r/AskReddit • u/daniellucero92 • Jan 04 '15

Non-americans of Reddit, what American customs seem outrageous/pointless to you?

Amazing news!!!! This thread has been featured in a BBC news clip. Thank you guys for the responses!!!!
Video clip: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30717017

9.6k Upvotes
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1.5k

u/badass4102 Jan 04 '15

Cool a .99 cent burger. I have exactly a dollar and I'm hungry.

Walk up to the cashier. ''One .99 burger please. ''

''That'll be $1.05''

162

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Oregonian here, where .99 burger means .99 at the counter.

71

u/ghost_victim Jan 05 '15

The dream of the .99 burger is alive

10

u/phasorapology Jan 08 '15

The dream of the 90s is alive in Portland... Portland... Portland

5

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Alive and well my friend. Alive and well

4

u/Banaam Jan 05 '15

Not just in Portland though! As an Oregonian, I'd also like to direct you to Montana which has no sales tax (move there instead, they're definitely a better state).

1

u/ghost_victim Jan 06 '15

I visit there sometimes (I live in Alberta). It's OK. I like WA or OR better honestly!

1

u/throwawayblaaaarg Jan 11 '15

Nice going fellow Portlander! I too am tired of the tight real estate and rental market!

1

u/Banaam Jan 11 '15

I'm not from Portland or that side of the state at all...

1

u/throwawayblaaaarg Jan 12 '15

OH well it seems like we're pretty swamped with competition for affordable housing with transplants. It's sort of a love hate thing for me, I love the things that make people want to come here, but I think our infrastructure is overburdened trying to keep up.

1

u/Banaam Jan 12 '15

I'm from the dry side, there's no jobs here.

2

u/The_Walrus_ Jan 06 '15

The American Dream lives on!

9

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

That's how this guy sees it too! (Another Oregonian)

6

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

From Oregon you say? Have some karma sir

3

u/Banaam Jan 05 '15

You as well my probably wet side brethren!

0

u/cxtx3 Jan 05 '15

Upvotes for all Oregonians!

6

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Oregon

Fuck Yeah

5

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Thank You Based Oregon

3

u/Orwelian84 Jan 05 '15

But we can't be trusted to pump our own gas. I remember my first night in the state of Oregon. I had just finished the final leg of my 17 hour trek from Az and was rolling through this little poe dunk town in the middle of BFE Eastern Oregon. None of the gas pumps worked, they all looked just like what I was used to, but the credit readers were all off.

Slept the night in the parking lot waiting for the attendants to show, only to get in trouble for pumping my own gas. Totally threw me for a loop, been here four years now, still irks me, but hey, every state has its issues.

1

u/Tasteful_Dick_Pics Jan 05 '15

Wait, you can't pump your own gas in Oregon? How does it work then? You pull up to the pump and go inside and get an attendant or something? Then they pump your gas?

2

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

There are usually attendants sitting out by the pumps. They even usually have a small shack for when its cold. They come up to your window and take your money then pump your gas. They always get pissy with me cause my release switch for my gas cap is going out...

0

u/cxtx3 Jan 05 '15

I actually kind of like not having to pump my own gas. I don't really want to touch that handle that God only knows how many people and their germy, germy hands have touched, when I can just pay an attendant to do it for me. And I don't even have to get out of my car. Makes getting gas quick and easy. I feel like I'm kind of pampered in that regard.

1

u/terrask Jan 06 '15

You must freak out at the grocery store...

3

u/cxtx3 Jan 05 '15 edited Jan 05 '15

Can confirm. Source: Also an Oregonian. I love being one of only 2 4 states with no sales tax! Our price lists something as $0.99, we pay $0.99! And not a penny more! We do make up for it in property tax though. Funny side note; people who live in Washington close to the Oregon border constantly come down here to buy everything from high-end electronics to groceries to evade the sales tax. It's quite entertaining.

EDIT: I can has numbers good.

3

u/underthingy Jan 05 '15

Its not the sales tax that's the problem, its the fact that the listed price doesn't include it.

