darkSpyro

Amazon has Swap Force Countdown for $7.99 right now and Swap Force Zoo Lou coming up.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/gb/ref=aw_he_gb

how long does the lightning deals last. I just check the link and it has something else up now.

Quote: thunder1648

how long does the lightning deals last. I just check the link and it has something else up now.

Use this link:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/goldbox

As you can see they have times allocated to each deal.

You have to be kidding me. This is a "deal" ?!?!?

He said that it was $7.99 and it was a limited time only offer... Jeez.

Quote: Krush_Hour

You have to be kidding me. This is a "deal" ?!?!?

That's the normal price. The lightning deal hasn't started yet.

zzzz. Get back to me when they're $5.

Quote: GhostRoaster

zzzz. Get back to me when they're $5.

Yeah, even better - starting on Feb 1st we also get to pay sales tax on Amazon ...

Quote: defpally

Yeah, even better - starting on Feb 1st we also get to pay sales tax on Amazon ...

It's funny because I have been paying sales tax for a while now except on my last order. o_0

Quote: defpally

Quote: GhostRoaster

zzzz. Get back to me when they're $5.

Yeah, even better - starting on Feb 1st we also get to pay sales tax on Amazon ...

Man this stinks. Oh well...there goes the age of innocence for online purchasing.

Sales tax is only in certain states. Thankfulky not mine 19 other states are not so lucky.

arizona
california
conneticut
georgia
indiana
kansas
kentucky
massachusetts
nevada
new jersey
new york
north dakota
pennsylvania
tennessee
texas
virginia
washington
west virginia
wisconsin

Quote: GhostRoaster

Quote: defpally

Quote: GhostRoaster

zzzz. Get back to me when they're $5.

Yeah, even better - starting on Feb 1st we also get to pay sales tax on Amazon ...

Man this stinks. Oh well...there goes the age of innocence for online purchasing.

Someone has to pay for those big corporate tax breaks. What, you don't donate millions to political campaigns and get put in the position of designing state finances to most benefit your extensive chain of retail businesses? No tax break for you!

Quote: defpally

Quote: GhostRoaster

Quote: defpally

Yeah, even better - starting on Feb 1st we also get to pay sales tax on Amazon ...

Man this stinks. Oh well...there goes the age of innocence for online purchasing.

Someone has to pay for those big corporate tax breaks. What, you don't donate millions to political campaigns and get put in the position of designing state finances to most benefit your extensive chain of retail businesses? No tax break for you!

No special tax breaks...flatten tax law. If it means even foregoing on writing off mortgage interest so be it. No one is special. Problem with that is someone "special" is always working the system.

Quote:

Items: $9.96
Shipping & handling: $4.98
Lightning Deal: -$1.97
Total before tax: $12.97
Estimated tax to be collected: $1.04
Order total: $14.01

vs. paying at most $11 in store or even off a website that offers free shipping to store. This isn't worth it.

EDIT: Wait they charge tax on the *shipping* now too?

Quote: GhostRoaster

No special tax breaks...flatten tax law. If it means even foregoing on writing off mortgage interest so be it. No one is special. Problem with that is someone "special" is always working the system.

Sounds nice, on the surface. You still need progressive thresholds. Someone making $15k a year minimum wage doesn't need to be paying the same percentage of their dollar as you and I, at least not if we think they should be able to eat. And a wealthy corporation needs to be paying more of their dollar than you or I, as they use and benefit a great deal more from infrastructure than we do. I'd be fine with the progressive tax rates of today, if we eliminated all of the loopholes that result in us paying 20+% and someone like Mitt Romney paying 11% or GE clocking in at a bit fat ZERO. The tax rates aren't where the unfairness lie, it's the tax breaks and loopholes ("special" rules, as you put it) which overwhelming benefit the wealthy in ways you and I could never hope to benefit. Keep in mind, we didn't have a debt/deficit problem until that train wreck Reaganomics policy kicked in in the 80s (it looked great on the surface, until you realize the primary result is it funnels money upwards).

Quote: Kung Fu Man

Quote:

Items: $9.96
Shipping & handling: $4.98
Lightning Deal: -$1.97
Total before tax: $12.97
Estimated tax to be collected: $1.04
Order total: $14.01

vs. paying at most $11 in store or even off a website that offers free shipping to store. This isn't worth it.

EDIT: Wait they charge tax on the *shipping* now too?

Yes, they do. It is "sales" after all, if you don't pay it then they have to. Amazon is always a tough one for me lately, especially since they went ot the $35 for free shipping thing. I usually had a couple things we needed saved up when a deal popped up, but I've found meeting the additional $10 for free shipping is tougher than it seems. I try to avoid buying things I don't need just to meet the threshold (unless the shipping cost is great than the price of the item). With the higher Super Super, and now tax it will definitely have an impact on my future decision to use Amazon.

