Market Feedback Reg: Hiding the price in the bill

[Panda]

I thought I was the only one who thought that hiding the price is unfair to the buyer but I guess I'm not the only one and here is another member who has posted the same opinion.

I really don't understand why people are hiding prices.

https://techenclave.com/threads/wd-blue-1-tb-desktop-hdd-sealed-pack.197713/post-2265642

I don't want to derail that thread as its not the only thread with price hidden, I'm making a thread here, in the Feedback Corner.

IMNSHO, sellers are hiding the prices so that buyers can't compare it with the current price in other places and calculate if they're getting a good deal or being ripped off depending on the price, remaining warranty and how old the product is.

IMO, mods should not allow hiding prices as its not a private information.

The poll [anonymous, so no worries] is just to collect the opinions of the members and mods have/reserve the right to decide what's best for the community.

PS: We all can have different opinions, so "please" keep your pitchforks down before commenting/voting. Thanks.

 

[SunnyBoi]

I voted yes. It should be in seller's control to mask price and other info as he seems fit. The purpose of having an invoice should be to verify the purchase date and any applicable warranty.

Why is the price paid earlier is relevant? The price at which its being sold now is relevant and thats all that matters.

Buyer need not know what the seller paid if he's getting a good deal or not. He needs to compare against prevailing market prices to do so.

 

[Panda]

Because the current market price does not reflect everything and is not the actual scale to measure against the product that's being sold.

 

[SunnyBoi]

Because the current market price does not reflect everything and is not the actual scale to measure against the product that's being sold.

It is - for this moment. When prices drop later on, used prices should also drop.

We need a somewhat free market with some control towards sellers too. If you put in too much rules or ideas which seem convenient to you, sellers will stop selling and probably take it elsewhere like olx etc. Whatever "deal" you see now will also disappear and you will be the loser.

 

[rdst_1]

Because the current market price does not reflect everything and is not the actual scale to measure against the product that's being sold.

You are quite wrong there. In fact, that is the only factor that is the most important when it comes to deciding the selling/buying price. How does the buying price matter.

 

[Panda]

It is - for this moment. When prices drop later on, used prices should also drop.

We need a somewhat free market with some control towards sellers too. If you put in too much rules or ideas which seem convenient to you, sellers will stop selling and probably take it elsewhere like olx etc. Whatever "deal" you see now will also disappear and you will be the loser.

1) Exactly. But that's not the case as price does not drop with time in the tech industry. New GTX 1660 Super which was sold around 20K before 3 months are not being retailed for 45K+ and sellers mask the price so that make a profit. Its just the CPU & GPU now, and with the current market situation, even storage prices have the possibility to gonna go up.
2) Its not a free market, when things are being hidden. Its like olx/quikr where you have to blindly buy stuffs.
3) Nope. Its not a matter of convenience. Its about being open & providing all information except private information.
4) People are already posting in multiple places.
5) Good, I like it.

You are quite wrong there. In fact, that is the only factor that is the most important when it comes to deciding the selling/buying price. How does the buying price matter.

1) As I've posted in the OP, just because I have a different opinion doesn't mean I'm wrong.
2) Already answered in post #3.

 

[sauravghosh]

The buying price doesn't matter, only the present market price does. However, why would one mask it anyway? It's the very core of being non transparent; opaque. It must not be allowed whatsoever.
Only the personal info.* on an invoice should be allowed to mask. Even the serial no. and IMEI for mobiles should not be fully masked and last few digits should be left untouched so that prospective buyers can tally the SN or IMEI between the invoice and original product and can enter the transaction with peace of mind.

* Personal info. therein meant only the address. Name should be left untouched and last few digits of mobile no. as well.

PS: Forgot to mention one other imp. thing, the invoice photo should have the metadata intact. So that it can be inspected whether it was forged or not. Half the time people upload photos via whatsapp and whatever which is a forward from another forward!

