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Old 10-01-2012, 12:40 AM
 
Location: Michigan
29,391 posts, read 55,481,606 times
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BOSTON - Gov. Deval L. Patrick said this week that the state is hopeful of wrapping up negotiations to collect the sales tax from Internet retailing giant Amazon.com, putting the state in line for up to $45 million in additional annual revenues from the tax.

Amazon.com may soon be collecting sales tax in Massachusetts | masslive.com
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Old 10-01-2012, 07:07 AM
 
3,755 posts, read 4,784,426 times
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This is a growing trend and only a matter of time before they have to charge sales tax in every state. It only makes sense as it gives Amazon and added edge over other retailers that have to include the sales tax.
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Old 10-01-2012, 08:06 AM
 
Location: Norman, OK
3,478 posts, read 7,238,704 times
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I am fine with it, to be honest.
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Old 10-01-2012, 11:52 AM
 
Location: Needham, MA
8,537 posts, read 13,951,319 times
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I think Amazon is going to lose quite a bit of business if they have to start collecting sales tax. On some things their prices are a lot better than a local store, but on many items prices are regulated by the manufacturer. Not paying sales tax on say a $2K TV is incentive to order from Amazon. If I have to pay sales tax both places the pendulum swings the other way and I'm going to order locally.
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Old 10-01-2012, 08:45 PM
 
278 posts, read 701,636 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MikePRU View Post
I think Amazon is going to lose quite a bit of business if they have to start collecting sales tax. On some things their prices are a lot better than a local store, but on many items prices are regulated by the manufacturer. Not paying sales tax on say a $2K TV is incentive to order from Amazon. If I have to pay sales tax both places the pendulum swings the other way and I'm going to order locally.
Eh, maybe somewhat. The real benefit Amazon has is the massive variety of products they have. Even now, if I can find exactly what i'm looking for locally, i'll often just go out and buy it. But that is usually not the case, and I can just click order on amazon and have it at my door in a day or two.
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Old 10-01-2012, 09:43 PM
 
Location: Needham, MA
8,537 posts, read 13,951,319 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brent s View Post
Eh, maybe somewhat. The real benefit Amazon has is the massive variety of products they have. Even now, if I can find exactly what i'm looking for locally, i'll often just go out and buy it. But that is usually not the case, and I can just click order on amazon and have it at my door in a day or two.
True. Amazon does have an incredible variety of products. Maybe it's just because I live so close to the Natick/Framingham shopping area but almost anything I could buy on Amazon I could hop in my car and have in 15 minutes (rather than waiting a few days for shipping). A friend of mine lives downtown and he buys all manner of things from Amazon because he likes having the convenience of the item being delivered to his door so that he doesn't have to carry it home. Different people have different motivations. For a lot of the more common and easily available products though, the only angle Amazon competes with is low price. Adding in the sales tax levels the playing field. It's nice to be able to buy a case of toilet paper, a BBQ, and a camera all in one order but you could do the same thing at Wal-Mart.
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Old 10-02-2012, 05:35 AM
 
Location: Massachusetts
422 posts, read 1,470,850 times
Reputation: 299
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
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Old 10-02-2012, 12:44 PM
 
Location: Providence, RI
12,705 posts, read 21,859,361 times
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Even on big ticket items (like TVs), Amazon often offers refurbished goods with full warranties at much lower cost than the same item new. Not many retailers in MA do the same thing (Circuit City was good for that). You can still save a boatload of money that way. And given the lower overhead, the pricing is often better than a brick and mortar store anyway. Go to your local best buy, and look up the same product on Amazon. Odds are, it's cheaper on Amazon. For that reason I don't see it hurting them that much.

From the consumer end, I don't like it, but I understand it.
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Old 10-02-2012, 02:36 PM
 
Location: Needham, MA
8,537 posts, read 13,951,319 times
Reputation: 7919
Quote:
Originally Posted by lrfox View Post
Even on big ticket items (like TVs), Amazon often offers refurbished goods with full warranties at much lower cost than the same item new. Not many retailers in MA do the same thing (Circuit City was good for that). You can still save a boatload of money that way. And given the lower overhead, the pricing is often better than a brick and mortar store anyway. Go to your local best buy, and look up the same product on Amazon. Odds are, it's cheaper on Amazon. For that reason I don't see it hurting them that much.

From the consumer end, I don't like it, but I understand it.
So many products are price regulated by the manufacturer these days. I just bought a Samsung LED TV the other day and every place I looked the price was within $2 of every other place. A number of sales people told me Samsung regulates the price. Bose products forever have been price regulated.
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Old 10-03-2012, 07:22 AM
 
Location: Massachusetts
422 posts, read 1,470,850 times
Reputation: 299
with amazon prime i get my stuffs within a day or two delivered right to my doorstep as compared to going to the stores to pick them up and lug them back myself.
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