Watchlords

Been eons since I bought on the grey market since I refuse to did business with pre-owned Rolex gougers and insist on paying AD retail for the brand, plus tax of course.
So imagine my surprise when former Wild West sites like Chrono 24 and eBay wanted to add sales tax to my newly purchased Omega Speedmaster. That was a deal breaker and a serious buzz kill. Needless to say I didn't buy the watch at either site. Part of the hunt is saving cash and getting a relative deal.
I got 20% off retail doing grey (with some searching), free shipping and didn't have to pay 8.3 percent sales tax. Amazing how many other aftermarket joints are charging tax. For some reason this bums me out (ancient 1960s saying) and makes me wonder what watch collecting is coming to - sort of like an 1880s cowpoke who realized the Indians Wars were over, barbed wire was here to stay and horses were history.

This tax thing on eBay is very frustrating. Even if the supposed vendor is in China, eBay still charges the sales tax, as they seemingly do now on all purchases. Where is that $ going?

I still purchase stuff on eBay, as the prices are often the best I can find, I don't have to look far, and with free shipping in most cases and 3-5 day delivery, it works for me. About 1,000 purchases over the years, and very little problems or aggavation. Buy the seller.

The sales tax collected by online sites go back to the states-------- because they just don't seem to get enough.
Everything I purchase online (Amazon, Walmart, autoparts stores, etc.) shipping to Washington State has our ±10% tax tacked on.

I have found one watch AD out of California that doesn't charge the tax----- based on the honor system that I will pay the state directly. Unknown if the sale gets reported to them though.

First it was no sales tax for merchandise on line.

Then it was sales tax IF the seller had a physical brick and mortar store in the state where you lived.

Then it went to all merchandise was subject to sales tax --- EVEN FROM INDIVIDUALS.

MONEY for the states to piss away.

Oregon has no sales tax. (We pay like 25% income tax and high property taxes to make up for it.) The things I buy online, including the "bay," are not taxed.

I had two experiences where ass clowns tried to make me pay sales tax, I lit them up.

smellody wrote: ↑

July 19th 2023, 7:39am

Oregon has no sales tax. (We pay like 25% income tax and high property taxes to make up for it.) The things I buy online, including the "bay," are not taxed.

Looks like I'll need to start funneling my purchases through either you or mark1 going forward

Condolences on your terrible income/property taxes, I mean that seriously.

codguy wrote: ↑

July 19th 2023, 9:04am

smellody wrote: ↑

July 19th 2023, 7:39am

Oregon has no sales tax. (We pay like 25% income tax and high property taxes to make up for it.) The things I buy online, including the "bay," are not taxed.

Looks like I'll need to start funneling my purchases through either you or mark1 going forward

Condolences on your terrible income/property taxes, I mean that seriously.

I am nearly complacent to them although I hate that they are progressive and my ass fucking hurts.

I figure I've got to pay sales tax if I buy in person, shouldn't expect it to be different via the internet. It used to be that no tax was collected, the man hadn't figured it out yet. Those wild and wooly days was the appeal of the internet; everything was FREE!

Reality has caught up and the tax man will have his due.

Nothing to do with wartches, but Oregon residents used to be able to buy stuff in Washington without paying sales tax. This changed a few years ago and I now pay sales tax on most everything outside of groceries. I say most everything because I can buy a vehicle in Washington without the sales tax. In order to escape the sales tax, the vehicle is driven over the bridge to Oregon by a dealer rep. Cod,let me know if you want to try and save some sales tax. I can neither confirm nor deny that I "own" a tractor that my cousin keeps at his house in SW Washington. The tractor that I own was purchased in Washington and delivered tax free to me in Oregon.

What a fuckin' bunch of shit this is for American business and consumers. Filing sales tax reports for every state where sales are made has appreciably raised operating expenses. Consumers not only pay their state's sales tax on out of state purchases but now pay the additional overhead of tracking, reporting, and paying the tax to multiple states tat is passed on in higher prices. I've seen estimates of as much as a median of 6% over the tax. (@ Statista IIRC)

I sure miss the good old days.

Bartering. I'm moving into the bartering economy!

Smellody: I will trade you a wiggly little rabbit for your Polar Explorer.

boscoe wrote: ↑

July 19th 2023, 9:59pm

Smellody: I will trade you a wiggly little rabbit for your Polar Explorer.

Rabbit pictures ??

DocKlock wrote: ↑

July 19th 2023, 6:36am

First it was no sales tax for merchandise on line.

Then it was sales tax IF the seller had a physical brick and mortar store in the state where you lived.

Then it went to all merchandise was subject to sales tax --- EVEN FROM INDIVIDUALS.

MONEY for the states to piss away.

^^ this! This is the shit that burns my damn toast! Commanding CA sales tax from an online vendor located in… who gives a damn, Texas? New York? I bought it out of state, not in CA, so this is for you:

Nuvolari wrote: ↑

July 20th 2023, 3:06pm

DocKlock wrote: ↑

July 19th 2023, 6:36am

First it was no sales tax for merchandise on line.

Then it was sales tax IF the seller had a physical brick and mortar store in the state where you lived.

Then it went to all merchandise was subject to sales tax --- EVEN FROM INDIVIDUALS.

MONEY for the states to piss away.

^^ this! This is the shit that burns my damn toast! Commanding CA sales tax from an online vendor located in… who gives a damn, Texas? New York? I bought it out of state, not in CA, so this is for you:

Used to be in Cali that if someone from out of state bought something and shipped said purchase to their home address, CA sales taxes were waived. That is until some beeyouteeful Californians with homes in at least one other state got busted mailing rocks or whatnot to their out of state address whilst their artwork, baubles, and sew Fourth wound up in their cali digs. All that's changed and through several evolutions of tax law and power the CA Franchise Tax Board has been beefed up to make the IRS look like a bunch of Cub Scouts.

Some forums require it. When I sold a load of train gear on eBay it was a choice as the seller could absorb it or not charge. I agree with your statement though. I remember in the "60's when swap meets were the rage, the tax guy was at the exit and asked how much we sold and then applied the tax. We always said not a thing. We never paid them for this, bad enough it cost to rent the space.
I say taxes are an affront to personal sales. I never charged on any of the watches I sold nor paid sellers.