The "Golfnow" website COMPLETE PRICING DECEPTION

highergr0und · May 22, 2014

I do think it's crappy that they include tax on some stuff but not on others. You do still save money, but for 7% I would probably pick the tee time I really wanted instead of letting them force me.

eagles1 · May 22, 2014

[quote name='prorobo' timestamp='1400789918' post='9349015']
[quote name='domer' timestamp='1400784114' post='9348385']
I'm like 80% sure that everyone here is just trolling the OP. Like, his point is valid and not hard to understand. I think he would agree that paying less for golf is good. It's just that the discount is way less than advertised.

(By the way, I don't really think this is Golfnow's fault either, they don't know what state you're in and they have to quantify the discount somehow. But if you're in a high-tax state it kinda sucks.)
[/quote]

You would then be 100% wrong as no one is "trolling" the OP. It's simple economics and EVERY business does it. The concept is not difficult to understand. GolfNow did not [i]deceive[/i] the OP in any way, shape or form yet he feels slighted likely because he had to take a bigger hit on his credit card for the sake of his buddies. If he lived in a state without sales tax, this thread wouldn't even exist.

[b]The posted savings on GolfNow's site is in FACT the correct percentage off what you would pay at the course. The sales tax added on then goes to the state, not GolfNow. If you don't like it, change the tax law.[/b]

There's a "nicer" course in my area that doesn't include the sales tax in their posted rates. So when you get to the course, you're hit with a surcharge on the spot.
[/quote]

Let's use the following example:

Car "A" and Car "B" are exactly the same and are sitting right next to each other on the the car lot. Car "A" sells for 10,000. Car "B" sells for $9,500, with a sign hanging from the rear view mirror stating "$500 savings". I'm buying Car "B".

What I don't know is that the price of Car "A" is inclusive of sales tax. Car "B" is not.. Now, if I buy Car "B", I'm spending more than I would have paid for Car "A", even though Car "B" was advertised as "$500 savings".

Was the sign correct? Technically - yes.

The OP was not intended to disparage the discount, it was to show what is, in my opinion, a willfully deceptive marketing strategy.

How about putting an asterisk next to the "% savings", with the footnote being "*service fee and applicable state tax not included" disclaimer. Would that be so difficult? The disclaimer is even further warranted because all tee time listings other than the "hot deal" listings are inclusive of respective sales tax. I may be wrong here, but that it what I have noticed with my limited research.

I prefer to deal with businesses that advise me about their service/product versus baiting me in through trickery.

That is all, cause I can't dumb it down any further.

prorobo · May 22, 2014

[quote name='eagles1' timestamp='1400798804' post='9350005']
[quote name='prorobo' timestamp='1400789918' post='9349015']
[quote name='domer' timestamp='1400784114' post='9348385']
I'm like 80% sure that everyone here is just trolling the OP. Like, his point is valid and not hard to understand. I think he would agree that paying less for golf is good. It's just that the discount is way less than advertised.

(By the way, I don't really think this is Golfnow's fault either, they don't know what state you're in and they have to quantify the discount somehow. But if you're in a high-tax state it kinda sucks.)
[/quote]

You would then be 100% wrong as no one is "trolling" the OP. It's simple economics and EVERY business does it. The concept is not difficult to understand. GolfNow did not [i]deceive[/i] the OP in any way, shape or form yet he feels slighted likely because he had to take a bigger hit on his credit card for the sake of his buddies. If he lived in a state without sales tax, this thread wouldn't even exist.

[b]The posted savings on GolfNow's site is in FACT the correct percentage off what you would pay at the course. The sales tax added on then goes to the state, not GolfNow. If you don't like it, change the tax law.[/b]

There's a "nicer" course in my area that doesn't include the sales tax in their posted rates. So when you get to the course, you're hit with a surcharge on the spot.
[/quote]

Let's use the following example:

Car "A" and Car "B" are exactly the same and are sitting right next to each other on the the car lot. Car "A" sells for 10,000. Car "B" sells for $9,500, with a sign hanging from the rear view mirror stating "$500 savings". I'm buying Car "B".

What I don't know is that the price of Car "A" is inclusive of sales tax. Car "B" is not.. Now, if I buy Car "B", I'm spending more than I would have paid for Car "A", even though Car "B" was advertised as "$500 savings".

Was the sign correct? Technically - yes.

The OP was not intended to disparage the discount, it was to show what is, in my opinion, a willfully deceptive marketing strategy.

How about putting an asterisk next to the "% savings", with the footnote being "*service fee and applicable state tax not included" disclaimer. Would that be so difficult? The disclaimer is even further warranted because all tee time listings other than the "hot deal" listings are inclusive of respective sales tax. I may be wrong here, but that it what I have noticed with my limited research.

I prefer to deal with businesses that advise me about their service/product versus baiting me in through trickery.

That is all, cause I can't dumb it down any further.
[/quote]

Your analogy doesn't work at all.

It has been explained tenfold now how "hot deals" work versus the times that are paid at the course.

You don't get it.

And you still saved 12.5% after taxes if the total was $350 for four people so your arithmetic is off as well ($350 ÷ 4 = $87.50).

patrick421 · May 22, 2014

[quote name='eagles1' timestamp='1400798804' post='9350005']
[quote name='prorobo' timestamp='1400789918' post='9349015']
[quote name='domer' timestamp='1400784114' post='9348385']
I'm like 80% sure that everyone here is just trolling the OP. Like, his point is valid and not hard to understand. I think he would agree that paying less for golf is good. It's just that the discount is way less than advertised.