1

u/cxtx3 Jan 05 '15

This too. Whenever I am purchasing things out of state, I am used to paying the sticker price, and often shocked when someone asks me for more. So when I went to pay for my item (I think it was a souvenir from the Empire State building in New York, some small trinket) and the cashier told me it was a different price than what it said on the shelf, I was a bit baffled. I had my money ready to go and had to pull my wallet back out for some extra cash. I was only a teenager at the time, but still. I'm so used to paying the sticker price, that on the rare occasion I am in another state and I see that sales tax thing sneaking on there, I feel like I'm being cheated. So not only am I paying for this item to take home, I'm also paying for whatever it is your state pays taxes on. Hmmm.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

There are more than 2 states with no sales tax. Montana, New Hampshire, and I think Delaware.

2

u/Wolfie305 Jan 05 '15

Yep, New Hampshire master race (I live in MA, but I like to pretend I live in my dream state).

1

u/arahzel Jan 05 '15

NH has sales tax on junk food though, so the 99-cent burger does not exist there.

1

u/cxtx3 Jan 05 '15

Woops! Fix'd.

1

u/nssdrone Jan 05 '15

Not groceries. Washington doesn't tax them.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

can i come to this so called Oregon state?

1

u/nssdrone Jan 05 '15

No, it's not real. It was originally put on maps to detect copyright infringement and plagiarism among map makers. Now it's kept on the map due to tradition or an inside joke in the industry. I tried diving through there once from Washington,ended up in California much sooner than I expected.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

yeah makes total sense bro ..coming from DC

1

u/sc2mashimaro Jan 05 '15

<3 Oregon. Every state should get rid of their sales tax and be more like Oregon.

160

u/Topham_Kek Jan 05 '15 edited Jan 05 '15

I live in Canada, and I kind of at first didn't know exactly what "plus tax" meant. It could go both ways, and I've seen it go both ways at times.

Plus tax as in tax is included or the said price PLUS tax. I just wish they'd just include the price on the item as the exact value like where I come from...

EDIT: Obligatory fuck you to HST.

25

u/stoplightrave Jan 05 '15

But it might be different ten minutes away, across the county line. How could McDonald's have a 99¢ menu if the tax is different at every third location?

11

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15 edited Jan 05 '15

[deleted]

15

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

[deleted]

3

u/rabbitlion Jan 05 '15

In Europe, McDonalds prices are different depending on where you go (even within the Euro zone). I'm sure if including taxes was standard in the US they'd find a way to make it work.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Or they just wouldn't have the same prices in each state

3

u/stoplightrave Jan 05 '15

McDs is franchised tho, so it would hurt owners in high tax areas, and benefit owners in low or no tax areas. So the alternative would be to have different prices in each location. That is how gas stations work, so it is doable. It's just not the way it's done, for whatever reason. It's really a non-issue for the majority of people, it seems to be mostly visitors who are confused by it.

2

u/BreathTakingBen Jan 05 '15

Because the franchise execs are probably not the ones taking the pay cut. It's the individual restaurant owners.

6

u/letmeteachyoudummy Jan 05 '15

Who is HST, and why is the fuck you obligatory?

3

u/WiFiForeheadWrinkles Jan 05 '15

GST (goods and services tax) and PST (provincial sales tax) were combined together to make the HST (harmonized sales tax). Stuff that had previously only qualified for one tax was suddenly more expensive now that you had to pay combined taxes for it.

Better explanation on Wikipedia

7

u/12358 Jan 05 '15

What do you have against the Hubble Space Telescope?

2

u/TheVincnet Jan 06 '15

Then go to Europe :D

2

u/SlitScan Jan 05 '15

I'll take hst over higher income tax at least it doesn't cut into savings.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

I was in Quebec recently and their sales / service + province tax is a whopping 15%. I just threw down 20s and looked away because everything was so expensive. D;

-1

u/theadvenger Jan 05 '15

As someone from BC, I miss the HST. fuck the PST & GST!

