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Don’t be fooled by allowing a link here or a link there. Stores are currently benefiting most from people not seeing the fee structure, and they’ve probably fi

Don’t be fooled by allowing a link here or a link there. Stores are currently benefiting most from people not seeing the fee structure, and they’ve probably figured out that most people won’t really follow links either. What would work is being forced to actually show things to users, directly in their face, at the time of purchase. As long as a user has to follow a link first, there’s still a pretty good chance they just won’t bother. Just imagine how app store sales would change if the stores were required to tell users what is actually going on (as you would see at any cash register or online web site shopping checkout page, by the way): Your New App — $6.99 Apple Store Fee — $2.20 Taxes — $0.80 ----------------------- Total — $9.99 Wouldn’t seeing the above change how you view any number of app purchases, especially for recurring purchases? What if, when playing games (which Apple makes, by far, the most money from), you saw the same breakdown, every time you did a consumable in-app purchase: MyGame Gem Bag — $6.99 Apple Store Fee — $2.20 Taxes — $0.80 ----------------------- Total — $9.99 Wouldn’t this completely change the average person’s view into the store’s cut? Until THIS is what purchasers actually see, any other “concessions” allowing “links” mean nothing.

notafraudster 5y ago
I prefer the exact opposite. Moving from North America to Europe was great, because no longer do I get a nonsense bill with all sorts of weirdo charges I don't care about stacked on top of the advertised price. Rather, I pay the price that is advertised. I absolutely, positively, do not care about the varying cost components of my purchase. I just want to know what I have to pay. The vendors and tax man can work it out amongst themselves. Like, do you think that the practice of airlines advertising $49 flights if not for the $20 9/11 fee, and $40 oil and gas fee, and $20 airport improvement fee, and $30 per page, and... for a total of $327.84 round trip is actually beneficial to the consumer because it provides some kind of perceived transparency that we're supposed to be mad at some nebulous other if we're unhappy with prices?
- fabianhjr 5y ago
  Here in Mexico prices are also paid as advertised but receipts include a breakdown so it is a false dilemma.
- commoner 5y ago
  In the US, airline tickets must be advertised with the total price (including taxes, fees, and surcharges) as the most prominent amount. The seller is also allowed to include the price breakdown at their discretion, and almost all travel sites do. https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/buying-ticket https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer... The breakdown is important because it lets consumers consider the impact of tax legislation passed by the government officials they vote for. If you don't care about the breakdown, you don't have to read it. This kind of price transparency would be a consumer-friendly improvement to the app store checkout process. Not only because it lets users see where their money goes, but also because it lets users discern that they could be getting the same product or service elsewhere at a lower price (or be able to support the developer with a greater portion of their purchase amount). Forbidding this disclosure is consumer-hostile because it prevents users from understanding this.

notafraudster 5y ago

I prefer the exact opposite. Moving from North America to Europe was great, because no longer do I get a nonsense bill with all sorts of weirdo charges I don't care about stacked on top of the advertised price. Rather, I pay the price that is advertised. I absolutely, positively, do not care about the varying cost components of my purchase. I just want to know what I have to pay. The vendors and tax man can work it out amongst themselves. Like, do you think that the practice of airlines advertising $49 flights if not for the $20 9/11 fee, and $40 oil and gas fee, and $20 airport improvement fee, and $30 per page, and... for a total of $327.84 round trip is actually beneficial to the consumer because it provides some kind of perceived transparency that we're supposed to be mad at some nebulous other if we're unhappy with prices?

fabianhjr 5y ago
Here in Mexico prices are also paid as advertised but receipts include a breakdown so it is a false dilemma.
commoner 5y ago
In the US, airline tickets must be advertised with the total price (including taxes, fees, and surcharges) as the most prominent amount. The seller is also allowed to include the price breakdown at their discretion, and almost all travel sites do. https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/buying-ticket https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer... The breakdown is important because it lets consumers consider the impact of tax legislation passed by the government officials they vote for. If you don't care about the breakdown, you don't have to read it. This kind of price transparency would be a consumer-friendly improvement to the app store checkout process. Not only because it lets users see where their money goes, but also because it lets users discern that they could be getting the same product or service elsewhere at a lower price (or be able to support the developer with a greater portion of their purchase amount). Forbidding this disclosure is consumer-hostile because it prevents users from understanding this.