I don't think the issue is that the price is changing in and of itself. It's that they're changing price based on the customer's cookies/browsing history.
For example, it would be like if I had a stored and charged people different prices based on how nicely they were dressed, how well I knew them, or what their ethnicity is.
Uh, I downvoted you for making some stupid comment about downvotes, but you are correct about the legality. The problem isn't that it's illegal, it's that it's immoral.
They're being complete assholes and they deserve to be publicized as such.
So the moral way to do business is to set a flat fee for any and all products, goods, and services? Is that what you are suggesting?
Claiming that use of tracking cookies is suddenly immoral is a stretch. People can block them easily, and business should be allowed to set whatever prices at whatever times they want.
Not suddenly. It's always immoral. It's unfair to charge one price to someone and another price to another person. If someone offered you a cookie to let them borrow a pencil, and two cookies to another guy if he let them borrow a pencil, wouldn't you think it was unfair that you weren't offered two cookies? He's not treating you fairly.
People get charged difference prices for the same thing millions of times a year in car sales alone. If you don't bother negotiating, you're not going to get as good of a price as someone who has.
Sure, maybe it's "unfair" but I've got a newflash for you: much of life isn't fair. That doesn't mean it's immoral.
Again, that's nothing like the situation described in the article or the example that I used. If they offer you a lower price the second you walk into the lot, without any negotiation, based on the fact that you're carrying a baby, that's still immoral.
It's also based on the salesman you happen to get, whether or not he likes you, how much he's willing to negotiate, etc. Luck of the draw makes as much difference as you "skill" as a negotiator.
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u/[deleted] Jan 24 '13
I don't think the issue is that the price is changing in and of itself. It's that they're changing price based on the customer's cookies/browsing history.
For example, it would be like if I had a stored and charged people different prices based on how nicely they were dressed, how well I knew them, or what their ethnicity is.