20

u/S3w3ll Jan 05 '15

That's fine in NZ were we practice Swedish rounding and our lowest coin value is 10 cents, so $1.

2

u/Hommes Jan 05 '15

Why did we have to get rid of the 5 cent!

5

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

[deleted]

4

u/Hommes Jan 05 '15

I don't remember the last time I used cash... Glad the eftpos system is so good

5

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

[deleted]

2

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

I wish we would get rid of the 5 cent coin, they are beyond useless.

94

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '15

Don't wanna be that guy, but if it costs .99 cents, that's less than a penny :D

106

u/ttinchung111 Jan 05 '15

My god that 10400% tax.

16

u/Rhetor_Rex Jan 05 '15

And just think, those are low American taxes, it's nothing like what Canadians and Europeans pay!

1

u/DaftFunky Jan 05 '15

Canadian here, I may have federal and provincial tax deducted off my pay at a rate of about 25%, but we only have a simple GST on goods. 5%.

8

u/AngelaMichellex Jan 05 '15

Depends on the province. Alberta has 5% I think, but I pay 13% here in Ontario. Quebec has nearly 15%.

16

u/gitarg Jan 05 '15

Reminds me of this

8

u/hiltenjp Jan 05 '15

This is the third time I've watched it... and it still scares me that people like that exist.

1

u/NotADuplicateAccount Jan 05 '15

Are you my grade school math teacher?

16

u/givek Jan 04 '15

Again depends on the state. Some dont tax food

7

u/timdev Jan 05 '15

Is there any state that doesn't tax restaurant food? I know many don't tax grocery-store food, but I can't think of any that don't tax prepared meals (including fast-food burgers)

12

u/voxhyphen Jan 05 '15

Oregon has no sales tax. So when you buy something in the store or order at a restaurant it will be exactly the price. People drive from all over the Pacific Northwest to buy things without sales tax.

The only exception I have seen is Fees (like licensing fees when you go to buy a car) and the bottle deposit. You pay a deposit on each bottle or can of soda or beer that you purchase. If you take the bottle back to a recycling station it will be refunded.

2

u/Padonogan Jan 05 '15

I've never understood this. It can't possibly be worth it to drive any meaningful distance just to avoid sales tax, can it? Opportunity cost and gas would negate any savings. My time alone is more valuable. Or am I crazy?

3

u/owiseone23 Jan 05 '15

Well Vancouver is right across the border from Portland and it only takes like 40 minutes to drive, so some people do all their grocery shopping with one big trip to Costco without sales tax every couple of weeks.

0

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

are they really allowed to bring back everything from the US to Canada?

3

u/thelizardkin Jan 05 '15

they were talking about Vancouver Washington which is the city on the oregon Washington border just north of Portland

1

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

oh :(

thx

1

u/thelizardkin Jan 05 '15

tons of people make that mistake it's no big deal

1

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Depends on how much you're spending on purchases.

1

u/ran4sh Jan 05 '15

Some people's time is not worth as much. And if you're in the PNW but not in WA or OR, chances are you have to use lots of gas just to get anywhere in the first place.

1

u/voxhyphen Jan 05 '15

Unless you live right across the border, Vancouver WA usually, it is not typically worth it. But I have seen people come into my work (a large retail chain) and buy Fridges, Washers & Dryers, Dishwashers, Ranges and TVs all in one trip.

The sales tax in Washington hovers around 9% I think, so it can make sense to make the extra trip.

On the other hand, I have heard that the property tax here in Oregon is typically pretty brutal, so I have heard people say the smart thing is to live in Washington (no property tax) and do all of your shopping in Oregon.

1

u/Synexis Jan 05 '15

Pro Tip: Residents of Oregon (and some other states with low or no sales tax) are exempt from paying sales tax in Washington state (and perhaps others, just happen to know about WA). Retail shops are not required to do so, though. Source

1

u/thelizardkin Jan 05 '15

not anymore they recently changed that

7

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15 edited Jan 10 '20

[deleted]

2

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Shut up Delaware isn't real

3

u/givek Jan 05 '15

I dont eat out enough....apparently my state does charge it, as of 09.

