Wow. Sony will try anything to rip you off

Superman · 09-01-2007, 11:11 AM

With the news that GamePro reported on, that SonyStyle has more PS3s in stick for this promotion, I decided I might just go ahead and get one. When I went to their site, it still says it's out of stock. What's more, they want to charge sales tax. That doesn't make sense, because there are no Sony stores in Maryland, as far as I can see. Their site doesn;t show one, and a quick Google search didn't turn one up either.

So I called SonyStyle to find out about this sales tax thing, and why the reports are they have PS3s in stock and the site says they don't. I mean, at $350 with the credit card, I'm trying to convince myself to take the bait and buy one just to be format neutral. $350 and 5 free movies, even if I dont care for a lot of them isn't a terrible deal, Sony-hating aside.

So I call and ask first about the stock. Do they have them or not? The guy was nice and friendly. He said that what they were told yesterday was that no, they do not have any in stock. So GamePro lied. He did say though that they expect to get some in the middle of September, but not many, since it is a discontinued product and they are taking orders. It's a first come, first serve basis. No guarantee you'll actually get one. Fair enough.

So then I asked him why I was being charged sales tax when there is no store in Maryland. This is where he starts stuttering. He said "Well, uh... It's company policy to charge sales tax." I explained that when you order on line and there is no store in your state, sales tax doesn't apply. I used my MacBook Pro as an example of how a sales tax would apply because Apple has stores in Maryland. He fumbled some more and said "Uh... Well I donn't know the laws but we always charge sales tax." He then gave an example of a college student who ordered a Vaio. They lived in New York but went to school in Wisconsin so they were charged Wisconson sales tax. I said "That isn't my point. When a company has no presence in a state and they sell something online, there is no sales tax. Have you ever been charged sales tax when you order from Amazon.com?" His reply: "Uh... No... But they are another company, I dont know their policy..." Me: "Yes, but that is my point. You shouldn't be charging sales tax if the customer is out of state. It isn't about company policy. It's the current laws for online purchases. Sony doesn't need to charge a Maryland sales tax if they have no stores there." Him: "Uh... Im sorry I dont know why." I said thank you and hung up.

I decided to call back and ask someone with more brains. This guy was a dick and didn't even want to talk to me. Pretty unprofessional, as he was laughing as he answered the phone. I asked about the sales tax again. he says "It's the law to charge sales tax." I said "Yeah, as long as you have a store in the state you are selling the item to. There are no Sony stores in Maryland." Him: "Well, it is company policy to charge sales tax." I said "I understand if you have a store here, and I'll gladly pay the tax, but I would like to be able to pick it up from a store to save on shipping. But there are no stores in Maryland, so why are you charging the sales tax?" He cuts me off and with a sarcastic tone he says "Because that's the law. We charge everyone sales tax." Me: "It's the law if your store has a presence in the state. The closest Sony store is in Virginia. But I live in Maryland. Other online stores don't charge sales tax if the customer is out of state. So why am I being charged sales tax?" Him in a sarcastic tone: "Sony is a huge company. We are everywhere." Me: "Not according to your website. If there is a Sony store in Maryland I'm not aware of, I will gladly pay the sales tax, but tell me where it is so I can pick it up and save on the shipping." Him: "I don't know. Our policy is to charge sales tax. There is nothing we can do about that." Me: "Thank you." Him: *CLICK*

So it seems to me that Sony has a policy in place that they charge you sales tax whether they need to or not. And what do they do with the money? Keep it, no doubt. No company is going to pay the government one red penny they don't have to. I find it hard to believe Sony would pay money to Maryland for something Maryland isn't owed. Unless they think it will help BD win the format war.

Sony is an utter douchebag company with dickheads for employees and extortion like policies. I feel ashamed I even considered buying one of their products.

LordGamer · 09-01-2007, 12:32 PM

Are you even serious?

You post that garbage here? You should be ashamed.