Quote: defpally

Yes, they do. It is "sales" after all, if you don't pay it then they have to. Amazon is always a tough one for me lately, especially since they went ot the $35 for free shipping thing. I usually had a couple things we needed saved up when a deal popped up, but I've found meeting the additional $10 for free shipping is tougher than it seems. I try to avoid buying things I don't need just to meet the threshold (unless the shipping cost is great than the price of the item). With the higher Super Super, and now tax it will definitely have an impact on my future decision to use Amazon.

Yeah, I am in the same boat mentally. Amazon was always the best place to get things for me but since I am no longer a student , Prime is 79$ a year and I don't purchase as much stuff as I used to so I may have to opt out. The new 35$ free shipping change really makes it difficult to consider Amazon to be the best option for a consumer anymore.

Even at $79 per year, Amazon Prime is a good deal, since I order nearly everything from there. I am definitely a "loss-leader" customer for them in terms of shipping. If you consider that Netflix and Hulu charge $8 per month times 12 months, Amazon Prime still comes out cheaper if you watch TV and movies. Plus Hulu and Netflix don't ship Skylanders items! It's no wonder I don't want to pay $7.99 s/h to TRU and I want my stuff in 2 days.

PS: You can soon add Florida to that list of states where Amazon must charge sales tax. Sadly.

I am not saying it is not a good deal, but I am saying it is not the best deal if you do not order items frequently.

Prime has some great features - like the streaming - only if you use them. We don't have Netflix or Hulu Plus (or really care about them), or it would be a more compelling offering for us. I really don't order that much from them, but I think this will cause that to drop further. I have two years of Gamer's Club at Best Buy, so it that is already a better option for gaming in most cases.

Quote: defpally

Quote: GhostRoaster

No special tax breaks...flatten tax law. If it means even foregoing on writing off mortgage interest so be it. No one is special. Problem with that is someone "special" is always working the system.

Sounds nice, on the surface. You still need progressive thresholds. Someone making $15k a year minimum wage doesn't need to be paying the same percentage of their dollar as you and I, at least not if we think they should be able to eat. And a wealthy corporation needs to be paying more of their dollar than you or I, as they use and benefit a great deal more from infrastructure than we do. I'd be fine with the progressive tax rates of today, if we eliminated all of the loopholes that result in us paying 20+% and someone like Mitt Romney paying 11% or GE clocking in at a bit fat ZERO. The tax rates aren't where the unfairness lie, it's the tax breaks and loopholes ("special" rules, as you put it) which overwhelming benefit the wealthy in ways you and I could never hope to benefit. Keep in mind, we didn't have a debt/deficit problem until that train wreck Reaganomics policy kicked in in the 80s (it looked great on the surface, until you realize the primary result is it funnels money upwards).

We also don't need to give people refunds who didn't work. The opposite effect of funneling money downwards from people working hard is also a trend I don't like...even the playing field. Comparing a corporation to a person is night and day...and corporations gets all the breaks while I get it broken in me.

Quote: GhostRoaster

We also don't need to give people refunds who didn't work. The opposite effect of funneling money downwards from people working hard is also a trend I don't like...even the playing field. Comparing a corporation to a person is night and day...and corporations gets all the breaks while I get it broken in me.

There is your mistake. It is a standard narrative these days, particularly from the right that wealth = hard work. There are tons of people that work 40+ hour weeks and can barely scrape by. A significant majority of the welfare/food stamp roles are actively working (unlike the old Reagan era "welfare queen" narrative), they just don't make enough to cross the poverty line. My mom actually thinks like this, she believes that 99% of the people on government assistance are just lazy (and refuses to listen to any evidence otherwise). Her hard partying, vacationing former boss used to throw her peanuts and empty promises right up until the day he cashed in and and she was left looking for work - and it still didn't change her mind. Minimum wage in a full time job is not above the poverty line. And out of work does also not mean not willing to work. Maybe not willing to go from a job that can support your family to a $15k a year job at McDonalds. You're a working professional, you know what kind of impact that sort of thing (massive downgrade in job) can do to your prospects, hopes and dignity.

I look at something like the book Atlas Shrugged, that many in the "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" crowd enjoy and think about how it would work out in reality. If the top 1% decided to seal themselves off from society (John Galt style), what would actually happen? They would wither and die. Because for the most part they aren't the ones putting in the work, the ones making things, the ones growing things or the ones thinking things up. They are just throwing you a red herring to think you could, if you work really, really hard you might be able to join them. That sounds really good, but you know it is a mirage.

