# Things that cost WAY more than they should **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 25, 2022, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-cost-way-more-than-they-should/972196 "2022-09-25T11:24:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-cost-way-more-than-they-should/972196/121 "2022-10-17T13:47:24Z")
Sure- all I’m getting at is that nobody’s just taking the price, tacking 30% on and calling it a day. There’s a lot of knowledge about markets, conditions, marketing, price points, target consumers, and so forth that affect the price, and that end price may not have much to do with the cost like people tend to suggest- just because something is expensive to buy doesn’t mean that it’s _necessarily_ expensive to make/ship/etc… ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-cost-way-more-than-they-should/972196/122 "2022-10-17T14:14:33Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > High end hotel rooms. I know that you are thinking “what do you expect?” but if you have been involved with negotiating rates you know that hotel rates make airline seat pricing look rational. And don’t forget that cheap-ass motels give you free wi-fi. High-end hotel charge a hefty daily fee for it. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-cost-way-more-than-they-should/972196/123 "2022-10-17T14:35:24Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > And don’t forget that cheap-ass motels give you free wi-fi. High-end hotel charge a hefty daily fee for it. The first place I mentioned is more of a vacation destination, and has free wifi, which is a lot better than it used to be. I don’t know about the second - I believe it is included. What you said used to be true, but now charging for wifi would be like charging for toilet paper. Especially since you use wifi more often. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-cost-way-more-than-they-should/972196/124 "2022-10-17T14:37:43Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > What you said used to be true, but now charging for wifi would be like charging for toilet paper. DON’T give them ideas! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2022, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-cost-way-more-than-they-should/972196/125 "2022-10-17T15:34:37Z")
I stay in a lot of different business-class hotels of many different brands or hotel group affiliations (e.g. Hilton vs Marriott). Substantially all of them charge for wi-fi. Unless you are a loyalty club member, or you have a conference access code, or …, in which case the fee is waived. I always have a fee waiver of one sort or another, and I have no way of knowing what percentage of the other customers have waivers versus are actually paying for their wi-fi. But for damn sure the connection process goes through the fee-or-waiver gatekeeper website and that UI is often set up so paying is the obvious default and slipping past with a waiver often requires some scrolling or fine-print reading to locate the magic button or checkbox. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2022, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-cost-way-more-than-they-should/972196/126 "2022-10-18T00:58:16Z")
I stay at Hilton brands and for the past few years have also always gotten free Wi Fi. They indeed do have an option for a higher tier of service, but I have never needed it even when I was connecting to my work network through a VPN. I guess it would be useful if you were playing a high response game or were streaming something that you couldn’t get through the TV. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2022, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-cost-way-more-than-they-should/972196/127 "2022-10-18T01:07:56Z")
Since COVID, my local store had a hard time stocking shaving gel. Not anymore. I can now buy Gillette brand shaving gel, imported from Canada, for $3.00 each. The exact same product, made in America for American consumers, sitting right next to the imported gel, is three times the price. Yes, I checked both cans. Same size, same ingredients. The only difference is the color of the plastic lid and the Canadian gel labeling is in English and French. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2022, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-cost-way-more-than-they-should/972196/128 "2022-10-18T01:09:09Z")
I’ve stayed at several Marriott Residence Inns within the past few years and none have ever charged for wifi. They say it’s free right on their website and always give a card with the password when checking in. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2022, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-cost-way-more-than-they-should/972196/129 "2022-10-18T19:24:05Z")
Not doubting you in the slightest. I wonder how much the difference is down to “extended-stay” hotel systems such as Marriott’s “Residence Inn” series versus other more traditional chains. e.g. I spent Sun night in a Sheraton, a mid-scale member of the Marriott array of brands. Wi-Fi there was pay-by-day unless you’re a loyalty club member (which I was), or your employer’s or group’s bulk contract included a code for free Wi-Fi (which mine did). My immediately previous night was at another Marriott property in another city. This time a Renaissance. Same story on Wi-Fi. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2022, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-cost-way-more-than-they-should/972196/130 "2022-10-18T19:32:21Z")
Yes, I was surprised when I was walking out of a Hilton to see someone arguing with the desk clerk about wifi charges on his bill. I get free wifi as part of our corporate rate. Usually I stay at Hampton Inn or Homewood rather than OG Hilton, and both of those have free wifi for everyone. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2022, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-cost-way-more-than-they-should/972196/131 "2022-10-18T23:59:43Z")
Yeah, the only Marriot I’ve ever stayed at that hasn’t had a WiFi fee is [Aloft](https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/bosal-aloft-boston-seaport-district/overview/?app_clickref=1011lwfRHraX&aff=MARWW&affname=1101l15926&co=WW&nt=PH) in Boston. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-cost-way-more-than-they-should/972196/132 "2022-10-19T00:06:35Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Not knowing how much it cost would have been a dereliction of duty. Ha. I was a member of a university’s board of trustees. We were asked to approve a tuition increase “in line with our competition.” I asked what it cost to educate a student. Apparently that doesn’t factor in. I voted no ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2022, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-cost-way-more-than-they-should/972196/133 "2022-10-19T20:17:20Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I was a member of a university’s board of trustees. We were asked to approve a tuition increase “in line with our competition.” I asked what it cost to educate a student. Apparently that doesn’t factor in. I voted no Living up to your user name. Some years ago, I stayed at a Hilton in Baltimore. To get Wi-Fi in the room was $15/day. You could get a free signal in the lobby, so I checked my email in the lobby every day I was there (around 5 I think). Then they sent me a survey and I complained that every motel was giving free Wi-Fi and I knew their cost was negligible. I got back a reply saying that my complaint was unjust, every hotel was doing it, blah blah. I answered that if they didn’t want my opinion, don’t ask for it. Got no answer. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2022, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-cost-way-more-than-they-should/972196/134 "2022-10-21T00:28:40Z")
Memory in an Apple product. Holy shit, they want $1200 for 4TB of SSD storage. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2022, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-cost-way-more-than-they-should/972196/135 "2022-10-22T15:39:58Z")
I never wrap things any more, I buy tissue paper and an appropriate size gift bag from the dollar tree ($2.50 for both pieces). My husband loved the whole schmear, boxes, paper, tape, bows, spent a long time lovingly wrapping the many presents he ordered online. It kept him busy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-cost-way-more-than-they-should/972196.md?page=6)