Feel the same way about restaurants that don't have prices on their menu.
Basically assume "if you have to ask you can't afford it" because if the price wasn't an immediate deal breaker they wouldn't be withholding it.
Same with job listing, of they don't list the salary it's because they know that stating the salary would make you less likely to apply.
I moved last year. I looked into so many companies that drop off a box for later pickup. Only one of them (U-Haul) published their prices and they were very affordable.
They published their price because their marketing advantage was price.
Same with certain home improvement companies that hope once you're on the line, they can close the sale there and then.
I swear they must make all their money off people who don't want to think about what the job involves, and just hand over a chequebook.The water softener from Costco is £500, the one from ScrewFix is £400, but I'm curious how much the one from NameBrand is.
NameBrand website "Well, it can vary a lot depending on how complicated..."
Forum posts: "£2k including fitting and a year's salt, £1500 for the unit"
(Which isn't an insane price to just have it sorted, I just hate the bollocks excuses when everyone magically still comes out around £2k)The physical staircase will cost me about £1000, then a few days of skilled labour for someone to fit.
I wonder how much one of those "we'll just handle it" companies in the back of the sunday supplement could do it for...Oh, that's 15 times the price, wonderful.I get what your saying and obviously overpaying by 15x, like in your example is a terrible idea but, I will say, overpaying by a much smaller amount to save time is sometimes worth it.
One thing your example does not do, and its something most people don't do is factor in how much your time is worth. Is spending an extra $500, for example, worth as much as multiple hours of your time?
I absolutely agree.
Honestly, if NameBrand posted their prices, I might have considered them, as once my time organising/plumbing (or paying a plumber) is factored in, the difference isn't so massive.
I just loathe the principle of having to get a quote for even the basic device in a box!
yeah fuck that.
if they make you jump through hoops it was probably a shit deal anyway