We need to stop handing tax breaks to the "job creators" (ha ha) and simply hope they hire people. It needs to be "hire some people, then we talk about giving you a break based on how many you hire". Make them pay for their breaks by hiring people - and paying them enough to survive without public help. Yes, it is getting broken off in you, but it isn't the family living from paycheck to paycheck and using food stamps to feed their kids that is doing it. It's the top level that get a 2,000 to 1 pay ratio over the average worker that have their politicians on speed dial to look out for their best interests. That ratio is where all those "job creating" tax breaks over the past 3 decades went. It's the mindset that they do 2,000 times the "hard work" than the average person.

Quote: defpally

Quote: GhostRoaster

We also don't need to give people refunds who didn't work. The opposite effect of funneling money downwards from people working hard is also a trend I don't like...even the playing field. Comparing a corporation to a person is night and day...and corporations gets all the breaks while I get it broken in me.

There is your mistake. It is a standard narrative these days, particularly from the right that wealth = hard work. There are tons of people that work 40+ hour weeks and can barely scrape by. A significant majority of the welfare/food stamp roles are actively working (unlike the old Reagan era "welfare queen" narrative), they just don't make enough to cross the poverty line. My mom actually thinks like this, she believes that 99% of the people on government assistance are just lazy (and refuses to listen to any evidence otherwise). Her hard partying, vacationing former boss used to throw her peanuts and empty promises right up until the day he cashed in and and she was left looking for work - and it still didn't change her mind. Minimum wage in a full time job is not above the poverty line. And out of work does also not mean not willing to work. Maybe not willing to go from a job that can support your family to a $15k a year job at McDonalds. You're a working professional, you know what kind of impact that sort of thing (massive downgrade in job) can do to your prospects, hopes and dignity.

I look at something like the book Atlas Shrugged, that many in the "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" crowd enjoy and think about how it would work out in reality. If the top 1% decided to seal themselves off from society (John Galt style), what would actually happen? They would wither and die. Because for the most part they aren't the ones putting in the work, the one making things, the ones growing things or the ones thinking things up. They are just throwing you a red herring to think you could, if you work really, really hard you might be able to join them. That sounds really good, but you know it is a mirage.

We need to stop handing tax breaks to the "job creators" (ha ha) and simply hope they hire people. It needs to be "hire some people, then we talk about giving you a break based on how many you hire". Make them pay for their breaks by hiring people - and paying them enough to survive without public help. Yes, it is getting broken off in you, but it isn't the family living from paycheck to paycheck and using food stamps to feed their kids that is doing it. It's the top level that get a 2,000 to 1 pay ratio over the average worker that have their politicians on speed dial to look out for their best interests. That ratio is where all those "job creating" tax breaks over the past 3 decades went. It's the mindset that they do 2,000 times the "hard work" than the average person.

A few years ago, I would have complete disagreed (I woke up since); but you nailed this!

Quote: defpally

Quote: GhostRoaster

We also don't need to give people refunds who didn't work. The opposite effect of funneling money downwards from people working hard is also a trend I don't like...even the playing field. Comparing a corporation to a person is night and day...and corporations gets all the breaks while I get it broken in me.

There is your mistake. It is a standard narrative these days, particularly from the right that wealth = hard work. There are tons of people that work 40+ hour weeks and can barely scrape by. A significant majority of the welfare/food stamp roles are actively working (unlike the old Reagan era "welfare queen" narrative), they just don't make enough to cross the poverty line. My mom actually thinks like this, she believes that 99% of the people on government assistance are just lazy (and refuses to listen to any evidence otherwise). Her hard partying, vacationing former boss used to throw her peanuts and empty promises right up until the day he cashed in and and she was left looking for work - and it still didn't change her mind. Minimum wage in a full time job is not above the poverty line. And out of work does also not mean not willing to work. Maybe not willing to go from a job that can support your family to a $15k a year job at McDonalds. You're a working professional, you know what kind of impact that sort of thing (massive downgrade in job) can do to your prospects, hopes and dignity.

I look at something like the book Atlas Shrugged, that many in the "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" crowd enjoy and think about how it would work out in reality. If the top 1% decided to seal themselves off from society (John Galt style), what would actually happen? They would wither and die. Because for the most part they aren't the ones putting in the work, the ones making things, the ones growing things or the ones thinking things up. They are just throwing you a red herring to think you could, if you work really, really hard you might be able to join them. That sounds really good, but you know it is a mirage.

We need to stop handing tax breaks to the "job creators" (ha ha) and simply hope they hire people. It needs to be "hire some people, then we talk about giving you a break based on how many you hire". Make them pay for their breaks by hiring people - and paying them enough to survive without public help. Yes, it is getting broken off in you, but it isn't the family living from paycheck to paycheck and using food stamps to feed their kids that is doing it. It's the top level that get a 2,000 to 1 pay ratio over the average worker that have their politicians on speed dial to look out for their best interests. That ratio is where all those "job creating" tax breaks over the past 3 decades went. It's the mindset that they do 2,000 times the "hard work" than the average person.