Superman · 09-01-2007, 12:33 PM

Yeah Im serious. Why is it garbage? Why should I pay an extra $25 for a tax that I shouldn't be charged for?

If this was MS or Toshiba, you guys would be all over it.

LordGamer · 09-01-2007, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superman

Yeah Im serious. Why is it garbage? Why should I pay an extra $25 for a tax that I shouldn't be charged for?

If this was MS or Toshiba, you guys would be all over it.

Who is "you guys?" The three BR folk here?

You come in to the Blu-Ray Player section. With an a title, "Wow. Sony will try anything to rip you off." Don't even talk about anything directly related to a BR player, instead talk about how your personal experience with some customer service rep amounts to Sony ripping people off.

And you wonder why that's not garbage?

unotis · 09-01-2007, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superman

Yeah Im serious. Why is it garbage? Why should I pay an extra $25 for a tax that I shouldn't be charged for?

If this was MS or Toshiba, you guys would be all over it.

I know your serious but as with all situations like this because it happened to you escalates to being more upsetting and important.

And I respect that, LordGamer is in a protect and attack any negative postings mode in regards to Sony and or Blu-Ray right now, which is very understandable given how badly the news has been going against Blu-Ray in the last week or so.

So in retrospect maybe your post was a little bit strong (I have no opinion on the thread placement although LordGamer doesn't seem to like it) but still is a valued input and something to put into our collective knowledge banks for future reference, although it could be just poorly trained phone personel that don't know anything and take the easiest route around a problem.

And LordGamer, there is no need to play the martyr card so agressively, you know there are several more Blu-Ray supporters then 3 on this forum.

Everyone needs to settle down, both sides, debate and discuss and don't take it so personally.

Superman · 09-01-2007, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LordGamer

Who is "you guys?" The three BR folk here?

You come in to the Blu-Ray Player section. With an a title, "Wow. Sony will try anything to rip you off." Don't even talk about anything directly related to a BR player, instead talk about how your personal experience with some customer service rep amounts to Sony ripping people off.

And you wonder why that's not garbage?

I posted it in here because the PS3 is a BD player, and Sony is a BD-exclusive company. And I called them with the intent of buying one.

Quote:

I mean, at $350 with the credit card, I'm trying to convince myself to take the bait and buy one just to be format neutral. $350 and 5 free movies, even if I dont care for a lot of them isn't a terrible deal, Sony-hating aside.

How is this not related? Unless you dont think the PS3 is a BD player...

Please explain how Sony charging a sales tax they aren't supposed to charge is not a rip off. I cant WAIT to hear this defense.

LordGamer · 09-01-2007, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unotis

I know your serious but as with all situations like this because it happened to you escalates to being more upsetting and important.

And I respect that, LordGamer is in a protect and attack any negative postings mode in regards to Sony and or Blu-Ray right now, which is very understandable given how badly the news has been going against Blu-Ray in the last week or so.

So in retrospect maybe your post was a little bit strong but still is a valued input and something to put into our collective knowledge banks for future reference.

Drop the backhanded "peace" filth. "...how badly the news has been going against Blu-Ray..." Give me a break.

This isn't about "protecting" BR, it's about Superman's lack of any specific discussion about a BR player. It's about him basing a belief that SONY as a WHOLE is ripping people off based on some conversation he had with a customer service rep AND posting it here as if it belongs.

Superman · 09-01-2007, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LordGamer

Drop the backhanded "peace" filth. "...how badly the news has been going against Blu-Ray..." Give me a break.

This isn't about "protecting" BR, it's about Superman's lack of any specific discussion about a BR player. It's about him basing a belief that SONY as a WHOLE is ripping people off based on some conversation he had with a customer service rep AND posting it here as if it belongs.

This IS specifically about a BD player. The PS3. The whole reason for my going to their site and calling them was to buy one. You are ignoring facts in favor of rabid fanboy logic.

