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3,706 Views 12 Replies Last post: Dec 20, 2011 2:35 PM by BEARDEDONE
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SENSEI64
SENSEI64 New Member New Member
7 posts since
Dec 25, 2010
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Jul 22, 2011 6:51 PM

How do I get what I pay you for?

For example...

 

Since you do not offer per-instance billing, I buy $20 in "credit" in the eShop and am not charged tax on this purchase.

 

I buy a game at $4.99 and am now charged sales tax (including city sales tax even though the transaction takes place outside city limits, gee thanks) bringing the total to $5.44 leaving me a balance of $14.56. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat? No, I do not have enough "credit" left and will have to buy even more. Repeat.

 

Subtracting sales tax from a $20 purchase brings the actual total down to $18.18 available to use. What combination of purchases allows me to get $18.18 worth of software licenses? Is there some arcane formula hidden away that you can share with us so you aren't just holding on to money that people have paid you that you haven't delivered on?

 

Imagine if every store was run this way? Want to buy a $600 furniture set? Sorry, you'll have to buy $1,000 of store "credit" first. Got $49.00 worth of groceries in your cart? Great! We offer $50 store "credit" vouchers. Ooo.... but with tax you'll need to buy $100 of "credit". We'll just hold on to the balance until you either find a mysterious combination of purchases to zero the balance or have to buy more "credit", whichever comes first.

 

What a rotten way to do business.

 

Why not do like the Wii shop? Round up the amounts to whole dollars and charge the tax upfront. Dilemma solved fairly easily. Or even better, offer per-purchase billing! It's not hard, businesses do it all the time. I hear your number one portable gaming competitor does it millions of times a day no sweat.

 

Thanks in advance!

AZBULLDOG
AZBULLDOG Participant Participant
14 posts since
Apr 22, 2010
Currently Being Moderated
Jul 22, 2011 7:15 PM in response to: SENSEI64
Re: How do I get what I pay you for?

You are also charged sales tax if you purchase a point card in a store.

GAMEBOYADVANCE
GAMEBOYADVANCE Participant Participant
37 posts since
Jun 8, 2011
Currently Being Moderated
Jul 22, 2011 7:25 PM in response to: SENSEI64
Re: How do I get what I pay you for?

Uh, whats the question again?

NINTENDO-IS-NUMBER-ONE
NINTENDO-IS-NUMBER-ONE Participant Participant
83 posts since
May 23, 2011
Currently Being Moderated
Jul 24, 2011 1:15 PM in response to: SENSEI64
Re: How do I get what I pay you for?

this has nothing to do with nintendo. Its the government. It needs the tax so its taking from nintendo. This discussion will probably get locked up because thats not why this was made.

LAZARNATOR
LAZARNATOR Active Participant Active Participant
151 posts since
Jun 6, 2011
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Jul 24, 2011 6:08 PM in response to: SENSEI64
Re: How do I get what I pay you for?

it's weird that your getting tax on the eshop, I don't, and also by your standered, the 4.99 game that you bought cost $1.82.  Im really confused and believe this is out of nintendo's power to remove taxes and this question is completely untech related.

AUTOSAVER1
AUTOSAVER1 Active Participant Active Participant
570 posts since
Apr 2, 2010
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Jul 24, 2011 7:00 PM in response to: SENSEI64
Re: How do I get what I pay you for?

You guys are misunderstanding his point, he is asking how does he pay or get to use the extra cents on his account.

 

I thought Nintendo had tax paid upfront. Say for instance, you go buy the credit at a store you'll pay tax there. And yes, Sony also does this (even though you imply that they don't)

SENSEI64
SENSEI64 New Member New Member
7 posts since
Dec 25, 2010
Currently Being Moderated
Jul 24, 2011 7:44 PM in response to: SENSEI64
Re: How do I get what I pay you for?

All of you need to work on your reading comprehension.

 

The real difference between the Wii shop and the eShop is that the software in the Wii shop is priced in "points". You cannot tax points so the tax was drawn up front, but that's not the point (though it is a sub-point). Double dipping is something that's being done on pre-paid eShop cards and that is not the point either and was not brought up at all in the original post.

 

The point is that with the way the eShop is set-up you cannot get full use of the money you put into it. Nintendo is taking in more than they vend product.

 

Example: A coke (soda, pop, whatever) machine in which the product costs $1.99 yet the machine only takes $5, $10, and $20 bills and there is no change return slot. Would you buy a coke from a machine like that?

 

 

 

PS., Not Sony, Apple. They allow per-item purchases, meaning you pay for what you get and nothing more. Millions of times a day. No mysterious, extra, missing money. Can you imagine the fervent indignation were they to try a fast one like the eShop?

NINTENMAN94
NINTENMAN94 Frequent Contributor Frequent Contributor
1,261 posts since
Feb 9, 2011
Currently Being Moderated
Jan 13, 2012 10:03 AM in response to: SENSEI64
Re: How do I get what I pay you for?

Huh. I never realized that before.

 

Anyway, if you want to speak with a NOA rep about it, then you should e-mail them on Nintendo's webform http://ww.nintendo.com/consumer/webform.jsp. I'm not sure how much it'll do, but at least the NOA will be aware of this problem if they're not already.

NINTENDO-IS-NUMBER-ONE
NINTENDO-IS-NUMBER-ONE Participant Participant
83 posts since
May 23, 2011
Currently Being Moderated
Jul 25, 2011 12:12 PM in response to: NINTENMAN94
Re: How do I get what I pay you for?

NINTEN94 is right. Probably nintendo cant do anything about but its worth trying.

SENSEI64
SENSEI64 New Member New Member
7 posts since
Dec 25, 2010
Currently Being Moderated
Dec 20, 2011 6:42 AM in response to: SENSEI64
Re: How do I get what I pay you for?

Apparently the November update included the option to add only the amount necessary to make the purchase. I am so glad they did that and I have finally used the eShop again.

 

So yes, per-item billing is now available in the 3DS eShop.

BEARDEDONE
BEARDEDONE Frequent Contributor Frequent Contributor
1,396 posts since
Apr 15, 2011
Currently Being Moderated
Dec 20, 2011 12:09 PM in response to: SENSEI64
Re: How do I get what I pay you for?

That's good to know.  Thanks!

XAZNHOITONYX
XAZNHOITONYX New Member New Member
11 posts since
Dec 15, 2011
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Dec 20, 2011 2:25 PM in response to: BEARDEDONE
Re: How do I get what I pay you for?

when I used to live in Texas, I didn't have to pay for tax for wii points card but when I have to pay for tax buying the points on wii shop.

 

I now live in OR so I have no sales taxes now. In fact, wii points is 2 cents cheaper than what it says  which shows 19.99 but really they charged only 19.97

BEARDEDONE
BEARDEDONE Frequent Contributor Frequent Contributor
1,396 posts since
Apr 15, 2011
Currently Being Moderated
Dec 20, 2011 2:35 PM in response to: XAZNHOITONYX
Re: How do I get what I pay you for?

That's right.  Some states (if not all states) do not charge sales tax for gift cards (including Wii points cards).

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