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Why does the American consumer allow these companies to get away with it? Extortion like this won't fly in any EU country.
by norin 7y ago
Why does the American consumer allow these companies to get away with it? Extortion like this won't fly in any EU country.
- radicalbyte 7y agoIn the USA they tend to have monopolies which have been exasperated by lack of action from the regulators.
- weberc2 7y agoThis is pretty much only true for cable companies. For the most part, we have lots and lots of competition, and things are generally more affordable here than in Europe (and salaries are quite a lot higher as well, even factoring in the social services that Europeans enjoy).
- NicoJuicy 7y agoNot agreeing with: even factoring in the social services that Europeans enjoy Nobody goes broke here when you get sick. And still, ISP for me is 43€/month, fixed, unlimited and stable.
- weberc2 7y agoYep, if you’re sick and poor, Europe is the better bargain for sure. I think it would be good for the US to have a stronger social safety net, but nevertheless, most things are more affordable in the US (my Internet is $60/month for fast speed as I live in one of the regions with ISP competition).
- NicoJuicy 7y agoLol, if sick and poor... We have much better benefits here :p I would never want to work in the bv US actually ( personal opinion)
- weberc2 7y ago“The bv US”? Europe has shorter hours and more vacation, but after factoring in everything else (healthcare, taxes, etc), my salary would be at least 40% lower in even the wealthiest European countries. And as mentioned elsewhere, the cost of living is higher in Europe. I can’t justify it, which is a shame, because I really like European culture and history and would like to live there for a few years.
- NicoJuicy 7y agoMost people do it the other way around here. Some years abroad and then come back.
- distances 7y agoI'm not so sure about the services part. These include healthcare without copay, education for your children (usually university included), and pension. For all citizens, not just the top earners in tech.
- weberc2 7y agoDisclaimer: I know this because I tried very hard to justify living in Europe for a few years. It is true for salaried professionals. Salaries are about 30-40% higher in the states. Taxes (which cover education up to uni), health insurance, and 401K account for roughly 30% of our gross salaries, leaving us with more left over than our European counterparts gross (we also work more hours, but not enough to make up the difference). Of course, if you look at non-professional employees, it’s probably better to be European.
- seanmcdirmid 7y agoMany things are cheaper in Europe, eating out especially (you don’t even have to tip!). It varies of course, the Netherlands, France, and Germany are much cheaper than Denmark and Switzerland. Salaries are lower, true, but prices are fairly competitive to the states.
- weberc2 7y agoEating out is considerably more expensive in Europe, even factoring in the tip. Meal prices might be slightly larger in some states, but you’re reliably getting almost twice the food. Personally I’d rather have European portions with the US price/kilo, but my wife and I usually split a meal anyway so it comes out about the same.
- seanmcdirmid 7y agoLast time I was in Paris, we ate fairly cheaply at the local kebab places that would have easily been twice as expensive in the states. Heck, they are cheaper than the states even in Lausanne. Ya, portions are a bit different, but meal prices still come under on average.
- weberc2 7y agoI lived in France and travel regularly. Maybe kebab is cheaper (not really a thing in the US like it is in France), but meals on average are slightly more expensive in Europe.
- seanmcdirmid 7y agoEven the cafes are cheaper, Paris, nice, Lyon, where do you eat such expensive food? Maybe Geneva or Lausanne, but that isn’t France. It’s like Tokyo, expensive place to live, but good food is cheap.
- weberc2 7y agoI lived in Rennes, but traveled all over. The food is more expensive all over France compared to the US. If you compare France prices with major US metropolis prices, then sure, the prices in the US are perhaps more expensive, but overall food (and almost everything else) is cheaper in the US. Take a look at the indices linked below—notice that food is pretty close, and notice also that the meal prices aren’t adjusted by serving size. Notice also the salaries. Notice also the rent prices (which appear astronomical in the US vs France until you realize that they don’t adjust for sq ft), then look at the adjusted sq ft prices. https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_countries_result.jsp?country1=France&country2=United+States https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_countries_resu...
- johndubchak 7y agoCompletely agree.
- tialaramex 7y agoUsage note: The monopolies were probably exacerbated, rather than exasperated, though /you/ might have been exasperated. To exacerbate a thing is to make something that was bad, worse. You will usually exacerbate the _aspect_ that is bad, but you might also exacerbate a whole thing (such as a monopoly or a house fire) if the whole thing is in fact bad. Whereas to exasperate is to irritate very intensely when action to sooth the irritation is frustrated. So if a young child is screaming and won't stop but you know hitting them is wrong, you may be exasperated.
- radicalbyte 7y agoThanks! I've not had much sleep the last few weeks thanks to my newborn son so am making these kinds of silly mistakes.
- AznHisoka 7y agoPeople are moving away from cable services at an accelerating pace, and switching to streaming services. so to an extent, the consumer is voting with their wallet.
- johndubchak 7y agoNot to challenge your assertion but I really am interested in any additional info you can point me to on this. Thanks.
- cableshaft 7y agoWell, in a lot of places, they still keep us as customers, it's just that we become cable internet customers instead of cable television customers. I wish there were better alternatives in the area, as I pay a lot more than I'd like to each month just for mostly reliable internet. I can't use satellite because I need it to be up even during storms, as I work from home.
- ghaff 7y agoI do know people who work from home who deal with just having satellite but it's not an ideal situation.
- Porthos9K 7y agoWe are are a land of slaves and a home of cowards. We have forgotten that obedience is a sin and only defiance can set you free.