Posted on 07/13/2012 5:27:23 PM PDT by Hojczyk
But suddenly, Amazon has stopped fighting the sales-tax war. Last fall it dropped its repeal campaign in California and instead signed a deal with lawmakers to begin collecting sales taxes later this year. That was followed by several more tax deals—over the course of the next couple years, Amazon will begin collecting sales tax from residents of Nevada, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, and on July 1, it began collecting taxes from Texans. It also currently collects taxes from residents of Kansas, Kentucky, New York, North Dakota, and its home state of Washington. After all the tax deals go into effect, the company will be collecting taxes from the majority of its American customers.
It’s hard to overstate how thoroughly this move will shake up the retail industry. Same-day delivery has long been the holy grail of Internet retailers, something that dozens of startups have tried and failed to accomplish. (Remember Kozmo.com?) But Amazon is investing billions to make next-day delivery standard, and same-day delivery an option for lots of customers. If it can pull that off, the company will permanently alter how we shop. To put it more bluntly: Physical retailers will be hosed.
If Amazon can send me stuff overnight for free without a distribution center nearby, it’s not hard to guess what it can do once it has lots of warehouses within driving distance of my house. Instead of surprising me by getting something to me the next day, I suspect that, over the next few years, next-day service will become its default shipping method on most of its items. Meanwhile it will offer same-day service as a cheap upgrade. For $5 extra, you can have that laptop waiting for you when you get home from work. Wouldn’t you take that deal?
(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...
Of course not....you must provide ID, so there's obviously a Poll Tax hidden in the mix - someplace......
God, how I’ve come to hate the state of California.
sure, they'll get it to you right away, but you'll pay for it in support inconvenience later.
The liberal's war in favor of oppression is generational.
Conservatives just move on to the next thing, whether they get their way on a particular issue or not.
Liberals just march on. If they suffer a small or even large defeat, they just relax for awhile, then bring it up again - and usually win it the umpteenth time around.
It is impossible for conservatives to win against a generational mindset and agenda.
I’m disappointed Amazon caved as I’ve shopped with them for over a decade, but I’ll take waiting 3-5 days over China Mart any day. I don’t worry about getting mugged or shot when I order through Amazon and I don’t have to see the “People of Wal*Mart.”
I’d rather have the tax break and get it in a week. I’m not in that much of a hurry.
Of course, Amazon is not really marketing to me because I can do without most stuff for a long, long time if I get it at all. Most likely I can pick it up at a garage sale in a few years ... whatever it is.
Amazon (and retailers) better pray more people don’t turn out like me ... just not that interested in all the cheap STUFF on offer.
Can Amazon really offer same (or even next day) delivery for free in all fifty-seven states and still price items below that of other internet retailers?
The only time I have been in a hurry for something to get to me is usually when it is a gift for someone else. Otherwise, if the price is right (read: far below MSRP and preferably without sales tax) and the shipping nominal or free, I don’t care if they send it by snail mail using actual snails.
If Amazon raises their prices to fund this delivery service, and then adds sales tax on top...they might be sorry. There are still many other options online.
Nothing personal, but it may take me several days, if ever, to understand the point of that puerile assertion.
Very Obama of you (I think.)
I have gotten to where I despise brick and mortar shopping locations. People drive like maniacs on a drag strip through parking lots, and others are unacceptably rude in the store, blocking whole aisles, etc. My son works for our favorite retailer (/s), and every night has to dodge the Mexican families with their hordes of kids running through the store like it is a playground.
I would rather come home, sit in front of my computer, and browse at my convenience, no stress.
“My son works for our favorite retailer (/s), and every night has to dodge the Mexican families with their hordes of kids running through the store like it is a playground.”
Oh, I hear you!!!
By "brick and mortar", I assume you mean a street address store as opposed to an Internet address store. Most street address stores aren't even made of "brick and mortar".
I agree! I hate driving to several stores looking for what I need, only to find they're out or they don't carry it. Couldn't find the different types of screws and tools I needed for a fence project (Kreg and other stuff), went online a couple days ago to order (cheaper than store prices), and received it today. I'm buying online more than I am by driving to stores, as you say no stress.
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