Sony's website charges the sales tax. 2 different customer service reps said they have to charge sales tax, as it is company policy. How does this not represent Sony as a whole?

It is the company here and their policy that I have the main beef with. Dont try to water this down as some meaningless little conversation I had with some guy on the phone. The fact is, Sony will charge you a sales tax whether you should pay it or not. That is apparently their policy. Now explain to me how that is not a rip off.

unotis · 09-01-2007, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LordGamer

[font="Book Antiqua"]Drop the backhanded "peace" filth. "...how badly the news has been going against Blu-Ray..." Give me a break.

Wow, I don't know what has put a bug up your rear end but, if you're having some personal problem that limits your ability to get along with people with opposing views, perhaps you shoud talk to a professional and not continue to air your dirty laundry on a public forum.

Ot at least take a break from this forum until you can conduct yourself without so much pent up frustration (you're obviously not enjoying the format war debate and it's opposing views).

Stew4HD · 09-01-2007, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unotis

Wow, I don't know what has put a bug up your rear end but, if you're having some personal problem that limits your ability to get along with people with opposing views, perhaps you shoud talk to a professional and not continue to air your dirty laundry on a public forum.

Ot at least take a break from this forum until you can conduct yourself without so much pent up frustration (you're obviously not enjoying the format war debate and it's opposing views).

I was wondering the same thing, LG was good to debate with in the past but today, he just went off on the attack. I guess we shouldnt' contually point out BD's faults. I am trying to not be like that, even after all the months of hearing how HD DVD shouldn't even exist... the other rants... etc.

People on forums shouldn't be so thin skinned.

unotis · 09-01-2007, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stew4HD

I was wondering the same thing, LG was good to debate with in the past but today, he just went off on the attack. I guess we shouldnt' contually point out BD's faults. I am trying to not be like that, even after all the months of hearing how HD DVD shouldn't even exist... the other rants... etc.

People on forums shouldn't be so thin skinned.

Perhaps he should go to www.bluray.com where as the song says "Where seldom is heard a discouraging word and the sky is not cloudy all day".

Heck, there if all the Blu-Ray players everywhere caught fire at the same time and burned everyone's house down, they would just pass out marshmellows and roast them over the coals and proclaim it to be an added benefit!

Superman · 09-01-2007, 03:29 PM

mtnrunner · 09-01-2007, 03:31 PM

Shouldn't be too hard to find an online vendor who has it in stock and doesn't charge sales tax, unless it is discontinued but I agree, blindly charging sales tax where not appropriate is wrong and could be an expensive trend for us eletronaholics.

Superman · 09-01-2007, 03:55 PM

Yeah, but the $150 off only applies to purchases at SonyStyle. It's not like I can get this deal at Amazon...

Meh... Im not that worried about not gettting one. I got some extra money I felt like wasting, and the deal seemed pretty good. But I'm going to lose $40 of the $150 discount just in shipping and taxes. And the 5 BDs that let you choose from arent all that appealing to me. So Sony lost an impulse buy because they rip you off on the sales tax. I find it a little hard to believe Sony is collecting sales tax when they don't have to and then handing the money over to the government just because they're so generous like that.

fmw · 09-01-2007, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superman

Sony is an utter douchebag company with dickheads for employees and extortion like policies. I feel ashamed I even considered buying one of their products.

Now there's a well thought out and mature statement. For your information if a company has a single employee in a state, then that company must collect sales tax for products shipped to that state. If Sony has a company sales rep or a distribution center or a support office or anything at all, then it must collect sales taxes for products delivered in that state. That's how it works.

I have no idea what facilities or employees Sony may have in Maryland but I'm willing to bet there is something somewhere. Otherwise, they wouldn't go through the expense of collecting sales tax.