 

[SunnyBoi]

If you guys have a problem with masked invoices, don't buy it and move on, possibly to some seller with a product that caters to every one of your conditions. Simple.

 

[rdst_1]

1) As I've posted in the OP, just because I have a different opinion doesn't mean I'm wrong.
2) Already answered in post #3.

Do you have the same opinion when it comes to Gold?
You have an opinion that a seller shouldn't sell at a higher price if he bought at a lower price. Because apart from that I don't see how the seller's buying price matters. And that is not how free markets work. A product gets sold on it's current prevailing market price which depends on a lot of factors including supply and demand.
According to your opinion anyone selling anything antique (it's all a question of supply and demand as well in that case) shouldn't sell it at a higher price than what they bought for. Or gold, like I asked above.
Just because someone didn't buy something with the intention of making money/profit off it, doesn't mean he/she shouldn't make that profit/money when opportunity presents itself.
Till now, electronic products have never offered that opportunity and that is why people are getting pissed but if you look at it logically, it is the same phenomenon with Gold and antiques which, the same people are perfectly comfortable with.

 

[Panda]

The buying price doesn't matter, only the present market price does. However, why would one mask it anyway? It's the very core of being non transparent; opaque. It must not be allowed whatsoever.
Only the personal info. on an invoice should be allowed to mask. Even the serial no. and IMEI for mobiles should not be fully masked and last few digits should be left untouched so that prospective buyers can tally the SN or IMEI between the invoice and original product and can enter the transaction with peace of mind.

1) IMO, it does matter because the hardware revisions are updated regularly. Unless a 3yrs old product is still being manufactured without any hardware revisions, then yes, only the current product does matter.
2) Thank you for understanding.
3) This is what makes community forums different from others.

If you guys have a problem with masked invoices, don't buy it and move on, possibly to some seller with a product that caters to every one of your conditions. Simple.

Well, I created the thread with the intention of having a meaningful conversation with the community regarding the topic. And telling people who have issues with masked invoices to "move on and don't buy it" is exactly not having a meaningful conversation nor the solution, at-least until the mods decide.

Do you have the same opinion when it comes to Gold?
You have an opinion that a seller shouldn't sell at a higher price if he bought at a lower price. Because apart from that I don't see how the seller's buying price matters. And that is not how free markets work. A product gets sold on it's current prevailing market price which depends on a lot of factors including supply and demand.
According to your opinion anyone selling anything antique (it's all a question of supply and demand as well in that case) shouldn't sell it at a higher price than what they bought for. Or gold, like I asked above.
Just because someone didn't buy something with the intention of making money/profit off it, doesn't mean he/she shouldn't make that profit/money when opportunity presents itself.
Till now, electronic products have never offered that opportunity and that is why people are getting pissed but if you look at it logically, it is the same phenomenon with Gold and antiques which, the same people are perfectly comfortable with.

1) Comparing a metal with an electronic product? Its like comparing banana with cement. Banana dies in a week whereas cement stays intact for decades depending on the quality.
2) I've ever said that anywhere in this thread. Seller wants to make a profit? Sure, its his choice. But its about being open about it. Quoting from this FS: Zotac GTX 1660 Ti AMP Edition | 6GB | GDDR6 | Out of Warranty where the seller is being open about it [although the price is masked] and exactly what this thread is about.

Reposting my closed thread. This is a sale to make a quick buck (21 din mein paisa double) and take the advantage of the graphics card situation currently happening around the world.

3) This thread is not about that. Its about masking the price in the bill.
4) PC components are not antiques [except for few limited edition stuffs]. You can't compare a painting with a limited edition GPU.
5) Already answered in point #2.
6) You're beating around the bush by telling the same thing again & again.

 

[SunnyBoi]

Well, I created the thread with the intention of having a meaningful conversation with the community regarding the topic. And telling people who have issues with masked invoices to "move on and don't buy it" is exactly not having a meaningful conversation nor the solution, at-least until the mods decide.

I hate to break it to you, you are not the first to figure this out. This topic has already been discussed to death and the solution is to move on.