(By the way, I don't really think this is Golfnow's fault either, they don't know what state you're in and they have to quantify the discount somehow. But if you're in a high-tax state it kinda sucks.)
[/quote]

You would then be 100% wrong as no one is "trolling" the OP. It's simple economics and EVERY business does it. The concept is not difficult to understand. GolfNow did not [i]deceive[/i] the OP in any way, shape or form yet he feels slighted likely because he had to take a bigger hit on his credit card for the sake of his buddies. If he lived in a state without sales tax, this thread wouldn't even exist.

[b]The posted savings on GolfNow's site is in FACT the correct percentage off what you would pay at the course. The sales tax added on then goes to the state, not GolfNow. If you don't like it, change the tax law.[/b]

There's a "nicer" course in my area that doesn't include the sales tax in their posted rates. So when you get to the course, you're hit with a surcharge on the spot.
[/quote]

Let's use the following example:

Car "A" and Car "B" are exactly the same and are sitting right next to each other on the the car lot. Car "A" sells for 10,000. Car "B" sells for $9,500, with a sign hanging from the rear view mirror stating "$500 savings". I'm buying Car "B".

What I don't know is that the price of Car "A" is inclusive of sales tax. Car "B" is not.. Now, if I buy Car "B", I'm spending more than I would have paid for Car "A", even though Car "B" was advertised as "$500 savings".

Was the sign correct? Technically - yes.

The OP was not intended to disparage the discount, it was to show what is, in my opinion, a willfully deceptive marketing strategy.

How about putting an asterisk next to the "% savings", with the footnote being "*service fee and applicable state tax not included" disclaimer. Would that be so difficult? The disclaimer is even further warranted because all tee time listings other than the "hot deal" listings are inclusive of respective sales tax. I may be wrong here, but that it what I have noticed with my limited research.

I prefer to deal with businesses that advise me about their service/product versus baiting me in through trickery.

That is all, cause I can't dumb it down any further.
[/quote]

Here is a good one, join a private club and be done with it. Save all the time and energy you have spent on here whining about a website that makes booking more convenient and use it on something constructive like your short game at your new course. Golfnow is up front about everything they do just have to read the rules.

TM_HOYER · May 22, 2014

[quote name='eagles1' timestamp='1400722113' post='9343635']
[quote name='papichulosteve' timestamp='1400721796' post='9343587']
[b]not sure what you mean by extra taxes,[/b] I've never seen that. but the 'hot deals' are hot for a reason...they're non-refundable. [b]its not a trick[/b], they're pretty upfront that those deals, normally one a day at a specific time require pre-payment. Those deals are normally through the company themselves, and have nothing to do with the course, hence why you cannot pay when you get there. You can't just call up the course and ask for that price, b/c those are specific times that were allocated, and most likely paid for by golfnow.
[/quote]

Well my experience was different.

On "golfnow", my tee time "deal" booking [b]did not [/b]include sales tax figures in the price. You don't discover that until you hit "book" time, then the tax amount appears on the invoice, though not clearly as it it lumped in under the "tax and fees" line item. Maybe they only do this with states that have a sales tax. Dunno.

[b]Regular tee time fees (without discount) on "golfnow" has the tax included in the initial quote. The "hot deals" tee times do not. Therefore, what is listed as a "25% discount" on a "hot deal" over the regular rate is overstated, because they are comparing the pre tax "hot deal" rate with the higher cost option that has the tax already included in price.[/b]

[b]That's the deception.[/b]
[/quote]

Your assumptions are incorrect. With the Hot Deal you were paying Golf Now for greens fee, service fee, and taxes. For the others, you were paying just the service fee to Golf Now. When you get the course you would pay the greens fee plus taxes. So your $100 greens fee would be $100 plus any sales tax. What ever assumption you were making that the $100 included the sales tax is incorrect.

iyi4iyian · May 22, 2014

got to love people complaining about saving a couple bucks smh

Jaylasvegas · May 22, 2014

I hate it when a website twist's my arm and forces me to use it's services

eagles1 · May 23, 2014

[quote name='TM_HOYER' timestamp='1400810371' post='9351163']
[quote name='eagles1' timestamp='1400722113' post='9343635']
[quote name='papichulosteve' timestamp='1400721796' post='9343587']
not sure what you mean by extra taxes, I've never seen that. but the 'hot deals' are hot for a reason...they're non-refundable.[b] its not [/b]a trick, they're pretty upfront that those deals, normally one a day at a specific time require pre-payment. Those deals are normally through the company themselves, and have nothing to do with the course, hence why you cannot pay when you get there. You can't just call up the course and ask for that price, b/c those are specific times that were allocated, and most likely paid for by golfnow.
[/quote]

Well my experience was different.

On "golfnow", my tee time "deal" booking did not include sales tax figures in the price. You don't discover that until you hit "book" time, then the tax amount appears on the invoice, though not clearly as it it lumped in under the "tax and fees" line item. Maybe they only do this with states that have a sales tax. Dunno.

Regular tee time fees (without discount) on "golfnow" has the tax included in the initial quote. The "hot deals" tee times do not. Therefore, what is listed as a "25% discount" on a "hot deal" over the regular rate is overstated, because they are comparing the pre tax "hot deal" rate with the higher cost option that has the tax already included in price.

That's the deception.
[/quote]

[b]Your assumptions are incorrect. With the Hot Deal you were paying Golf Now for greens fee, service fee, and taxes. For the others, you were paying just the service fee to Golf Now. When you get the course you would pay the greens fee plus taxes. [u]So your $100 greens fee would be $100 plus any sales tax. What ever assumption you were making that the $100 included the sales tax is incorrect.[/u][/b]
[/quote]

Once again, this is incorrect. In New Jersey, the sales tax IS INCLUDED in the price displayed for all tee times, except for the 'hot deals".

That's the whole point of the thread.

I think we're done here.