DrTom wrote:http://money.ca.msn.com/savings-debt/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=21511360&page=9
I know the article is about saving money but why would you put used oil in your block?!
Sorry for offtopic.
It photographs closer to what people think oil looks like.
Sharpjd wrote:Do you mean charge more than you would like to pay?...in which case go elsewhere (I'm not being flippant, but it really is that simple).
That's exactly what I did. However, the places charging a reasonable price are fewer than the ones overcharging (I'm using 'overcharge' in the sense of an unjust price). Look at that link again: water, movie tickets, bank fees, coffee, oil changes are all overpriced. Everyone on here agrees with fourteen out of fifteen of those points. The only one that people on here disagree with is number 6: coffee. Of course people on here think coffee is reasonably priced because it's their industry. If I asked some bankers, they too would agree with fourteen out of fifteen of those points. If I asked some mechanics, they too would agree with fourteen out of fifteen. I'll let you guess which ones the bankers and mechanics won't think are overpriced (but I'll give you a hint, it sure won't be number 6).
Now take a look at that list again. All of those things--yes, all--are being priced in the marketplace on an ability-to-bear basis. Are you telling me that movie tickets are priced the way they are because the customer is all powerful? Are oil changes priced that way because the customer dictates it? Are bank fees priced that way because customers decide where to spend their money? Where can you go if everyone is doing it? Where?
I'd also like people to look at their own accounting fees. How many people on here go to an accountant from one of the Big 4? Every major city usually has one or two other local big firms, so include them as well. Which business owner on here doesn't try to look for an experienced bookkeeper offering their services from a modest office--or, better yet, try to do their own bookkeeping themselves? Most people choose a knowledgeable accountant and bookkeeper off of High Street or the Golden Mile because we recognize there is no inherent value in the extra fees you have to pay. Sure the lobby is nice. The service is great. You sit in a comfortable chair, the receptionist brings you a beverage: very posh. You go into the boardroom, sit in an executive chair, and listen to the professional tickle your ears. He hands you a very nice looking folder with your financial statements inside, the printing is so clear, the paper is thick. It's a great experience, is it not? The service is worth it, is it not? The presentation--that is, the beautiful quality of the printing and paper of the financial statements--is well worth it, is it not?
No, it most definitely is not. It's all a facade. It's based on appearance and image. Accounting fees, too, are priced on an ability-to-bear basis, and there is not one accountant in the world who won't try to justify their prices with rent, training, equipment, labor, and how it all adds value. But I know where their costs come from. So do the people on here. The people on here know it very well because I don't think anyone on here uses overpriced accountants. Funny how people can notice these things very clearly when it's in the expense section of the income statement, but not so clearly when it's in the revenue section.
Keep coffee affordable.