09-01-2007, 11:11 AM	#1
Superman HD makes my pants tight Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Baltimore, MD Age: 35 Posts: 2,601	Wow. Sony will try anything to rip you off With the news that GamePro reported on, that SonyStyle has more PS3s in stick for this promotion, I decided I might just go ahead and get one. When I went to their site, it still says it's out of stock. What's more, they want to charge sales tax. That doesn't make sense, because there are no Sony stores in Maryland, as far as I can see. Their site doesn;t show one, and a quick Google search didn't turn one up either. So I called SonyStyle to find out about this sales tax thing, and why the reports are they have PS3s in stock and the site says they don't. I mean, at $350 with the credit card, I'm trying to convince myself to take the bait and buy one just to be format neutral. $350 and 5 free movies, even if I dont care for a lot of them isn't a terrible deal, Sony-hating aside. So I call and ask first about the stock. Do they have them or not? The guy was nice and friendly. He said that what they were told yesterday was that no, they do not have any in stock. So GamePro lied. He did say though that they expect to get some in the middle of September, but not many, since it is a discontinued product and they are taking orders. It's a first come, first serve basis. No guarantee you'll actually get one. Fair enough. So then I asked him why I was being charged sales tax when there is no store in Maryland. This is where he starts stuttering. He said "Well, uh... It's company policy to charge sales tax." I explained that when you order on line and there is no store in your state, sales tax doesn't apply. I used my MacBook Pro as an example of how a sales tax would apply because Apple has stores in Maryland. He fumbled some more and said "Uh... Well I donn't know the laws but we always charge sales tax." He then gave an example of a college student who ordered a Vaio. They lived in New York but went to school in Wisconsin so they were charged Wisconson sales tax. I said "That isn't my point. When a company has no presence in a state and they sell something online, there is no sales tax. Have you ever been charged sales tax when you order from Amazon.com?" His reply: "Uh... No... But they are another company, I dont know their policy..." Me: "Yes, but that is my point. You shouldn't be charging sales tax if the customer is out of state. It isn't about company policy. It's the current laws for online purchases. Sony doesn't need to charge a Maryland sales tax if they have no stores there." Him: "Uh... Im sorry I dont know why." I said thank you and hung up. I decided to call back and ask someone with more brains. This guy was a dick and didn't even want to talk to me. Pretty unprofessional, as he was laughing as he answered the phone. I asked about the sales tax again. he says "It's the law to charge sales tax." I said "Yeah, as long as you have a store in the state you are selling the item to. There are no Sony stores in Maryland." Him: "Well, it is company policy to charge sales tax." I said "I understand if you have a store here, and I'll gladly pay the tax, but I would like to be able to pick it up from a store to save on shipping. But there are no stores in Maryland, so why are you charging the sales tax?" He cuts me off and with a sarcastic tone he says "Because that's the law. We charge everyone sales tax." Me: "It's the law if your store has a presence in the state. The closest Sony store is in Virginia. But I live in Maryland. Other online stores don't charge sales tax if the customer is out of state. So why am I being charged sales tax?" Him in a sarcastic tone: "Sony is a huge company. We are everywhere." Me: "Not according to your website. If there is a Sony store in Maryland I'm not aware of, I will gladly pay the sales tax, but tell me where it is so I can pick it up and save on the shipping." Him: "I don't know. Our policy is to charge sales tax. There is nothing we can do about that." Me: "Thank you." Him: CLICK So it seems to me that Sony has a policy in place that they charge you sales tax whether they need to or not. And what do they do with the money? Keep it, no doubt. No company is going to pay the government one red penny they don't have to. I find it hard to believe Sony would pay money to Maryland for something Maryland isn't owed. Unless they think it will help BD win the format war. Sony is an utter douchebag company with dickheads for employees and extortion like policies. I feel ashamed I even considered buying one of their products. __________________ Samsung 56" 720p DLP HDTV Olevia 42" 1080p LCD HDTV Onkyo TX-SR674 Receiver Onkyo TX-SR606 Receiver Velodyne CHT Front Row 5 piece speakers Sony SS-SR305 for 7.1 surround sound BIC H-100 subwoofer RCA HDV5000 HD DVD Player Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD Player Samsung BD-UP5000 BD/HD DVD Player Xbox 360 Pro PS3 60 gig My own personal AV/HD forum Last edited by Superman; 09-01-2007 at 11:15 AM.

