they just said "oh sorry, I've changed my mind". So 50% upfront meant at least he wasn't out of pocket.

Julia · 14 July 2012

burglar said:
I bought ten dollar jeans from Kmart
Took them to a tailor to hem.
$21 ?

No thanks!
I roll them up and look like almost everyone else (Almost)!

There's not necessarily a value connect between your $10 jeans and the tailor's time.
$21 sounds extremely reasonable to hem them to me. Presumably he's paying rent and other overheads as well as trying to generate a living for himself.
And I can't imagine your rolled up jeans look remotely like a tailored hemming.

burglar · 14 July 2012

Julia said:
There's not necessarily a value connect between your $10 jeans and the tailor's time.
$21 sounds extremely reasonable to hem them to me. Presumably he's paying rent and other overheads as well as trying to generate a living for himself.
And I can't imagine your rolled up jeans look remotely like a tailored hemming.

Julia

: Lighten up

Julia · 14 July 2012

burglar said:
Julia

: Lighten up

Maybe just try being realistic about a business's time and expertise.

burglar · 14 July 2012

Julia said:
Maybe just try being realistic about a business's time and expertise.

My father was a tailor!!

burglar · 15 July 2012

burglar said:
My father was a tailor!!

My father made me a beautiful suit in navy blue pinstripe.
Two pairs of trousers (one with braces, the other with belt loops)
A waist coat and a single breasted, three button jacket.

It was for the wedding of my youngest brother.

Many years have passed and the suit hangs idle in my cupboard!
Having piled on the kilos of late, it no longer fits.

So yes, I am jealous of anyone who fits in his suit.
And no, Dry Cleaners do not annoy me anymore!

Now its my turn to lighten up! :

numbercruncher · 15 July 2012

Moral of the story is dont buy $10 Chinese JeAns

burglar · 15 July 2012

numbercruncher said:
Moral of the story is dont buy $10 Chinese JeAns

I am happy with the jeans.
When they get dirty I will machine wash them.

When I become unhappy with them, I will throw them away!

Eager · 15 July 2012

numbercruncher said:
Moral of the story is dont buy $10 Chinese JeAns

$10 Chinese jeans + $21 to hem them locally = $31 for perfect fitting jeans.

What's the problem?

tinhat · 15 July 2012

burglar said:
My father made me a beautiful suit in navy blue pinstripe.
Two pairs of trousers (one with braces, the other with belt loops)
A waist coat and a single breasted, three button jacket.

It was for the wedding of my youngest brother.

Many years have passed and the suit hangs idle in my cupboard!
Having piled on the kilos of late, it no longer fits.

So yes, I am jealous of anyone who fits in his suit.
And no, Dry Cleaners do not annoy me anymore!

Now its my turn to lighten up! :

I had a dinner suit and a lounge suit tailored for me twenty years ago. Both are beautiful suits but it has been many years since I fitted into them.

Gringotts Bank · 15 July 2012

I'd prefer to spend $250 for a pair of jeans and wear them to death. They look great, fit well and won't go out of fashion ... not for a while anyway. $12 to hem them.

When you buy a cheap pair, there's no enjoyment, and they fall apart, so you're back buying another pair, and another... In no time at all, you're up to $250.

bellenuit · 15 July 2012

Julia said:
There's not necessarily a value connect between your $10 jeans and the tailor's time.
$21 sounds extremely reasonable to hem them to me. Presumably he's paying rent and other overheads as well as trying to generate a living for himself.
And I can't imagine your rolled up jeans look remotely like a tailored hemming.

I agree. The $21 seems reasonable and it probably is no different in costs or time to the tailor if the jeans cost $10 or $100.

However, one thing I have noticed that last time I went jeans/trousers shopping is that the store now only carries long sized legs. They used have L, M and S leg sizes for each waist size. They obviously make savings in not having to carry as much inventory, but they are shifting costs to the customer if the customer then has to spend money to have the jeans hemmed. I'm 185 cms tall and still found the only leg size offered too long for me.

young-gun · 15 July 2012

bellenuit said:
I agree. The $21 seems reasonable and it probably is no different in costs or time to the tailor if the jeans cost $10 or $100.

However, one thing I have noticed that last time I went jeans/trousers shopping is that the store now only carries long sized legs. They used have L, M and S leg sizes for each waist size. They obviously make savings in not having to carry as much inventory, but they are shifting costs to the customer if the customer then has to spend money to have the jeans hemmed. I'm 185 cms tall and still found the only leg size offered too long for me.

I'm 175 tall and have had to take up every pair of jeans I've ever bought. The price of being short, thanks mum.

Calliope · 15 July 2012

burglar said:
My father was a tailor!!

Why don't you get a sewing machine? You can get a basic level one for under 100 bucks, and it's an enjoyable and productive pastime.

Would this type of pricing p*ss you off?

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