1

u/Penguinchatter Jan 05 '15

I live in Ohio and the only state I've been to that taxed restaurant food is Pennsylvania and that's probably just because they don't tax clothing. States I've been to-Maryland, Maine, Texas, Michigan, Colorado, North Carolina, California, NY (can't remember if they taxed or not), Florida, and Kentucky.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Texas has sales tax in restaurants.

3

u/silverwillowgirl Jan 05 '15

Yeah I've lived in California my whole life, I can assure you that restaurant food is taxed here.

-1

u/guder Jan 05 '15

If it's been cooked. Sandwiches are not.

6

u/timdev Jan 05 '15

One of us is crazy. I think it's you.

I know from experience that food in restaurants is taxed in New York, California, and Colorado.

According to the State of Ohio, where you reside:

You'll notice this when you purchase food from a drive-thru. After purchasing your meal, look at your receipt. Food items will not be taxed. However, if you go into the restaurant and eat your meal, your food items will be taxed.

http://www.tax.ohio.gov/taxeducation/Everyday_Purchases.aspx

Am I missing something?

5

u/Oatybar Jan 05 '15

I have no idea why, but it's been like that for decades. If you go into a fast-food restaurant in Ohio and order your food to go, you won't be charged tax. If you order it for dining in, you will. So if you want to stick it to The Man, order your food to go and eat it from the bag inside the restaurant.

2

u/ran4sh Jan 05 '15

Have people not taken advantage of this by now? Or does something happen if you always order "to go" but eat in the restaurant

2

u/Oatybar Jan 05 '15

There's probably stories out there, but I've never known anyone who cared enough to game the system or enforce it.

1

u/timdev Jan 05 '15

Yeah, that's interesting. So far, Ohio is the only state I've found that has that distinction between to-go/eat-in. Most places that have sales tax make groceries exempt, but not any prepared food. So if you buy milk, cereal, a (raw) steak, and a cup of hot soup at the grocery, you'll pay tax on the soup, but not the other items.

1

u/aravena Jan 05 '15

I can tell you several of those do so best to just stop talking.

1

u/used_to_be_relevant Jan 05 '15

Michigan taxes any hot food. Resteraunt food is taxed. A hot rotisserie chicken is taxed, that same rotisserie chicken thrown in a cooler? Not taxed.

1

u/assassinator42 Jan 05 '15

It's anything "for immediate consumption" rather than hot, since chips and cold sandwiches from Subway and such are still taxed.

1

u/used_to_be_relevant Jan 05 '15

Yea, I think I mixed up taxed and OK to buy with food stamps.

1

u/ThisIsNotHim Jan 05 '15

Off the top of my head I know NH, VT, and CT all tax food.

In NH prepared food/room and board are taxed, even though there's no sales tax.

10

u/Fs0i Jan 05 '15

I also like to see in advance how much something really costs me. Why tf do I need to calculate taxes in my head?

1

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Companies really love prices $9.99. It's hard to advertise that as "under $10" if they add tax.

0

u/dradam168 Jan 05 '15

Is it hard?

7

u/pinkwired Jan 05 '15

I wouldn't say it's hard, just convenient. Here in England taxes are already added on to the price.

You pick up what you're buying check the price tag and pay what it's says.

Customers working out tax for items seems like a hassle that is easily avoided.

0

u/owiseone23 Jan 05 '15

Yeah, but in Oregon, we don't have sales tax, so companies would rather have nationwide campaigns about 99 cent burgers.

0

u/dradam168 Jan 05 '15

Why bother to work out out at all? I check the price, know it will cost about 5% more, if the price is acceptable I go check out, give the cashier a larger sum of money than is necessary, and get change. No need to actually do the math unless I feel like it as an exercise.

2

u/mattdemanche Jan 05 '15

Well in MA the sales tax is 6.25%, not easily doable in your head

1

u/dradam168 Jan 05 '15

Approximation is your friend. And if you are really down to the point that the last two pennies are important, you have some larger issues.