There is nothing here for the mods to decide on.

 

[rdst_1]

2) I've ever said that anywhere in this thread. Seller wants to make a profit? Sure, its his choice. But its about being open about it.

Ok, my bad. Completely wrong of me to assume that.
Now, can you please elaborate the pros of having the buying price revealed vs having it masked.
I personally, don't see it as a hindrance in helping me make a decision about whether I want to buy the product or not. If price policing/bargaining is not the intention, then how does it even matter whether the seller reveals or hides his purchase price.
You said that the revision of products is different over it's lifetime. So just ask the seller about that, if he hasn't already declared it in his thread. What does buying price have to do with it. Logically, the purchase date should be enough to imply the version, but why take risk. Just ask the seller about that information.

 

[desiibond]

Whats the problem if buying price is masked?

 

[jinx]

Whats the problem if buying price is masked?

Yeah, none of the reasons given here seem to make any proper justification for that. Idk what kinda transparency the bought price brings to the deal.

 

[sauravghosh]

How do I see the details of the vote? It's beyond shocking to see majority actually voting for the masked bill but could care less I just need to see who all voted for it and will take total precaution from those users, in case they sell something in future and I become the intending party.

 

[rdst_1]

How do I see the details of the vote? It's beyond shocking to see majority actually voting for the masked bill but could care less I just need to see who all voted for it and will take total precaution from those users, in case they sell something in future and I become the intending party.

I have voted 'Yes', but I haven't masked the price in my sale thread. I don't know why people need to judge others in the MP. Just see if the product is worth buying or not.
With the closing of Erodov, so much discussion has started around the MP, which has been functioning fine for more than a decade. People are creating unnecessary complications. And discussion on a topic is still not an issue. Just don't keep repeating the same things. At least just have the decency to search the forum once instead of just opening threads. Mods did include the new rule of making an invoice necessary and frankly even that rule can be easily bypassed by people looking to cheat, by posting a fake invoice as has happened in one thread recently.
Complicating the MP will only result in unnecessary work for the mods and admin which they don't have time for. People should not stop using their common sense when making purchases and should cover all bases before making the decision to go ahead with a purchase.

 

[ankushv]

The poll must also state , the people who vote for hiding the bill here , if they are sellers on this forum or just neutral forum members with no sale posts.
Just my opinion . Please feel free to disagree .
I shall see myself out .

 

[Phan7om]

IMNSHO, sellers are hiding the prices so that buyers can't compare it with the current price in other places and calculate if they're getting a good deal or being ripped off depending on the price, remaining warranty and how old the product is.

Remaining warranty & Product age can be determined by GST invoice , about which mods here are doing good jobs , IMO. Not sure what that has to do with warranty
These days approx. current price is one google away. Getting a good deal or not depends upon current price & supply .eg. used 2080 was good deal 3-4 months back now not so much.
Also its possible the buyer used coupon etc.

PS : I sold a product at 50% of what I paid for , only after 8 months .

 

[nRiTeCh]

I prefer not to hide the original invoice price.
101% transparency should be maintained!
Hiding means buyer exploitation to me.
If someone is selling above the mrp then he can wisely justify the answer like the current gpu crunch!

 

[t3chg33k]

I suppose one of the reasons for hiding the price is that the buyer might have originally purchased it during a deal or from an alternate store at a lower price along with a bank discount.

The general tendency of a lot of buyers is to low-ball based on the purchase price and not on the current price. At the same time, the purchase price would also unduly impact potential buyers psychologically as it would indicate the possibility of getting the item at a lower price and thereby bring in some hesitancy.

It should be the seller's choice to reveal the price or not. A potential buyer may make the decision based on the asking price or they can probably ask for the invoice over PM prior to making the purchase.

For online purchases, you can anyway check the purchase price using the price history websites, so it isn't that much of an issue. Sellers hiding the Diwali prices from Amazon or Flipkart are probably doing it in futility.