09-01-2007, 12:32 PM	#2
LordGamer Lord of Gaming Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 1,788	Are you even serious? You post that garbage here? You should be ashamed. __________________ LordGamer Profile - George Carlin, R.I.P. 06.22.08 HD Qualifications... -- Westinghouse 47" 1080p LCD (LVM-47w1) -- Scientific Atlanta HD Receiver & DVR (8300HD), Comcast -- Sony Playstation 3 -- Microsoft Xbox 360

09-01-2007, 12:33 PM	#3
Superman HD makes my pants tight Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Baltimore, MD Age: 35 Posts: 2,601	Yeah Im serious. Why is it garbage? Why should I pay an extra $25 for a tax that I shouldn't be charged for? If this was MS or Toshiba, you guys would be all over it. __________________ Samsung 56" 720p DLP HDTV Olevia 42" 1080p LCD HDTV Onkyo TX-SR674 Receiver Onkyo TX-SR606 Receiver Velodyne CHT Front Row 5 piece speakers Sony SS-SR305 for 7.1 surround sound BIC H-100 subwoofer RCA HDV5000 HD DVD Player Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD Player Samsung BD-UP5000 BD/HD DVD Player Xbox 360 Pro PS3 60 gig My own personal AV/HD forum Last edited by Superman; 09-01-2007 at 12:36 PM.

09-01-2007, 03:29 PM	#12
Superman HD makes my pants tight Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Baltimore, MD Age: 35 Posts: 2,601	__________________ Samsung 56" 720p DLP HDTV Olevia 42" 1080p LCD HDTV Onkyo TX-SR674 Receiver Onkyo TX-SR606 Receiver Velodyne CHT Front Row 5 piece speakers Sony SS-SR305 for 7.1 surround sound BIC H-100 subwoofer RCA HDV5000 HD DVD Player Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD Player Samsung BD-UP5000 BD/HD DVD Player Xbox 360 Pro PS3 60 gig My own personal AV/HD forum

09-01-2007, 03:55 PM	#14
Superman HD makes my pants tight Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Baltimore, MD Age: 35 Posts: 2,601	Yeah, but the $150 off only applies to purchases at SonyStyle. It's not like I can get this deal at Amazon... Meh... Im not that worried about not gettting one. I got some extra money I felt like wasting, and the deal seemed pretty good. But I'm going to lose $40 of the $150 discount just in shipping and taxes. And the 5 BDs that let you choose from arent all that appealing to me. So Sony lost an impulse buy because they rip you off on the sales tax. I find it a little hard to believe Sony is collecting sales tax when they don't have to and then handing the money over to the government just because they're so generous like that. __________________ Samsung 56" 720p DLP HDTV Olevia 42" 1080p LCD HDTV Onkyo TX-SR674 Receiver Onkyo TX-SR606 Receiver Velodyne CHT Front Row 5 piece speakers Sony SS-SR305 for 7.1 surround sound BIC H-100 subwoofer RCA HDV5000 HD DVD Player Toshiba HD-A3 HD DVD Player Samsung BD-UP5000 BD/HD DVD Player Xbox 360 Pro PS3 60 gig My own personal AV/HD forum Last edited by Superman; 09-01-2007 at 04:09 PM.

09-01-2007, 03:31 PM	#13
mtnrunner High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 41	Shouldn't be too hard to find an online vendor who has it in stock and doesn't charge sales tax, unless it is discontinued but I agree, blindly charging sales tax where not appropriate is wrong and could be an expensive trend for us eletronaholics.

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