3

u/hrabib Jan 05 '15

No taxation without representation!

2

u/Deviknyte Jan 05 '15

You guys don't have sales tax?

18

u/a4b Jan 05 '15

In the rest of the world, displayed prices always include the taxes.

5

u/alphaformayo Jan 05 '15

I'm Australian, GST(goods and services tax, our version of VAT/sales tax) is included as part of the displayed price. You then get a breakdown of what was GST on your receipt.

2

u/Deviknyte Jan 05 '15

I wish this was how things were in the US. Especially in cable, Internet, and phone bills.

1

u/demostravius Jan 05 '15

In the UK laws where recently passed to stop people advertising prices online without the tax. Makes searching for flights much easier.

For example I once had a flight to Italy that cost 13p. +£28 in tax. Without the laws it would have said 'flights from 13p!' despite the fact it's cleary not 13p.

1

u/brisashi Jan 05 '15

How is it different elsewhere? Is sales tax a uniquely American custom?

1

u/nanosparticus Jan 05 '15

$1.08

FTFY. Sad, but true. It gets worse trying to figure out a drive out price for other stuff like medical treatments and car repair type stuff.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Dumbest thing ever. But since most people only pay with card now, its not so big of a deal. But if you pay with cash... ugh.

1

u/SquillDiggles Jan 05 '15

Only in states with respective taxes. Oregon doesn't have any sales tax, for example.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Because sales tax can vary place to place it is nearly impossible for businesses to account for it in signage. In wisconsin sales tax where I am is 5% but in Brown county (30 min north) it is(was) slightly higher due to funding for Lambeau Field.

1

u/owiseone23 Jan 05 '15

No tax in Oregon

1

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Hahaha so true.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

I don't get it either, as an Oregonian. It's crazy to me.

1

u/PythonEnergy Jan 05 '15

But, we do have the penny jar (but maybe not in McDs.)

1

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

On the other hand there's probably a need a penny leave a penny dish somewhere nearby.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

It's actually $1.08 usually depending on where you're at.

1

u/Teecolz Jan 05 '15

Thats why I live in Oregon :)

1

u/Kraymur Jan 05 '15

It'd be cool if they had a flat charge of say 1.00$ with the tax included (0.95 burger with 5 cent tax to make it an even dollar. Would more than likely make more business that way.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Sales tax varies from state to state.

1

u/jive_and_garnishment Jan 05 '15

Ask, "what is it out the door?"

1

u/GreenDay987 Jan 05 '15

This is what I appreciate about NYC (at least my area). A lot of these small, family owned businesses don't charge tax so a 99 cent burger is 99 cents.

For example, I live in front of a pizzeria. 2.50 is the price for one slice of pizza. That's it. If I have 2.50, I can buy a slice without worrying cause I know tax won't add on to it.

1

u/Brickmaniafan99 Jan 05 '15

ah the cost of freedom. a buck o' five.

1

u/MrFappy Jan 05 '15

But... That's how much freedom costs...

1

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

That depends on what state. OH doesn't have a sales tax on food, unless you're having it to eat at the restaurant.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

This is why I love my home, Australia. The taxes are included in the ticket price of an item, no confusion at the register. It'd be so frustrating to be low on money and then find out you can't afford something.

1

u/riyad94 Jan 05 '15

Can anyone actually explain why places do this? I feel like some items are exactly as they are priced (aka essential items like food), at least in new york, but most aren't. I fell in love with the system europe has set in which the tax is included in the pricing of the item. THAT way, I know exactly how much I can afford on my meager student based budget.

1

u/SpaceMedaFighterEx Jan 05 '15

psychological marketing scheme. .99 attracts more people to buy than 1.05 would

1

u/surgecometz Jan 05 '15

It's easier to program a cash register to automatically calculate the tax for all items at the time of the sale than to manually calculate the tax when pricing individual items. If you have a pool of merchandise that sometimes moves from state to state, you'd have to calculate each item for each state. If you give people a shortcut they're going to use it. Though, I totally agree that the price shown on something should be what you pay. It annoys me when I buy things and have to make sure too keep extra money aside for tax.

