Community Chat

[TW]

I wonder how many people check their sales tax on purchases online and shopping channels.  ShopHQ is notorious for applying the wrong sales tax and refuse to correct it.  They charge twice the tax we should pay and even after contacting them they refused to correct it.  If you order high Dollar items that can make a huge difference.  Needless to say I refuse to order anything from vendors that are not capable of applying the correct tax. 

[Kachina624]

@TW    Why, oh why do people still do business with ShopHQ?  They're famous for pulling all sorts of unethical, under-handed tricks.  Sales tax is minor compared to some things they've done.  

Run, don't walk, away. 

[ALRATIBA]

ETA: I've never watched ShopHQ.  I don't think that's on my cable system.

----------------------------------------------------

Elsewhere online ...

I always glance at the tax line when checking out.

In NYC - we don't pay sales tax on clothing or food.  I verify that no tax is added. 

And there's never been a time I was charged tax or the wrong amount when it was a taxable item.

[hckynutjohn]

@TW 

This goes back into the 1990's with this network. My wife was buying lots of items, and I also bought s Total Gym. When I saw the Sales Tax on my TG? I said, wait a minute now.

We did not live in the city, yet they had been charging all my wife's purchases over several years, with an extra 1% City Sales Tax. I had to contact several different departments over several weeks.

Then I had to ger a letter from our City Assessor to prove we did not live in the City. I then had to send it to QVC. Then I had to contact the City Treasurer to send a letter giving our correct sales tax amount.

This took months and many of my hours to rectify. They finally settled up with, I believe, over $300 of overcharged sales taxes. Had I not bought that Total Gym? I doubt I would have ever noticed it.

hckynut 🥅🏒

[Annabellethecat66]

Where I live a lot of people don't even realize that there are two towns withing a large county.

The two smaller towns charge EXTRA taxes.  

So when my friend and I eat on (sometimes) one side of the road it's a few cents less than when we eat directly across the road. 

These two 'towns' have their own police force (I think there are maybe 5 or 7 cops) but they use the larger county's courts, etc.

I've lived in the large part for about 40 some years and I STILL don't know where one town ends and starts.

[gertrudecloset]

---

@ALRATIBA wrote:

ETA: I've never watched ShopHQ.  I don't think that's on my cable system.

----------------------------------------------------

Elsewhere online ...

I always glance at the tax line when checking out.

In NYC - we don't pay sales tax on clothing or food.  I verify that no tax is added. 

And there's never been a time I was charged tax or the wrong amount when it was a taxable item.

---

That's not exactly true @ALRATIBA .  If you lived in New York, you'd know that New Yorkers don't pay sales tax on clothing items of $110 or less.  Anything above that will have sales tax added.  This does not include accesorries either.  It does apply to shoes (thank goodness).  So if it's 109.99 you pay no tax.

Prepared Food is taxed in NY too.  

[Twins Mom]

Our area has many brick and mortar stores that do large on line business.  Our city has lost considerable amount of revenue from on line sales.  I am the first to admit I like bargains but purchasing on line is not my way of doing, for the most part.  Our cities provide the streets that these delivery trucks pound  - we have more than 5 trucks a day outside of holiday times.  The B&M stores are there for returns, exchanges, advice prior to sale,  etc.  I just feel like on line shoppers should be paying their local rate.  

[Carmie]

I always check.  Pennsylvania does not  charge sales tax on most clothing items.  QVC charged me sales tax on a pair of sketchers shoes that had some of that fuzzy slippers fabric on the inside.  When I complained they said it was faux fur.

PA does have sales tax on real and faux fur, but fuzzy slipper stuff is not faux anything.  No animal has fur like that and I bought the shoes elsewhere before and didn't pay the tax.  I fought with QVC and they would not refund my tax.

I received an official letter saying they already sent the money into the state and couldn't return it. That left a bad taste in my mouth and I don't buy much from QVC anymore. Their business practices are toxic.

I had to have the state of PA return it...which they did.

Recently Christopher and Banks charged me sales tax on tee ahirts.  I called them and they refunded my money.

I try to see if tax was added before I complete the transaction on line, but often it isn't listed until the transaction is completed.

I have backed out of purchases with QVC a few times because they added sales tax incorrectly.  I am not willing to go through the hassle again to get my money returned.

[ValuSkr]

Sales tax is so complicated and the rate in some places is a combination of state, county, and local taxes.  And shipping & handling is taxed in some jurisdictions but not others.  And some items, like clothing and food, are taxed in some jurisdictions but not others.

Big companies like Q ought to be able to handle it.  But I can see how errors & disagreements happen.  It would be nice if there was a dedicated customer service rep to handle such questions.

[TW]

I see that is an issue for many.  Many companies get it right.  Never had an issue with Amazon, QVC also changed it correctly.  So why do some get it so wrong?  I don't think anybody has money to throw away and we pay way too much in tax as it is.  Another pet pieve I have is shipping.  Why do I have to pay shipping cost on each item?  If you order several items there should be one shipping charge.  Especially if you order the same item, maybe different colors.