Prime Day 2023

[Manabi]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Washington doesn't have an income tax, but we do have high sales taxes. For the larger cities in the Seattle Metro area, sales taxes range from 10.1~10.3%. Every now and then we have a sales tax holiday, but nothing scheduled this year.

Wanna swap taxes? That way, you'll save even more on a computer

No income tax in Tennessee either, so sure. I'd save between 0.85 & 1.05% regularly! We do have lower taxes on groceries, hopefully you do as well. That helps a lot.

[GlennD]

Originally Posted by Manabi

No income tax in Tennessee either, so sure. I'd save between 0.85 & 1.05% regularly! We do have lower taxes on groceries, hopefully you do as well. That helps a lot.

No sales tax on unprepared food in WA, so that helps a lot.

I always figure that sales tax (especially with that exception) is more progressive than people give it credit for. No need for tax preparers, so the wealthy don't get to just skip out on it. And under-the-table income (whether legal or illegal....) gets taxed when you use it. Seems more fair than income tax IMO.

(hopefully that doesn't dip into the political too much)

[Manabi]

Originally Posted by GlennD

No sales tax on unprepared food in WA, so that helps a lot.

I always figure that sales tax (especially with that exception) is more progressive than people give it credit for. No need for tax preparers, so the wealthy don't get to just skip out on it. And under-the-table income (whether legal or illegal....) gets taxed when you use it. Seems more fair than income tax IMO.

(hopefully that doesn't dip into the political too much)

You don't have to pay taxes on unprepared foods, so it doesn't seem as regressive to you. I'm disabled on a fixed income and have to pay 6.5% (5% base + local), which adds up and hurts. Also, sales tax punishes poor people for buying expensive, but necessary, stuff. Think about how much tax you get hit with buying a car, even a used one, and how that tax impacts someone making minimum wage ($7.25 in TN) vs. someone making $40,000 or more a year. It disproportionately impacts poorer people, which is what makes it regressive.

Poorer people don't need tax preparers, because their tax returns are simple. No self-employment income, no itemized deductions, no investment income, etc. While Turbotax/etc. make it hard to do, you can do simple returns like that for free online. (I've been doing my dad's and my own taxes with Turbotax's free version for years.) The IRS will be launching their own free filing system for simple returns soon as well, and they won't try to force you to pay/upgrade. Basically, if your returns are difficult enough to require someone to file your taxes, you probably make enough money to afford it.

Many countries have their tax bureau mail out a filled-out return that people sign and return. If they disagree with it, they can do their own, but they don't have to. It's a shame we don't do that in the US.

[issybird]

Let's end the sales tax discussion, please. It's find to say how much or to what it applies, but limit it to that. Thanks.

[GA Russell]

Monkey, thanks for all your efforts!

I saw a few things on Prime Day that I found attractive, but I just wasn't in the mood to spend money. So I didn't.

I have 923 things on my camels list, and none of them showed up on Prime Day!

[mlewis78]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Wow, that's awful. Would they be able to make it a signature-required delivery?

There isn't anything in the online ordering process that gives me that option.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

Monkey, thanks for all your efforts!

I saw a few things on Prime Day that I found attractive, but I just wasn't in the mood to spend money. So I didn't.

I have 923 things on my camels list, and none of them showed up on Prime Day!

I’m in the UK. I bought a Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, plus Lavender Case and Wireless Charger. I sold two ereaders on EBay to cover it so I spent just over £11. I had the Paperwhite on Camels list but they never spotted the £50 reduction. I paid £129.99 for it.

[skinmaan]

Did anyone claim the 7% cash back for slo-mo shipping on Prime day? If so did you get your credits yet?

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by skinmaan

Did anyone claim the 7% cash back for slo-mo shipping on Prime day? If so did you get your credits yet?

I didn't claim it, but it was forced on me anyway (see posts 97 and 115). I was expecting Amazon to change the 7% back to 6% after my original Prime shipping was reinstated. When I checked my rewards activity, they gave me 7% back.

[skinmaan]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I didn't claim it, but it was forced on me anyway (see posts 97 and 115). I was expecting Amazon to change the 7% back to 6% after my original Prime shipping was reinstated. When I checked my rewards activity, they gave me 7% back.

I found they only offered the 7% for slo-mo - even when I was paying with gift cards! Not sure how to complain about being ripped off.

[Manabi]

Originally Posted by skinmaan

I found they only offered the 7% for slo-mo - even when I was paying with gift cards! Not sure how to complain about being ripped off.

The process to complain about things like that is to type up your complaint, print it out and toss in the garbage can. It'll have the same effect as trying to complain to Amazon by any other method.

[skinmaan]

Originally Posted by Manabi

The process to complain about things like that is to type up your complaint, print it out and toss in the garbage can. It'll have the same effect as trying to complain to Amazon by any other method.

Yep!

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Manabi

The process to complain about things like that is to type up your complaint, print it out and toss in the garbage can. It'll have the same effect as trying to complain to Amazon by any other method.

No, no no! You toss it in the paper recycle bin.

[Apache]

Years ago, our city gave each residence a recycle bin and required us to recycle. Right before covid it came out that the city wasn't actually recycling they were just dumping it in the land fill with the other garbage. When covid started they notified residences that they would not be picking up the recycle bins. And, surprise surprise they still haven't start requiring recycling again.
Apache

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Apache

Years ago, our city gave each residence a recycle bin and required us to recycle. Right before covid it came out that the city wasn't actually recycling they were just dumping it in the land fill with the other garbage. When covid started they notified residences that they would not be picking up the recycle bins. And, surprise surprise they still haven't start requiring recycling again.
Apache

It's a nationwide problem. Only a few places send recycling someplace other than a landfill. Things got really bad when China stopped importing recycled material because of contamination. (Most places likely do sell aluminum cans to aluminum can recyclers.)