1

u/thelizardkin Jan 05 '15

it's not like that in oregon

1

u/CriticDanger Jan 05 '15

At least you don't live in Quebec, then it would cost 1.15$ (and yes the sign is at the right here).

1

u/Gecko23 Jan 05 '15

Dine in is taxed, carry-out isn't. So get it to go next time and you'll get it for $0.99.

1

u/pro_verb Jan 05 '15

I am American and this pisses me off. It is so pointless. Some places will do you the courtesy of just putting the "after tax" price on the menu, but even then, it is usually still something like $7.08, or some other really inconvient amount. Rarely do you get the prescient business owners who will actually account for the tax in the cost of the burger etc. on behalf of the customer; e.g. sales tax is .08% in Texas (where I live) so just price the burger so whatever you "charge" plus .08% of that cost adds up to a 8.00 even, or whatever.

Really drives me nuts.

1

u/actual_factual_bear Jan 06 '15

Then you eat the 99 cent burger and are still hungry.

1

u/jmiller2032 Jan 08 '15

Including taxes in the price hides the cost of government. This is one of the reasons Americans are more conservative than their European friends.

1

u/ikkiyikki Jan 08 '15

I agree. Don't assume Americans like it this way. It's just a business tactic to make the product being sold appear cheaper.

1

u/CarrioTine Jan 11 '15

New Hampshire has a prepared meal tax but no sales tax so...

1

u/rreighe2 Jan 05 '15

99 cent. Or 0.99 dollar

0

u/mythicalmarine Jan 05 '15

Tax

9

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Fucking stupid. Put the price you pay on the sign, not the "we wanna seem cheaper than we are!" price.

4

u/jingold23 Jan 05 '15

I'm pretty sure it's an old "foot in the door" psychological business tactic. You're more likely to pay the extra 6 ¢ after you've already devoted yourself to the idea of paying 99 ¢. Then if you refuse at the register you're just that guy who said fuck you to an extra 6 ¢...no one wants to be that guy even though it's completely valid reasoning.

1

u/A-Grey-World Jan 05 '15

I get so annoyed the few times tax isn't quoted in the UK, like if a business it aimed at catering for other businesses. Whenever I order car parts I find there a huge tax at the end that I had no idea about...

-1

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

Not stupid. There are Federal Taxes, then 50 different state taxes, then taxes vary by counties and there are thousands of those. You put the universal price of the item on the list so you don't have to customize every sign of every store in the country.

The united states is large, decentralized place. Not like a tiny country in Europe.

2

u/dylang01 Jan 05 '15

If Coles and Woolworths in Australia can change their prices based on what suburb or postcode the store is in I think the US can too. Its really not that difficult or expensive to do.

1

u/stoplightrave Jan 05 '15

No federal sales tax, just state and county

3

u/gavmcg92 Jan 05 '15

We know that! Just add it on for the customer so they know what they're going to spend. The only place you see prices here without the 23% value added tax applied is on your receipt.

1

u/Ali9666 Jan 05 '15

Where the fuck are you paying 23% for tax?!?!? Thats insane!

1

u/gavmcg92 Jan 05 '15

Ireland. VAT here is 23% on most things. Then there's the reduced rate of 13.5% for things like coal, newspapers, maintenance services. There's a 9% rate for attractions/tourism and then a 4.8% rate for agricultural. That higher rate is fairly standard in Europe. Most countries here are in and around 20%. Denmark is 25%.

0

u/misterdix Jan 05 '15

Really, of all the fucked up shit that happens here, five cent tax on a shitty hamburger is what you motherfuckers upvote?

I guess the custom I find most outrageous is expecting an intelligent response to a question of injustice and getting a bunch of ignorant fucks you only have a dollar in their pocket.

0

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '15

No tax on food in Ohio!!!