Are you familiar with the 10 Men Drinking Beer story ?


Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this…

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing
The fifth would pay $1
The sixth would pay $3
The seventh would pay $7
The eighth would pay $12
The ninth would pay $18
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59

So, that’s what they decided to do.

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve ball.

“Since you are all such good customers,” he said, “I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20″. Drinks for the ten men would now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men ? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his fair share?

The bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by a higher percentage the poorer he was, to follow the principle of the tax system they had been using, and he proceeded to work out the amounts he suggested that each should now pay.

And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% saving).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% saving).
The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% saving).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% saving).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% saving).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% saving).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But, once outside the bar, the men began to compare their savings.

“I only got a dollar out of the $20 saving,” declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,”but he got $10!”

“Yeah, that’s right,” exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more benefit than me!”

“That’s true!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back, when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!”

“Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison, “we didn’t get anything at all. This new tax system exploits the poor!”

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks so the nine sat down and had their beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and government ministers, is how our tax system works. The people who already pay the highest taxes will naturally get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas, where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

Quote: bo1500000

A few years ago, I would have complete disagreed (I woke up since); but you nailed this!

As would I have disagreed several years back. I work hard, defended the company line, etc, etc. Then I was cut loose along with many others, a few months after the Bush tax cuts that were to stimulate "growth and jobs" at the same time the company was reporting a large growth in profits. With a new baby and a house payment. Because Wall St. told them their profits "weren't large enough" and their "overhead was too high". "Overhead" is another name for "jobs". It's amazing what personal experience can do to your perspective. It won't happen to me because I am in control of my destiny. Until it does. I was at work, the only developer there, until after 9pm (13+ hour day), fixing a problem caused by deployment the very day before it happened. And that was not a rare occurrence. It wasn't because of job performance (which they specifically told me it wasn't), they simply decided that getting rid of a layer of us "hard workers" with certain job titles would satisfy the investors.

Do NOT believe that it will never happen to you. Be it healthcare, job, or otherwise. The line they tell you that if you vote in the best interests of the wealthy then it will trickle down to you is a lie. When your time in need comes up they will turn their back on you and lump you in with the people they tell you to call "takers".

Quote: Krush_Hour

And that, boys and girls, journalists and government ministers, is how our tax system works. The people who already pay the highest taxes will naturally get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas, where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

Funny story, but let them go. They can go live on their happy little tax free haven island, just like John Galt. Except the reason they are insanely wealthy and live in luxury is because the rest of us provide for them with our hard work. Who is going to serve them a beer? Or make their car? Or do their yard work? Or protect their valuables? Or grow their food? Or clean up their waste? Or provide their electricity? Eventually the people there get tired of subsisting on scraps working their fingers to the bone while the guy that does nothing but move his money around lives it up. They get tired of being called "takers" too.

The 9 people can do without a beer. Wealth has no use without an economic structure. The 1 cannot do without the 9.

They are welcome to try out a new bar in one of those tax havens that benefit them so well. That story doesn't end the way you think it does. Every time in history a society's wealth disparity reaches a certain tipping point it does not end well. Last time it happened here was directly preceding the Great Depression. Many of the wealthy leapt out of tall buildings rather than face a life of existing like the "takers". And our Great Depression is child's play compared to what happened in other countries - like the French Revolution. Read up on your history, it's fascinating.

Personally the morale of the story to me sounds more like the first 9 men are all just a bunch of ungrateful drunks that got what they deserved in the end when they couldn't even afford their drinks. A bunch of people forgetting about how much they weren't paying for beer even before the discount. Maybe if they didn't drink in the bar EVERYDAY, they'd have more money. Maybe not take advise from a guy that runs the bar.


Quote:

“Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison, “we didn’t get anything at all. This new tax system exploits the poor!”

You got free beer...


Anyways... Yes, the tax system here in the States is screwed up. I just don't think the above story is a good example of how it works.

Due to some funny law i can only purchase books and DVD,s from Amazon .

Quote: Dark fhoenix

Due to some funny law i can only purchase books and DVD,s from Amazon .

Or you set a restriction to thats the only thing your account can shop for.

Wow this topic got way off track. This can be closed.

Yeah for some reason I keep coming back thinking theres gonna be new info on lightning deals to find more talking about taxes and what not for amazon. to close it all you have to do is goto your original post and do the edit and then click the close in the upper left corner. You will have to wait five minutes I think it after the last comment has been made before it will let you close it though.