From: esp@snet.n   
      
   On 11/26/2025 12:29 PM, Carlos E.R. wrote:   
   > On 2025-11-26 11:54, Cindy Hamilton wrote:   
   >> On 2025-11-26, Carlos E.R.  wrote:   
   >>> On 2025-11-26 01:25, Ed P wrote:   
   >>>> On 11/25/2025 7:03 PM, Carlos E.R. wrote:   
   >>>>> On 2025-11-25 22:28, Ed P wrote:   
   >>>>>> On 11/25/2025 1:45 PM, Carlos E.R. wrote:   
   >>>>>>> On 2025-11-25 03:16, Ed P wrote:   
   >>>>>>>> Couple of weeks ago there was discussion of dishwashers.  I   
   >>>>>>>> mentioned mine failed the night before leaving for a couple of   
   >>>>>>>> weeks.  It is a 7 year old GE that does a good job so worth fixing.   
   >>>>>>>> I called Mike, the appliance guy while away so he could come today.   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> I could have done the job after watching a video.  My guess for   
   >>>>>>>> time would be about an hour+ for the repair, plus time getting the   
   >>>>>>>> part. Mike said it is a common failure and he has probably done a   
   >>>>>>>> hundred of them and carries a couple of the circuit boards with   
   >>>>>>>> him. It was amazing to watch him do the job in about 20 minutes.   
   >>>>>>>> remove lower panel, removed door, disassemble door, remove circuit   
   >>>>>>>> board, then reverse.   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> Cash price $280.   
   >>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>> Do you know how much was "work" and how much the components? These   
   >>>>>>> things are still much cheaper on my corner of the world, often the   
   >>>>>>> replacements boards are too expensive, not the workmanship.   
   >>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> Labor was $99   
   >>>>>> Part and tax $204   
   >>>>>> Credit card total $303.   
   >>>>>> Cash price $280.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> Ah, ok, so labour was not that exorbitant. The part was expensive. But   
   >>>>> now I am curious about some other thing: they charge differently with   
   >>>>> credit card than with cash?   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>   
   >>>> Seriously?  If you pay with a credit card, they pay about 3% fee, and   
   >>>> there is a record of the transaction.  As a business, you report it,   
   >>>> pay   
   >>>> various taxes on the income, both business and personal.   
   >>>   
   >>> Well, I know that the cost for the merchant is different, but it is   
   >>> forbidden to charge differently. It is usually written in the contract   
   >>> with the bank.   
   >>   
   >> Small contractors will often accept a discounted payment for cash,   
   >> which they need not report as income.  That's illegal, of course,   
   >> but it's a problem only if they get caught.   
   >   
   > I have not seen that type of trick here. The price is the same in cash   
   > or with plastic. The plastic companies get very angry otherwise, and   
   > someone will tell them (because they have to pay more).   
   >   
      
   You won't usually find it in a big retail store or the like.  If you had   
   someone come out to do a plumbing job, different story.  Pay cash, no   
   receipt, no record of anything.   
      
   OTOH, I did get discounts at a couple of shops in Italy when I offered   
   cash.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)