4 ms·

Lots of comments along the lines that tarrifs were mostly passed down indirectly to consumers, who aren't entitled to refunds. I definitely agree on principle,

Lots of comments along the lines that tarrifs were mostly passed down indirectly to consumers, who aren't entitled to refunds. I definitely agree on principle, it sounds pretty tricky to see how proving "I paid $x more for groceries because of tarrifs" would work in practice. Does anyone know of policy suggestions for how that could work?

downrightmike 7mo ago
Most everything was probably bought with credit/debit cards. The individual records exist. Just using your Amazon etc order history should be dead simple
- 9dev 7mo ago
  you would need to prove what part of the amounts you paid were due to tariffs, and which were ordinary price changes. All vendors would need to publish that information, and be honest about it. Don't see it coming.
  - crazygringo 7mo ago
    The real thing is, price changes tend to be proportional to tariffs. If the tariff was $20, the consumer got charged $40 more. But not uniformly -- every price is different, there are other non-tariff price changes too, prices can increase before or after tariffs not exactly at the same time, etc. If companies want to try to refund customers and come up with their own formulas for that, that's great. But usually there isn't some objective right answer that can be imposed externally.
- benrutter 7mo ago
  I think the tricky bit is less proving you bought something, and more proving that the thing you bought cost more than it otherwise would. As I understand it (which isn't a lot), if you paid a tariff on an overseas order you're theoretically due it back, although that might require taking the government to court, which is gonna cost more than the settlement for most people.
ranyume 7mo ago
You put the money on an investment pool and pay the citizens back in: * Direct Cash (using some equation for impoverished households) * Infrastructure * Better life conditions No other uses for this money. The returns and the uses of this money must be public.
- testing22321 7mo ago
  Excuse me, this is the Inited States we’re talking about. You’re getting mighty close to socialism there citizen.
  - ranyume 7mo ago
    I'm more of an anarchist myself, so I think it's a fair situational compromise!

downrightmike 7mo ago

Most everything was probably bought with credit/debit cards. The individual records exist. Just using your Amazon etc order history should be dead simple

9dev 7mo ago
you would need to prove what part of the amounts you paid were due to tariffs, and which were ordinary price changes. All vendors would need to publish that information, and be honest about it. Don't see it coming.
- crazygringo 7mo ago
  The real thing is, price changes tend to be proportional to tariffs. If the tariff was $20, the consumer got charged $40 more. But not uniformly -- every price is different, there are other non-tariff price changes too, prices can increase before or after tariffs not exactly at the same time, etc. If companies want to try to refund customers and come up with their own formulas for that, that's great. But usually there isn't some objective right answer that can be imposed externally.
benrutter 7mo ago
I think the tricky bit is less proving you bought something, and more proving that the thing you bought cost more than it otherwise would. As I understand it (which isn't a lot), if you paid a tariff on an overseas order you're theoretically due it back, although that might require taking the government to court, which is gonna cost more than the settlement for most people.

ranyume 7mo ago

You put the money on an investment pool and pay the citizens back in: * Direct Cash (using some equation for impoverished households) * Infrastructure * Better life conditions No other uses for this money. The returns and the uses of this money must be public.

testing22321 7mo ago
Excuse me, this is the Inited States we’re talking about. You’re getting mighty close to socialism there citizen.
- ranyume 7mo ago
  I'm more of an anarchist myself, so I think it's a fair situational compromise!