Verizon ripping me off?

[ecwhite4S]

Okay, so I originally come from Cleveland, Ohio. Moved to Los Angeles, CA about 6 months ago. I went home to see family for the holidays just last week, was home for about 8 days, and in that time span decided to get rid of my LG env3 and upgrade to an iPhone 4S. So I go to my local Verizon, order it (wasn't in stock obviously), and I tell the girl that I live in LA, and asked if I could have it shipped there. She tells me of course, gets my address, then rings me up. I scan my credit card (she hadn't even told me the total), I figured it was about 215.00$ (199.99 for phone, 15.00 for tax) Well the phone arrives, and I check the receipt.... I was charged 258.00$!

She charged me for sales tax in CA! And also in CA, the tax is based on the full value of the phone (659$) So I paid about 40 dollars or more more than I should have.

Is it worth it to call and complain? I mean to be honest, she didn't even mention having to charge me for CA tax. If that was the case I would have had her send it to my mom and dad's house, and then have them just ship it to me. I know it's not an outrageous amount of money, it's just the principal.

What do you guys think? I mean, can she charge me CA taxes, when the phone was purchased in Ohio, has an Ohio phone number, etc? Especially without even mentioning it? Again, it's not really about the money to be honest, I just felt like she was a little sneaky about it.

 

[Applejuiced]

If its shipped to CA or your billing adress is there you will have to pay their tax. Its all done automatically. No way around it, you can complain but you have no leg to stand on.

 

[HKUSP.40]

Simply call *611 and talk to customer support. They're usually helpful and can take care of issues better than going to the Verizon store.

If its shipped to CA or your billing adress is there you will have to pay their tax. Its all done automatically. No way around it, you can complain but you have no leg to stand on.

If he paid for it at the store in OH (as in that store got his money) then he should pay OH sales tax. However, if the OH store simply ordered it online for him and processed everything online (same as if he had just done it from home) then he'd pay CA sales tax.

 

[ecwhite4S]

If its shipped to CA or your billing adress is there you will have to pay their tax. Its all done automatically. No way around it, you can complain but you have no leg to stand on.

Well let me elaborate on the story. When I got home, it was actually my mom who suggested that I use my upgrade and get the iPhone, since almost everyone in my family has iPhones. She said that she'd buy it for me since she didn't get me a Christmas present, I felt bad so I told her that I'd pay half of the phone so she'd only have to spend 100$. Also, I'm still on a family plan (a lot cheaper) so the billing address is in Ohio, and the account is based in Ohio, and I also used her credit card to make the purchase (I'm going to write my mom a check for half of the phone).

I suppose you could be right, I just don't think it makes sense to change me CA tax just because it's being shipped to CA. And of course CA is the ONLY state that taxes are based on the full retail value of the phone without the contract discount. If it's purchased in the state of Ohio, I thought OH taxes should apply. I mean if they wanted, they could have charged me extra to ship to CA, and I wouldn't have minded that...

I talked to my mom, and she also thought it was a little absurd.

But again, maybe you're right.

 

[Applejuiced]

I know it sucks.
The state I'm in also does the same.
I have it shipped to my adress and Apple charges me an extra $40-50 for tax.
Maybe if you had it mailed to the OH adress you wouldn't be stuck with the CA tax. But with everything that you also order online and mailed to CA you will get the same.

 

[HKUSP.40]

So, return it....re-buy it and have it shipped to your mom. Then have her ship it to you. Seems like a lot to do but if it saves you $50....

 

[ecwhite4S]

So, return it....re-buy it and have it shipped to your mom. Then have her ship it to you. Seems like a lot to do but if it saves you $50....

Well that's the thing, it's not really about the money to be honest. I wouldn't go through the whole process again to save the 50$, but it's just the principle. Was just under the impression that if something is purchased in X state, you get charged X state taxes. I guess I learned something new.

 

[terraphantm]

Well let me elaborate on the story. When I got home, it was actually my mom who suggested that I use my upgrade and get the iPhone, since almost everyone in my family has iPhones. She said that she'd buy it for me since she didn't get me a Christmas present, I felt bad so I told her that I'd pay half of the phone so she'd only have to spend 100$. Also, I'm still on a family plan (a lot cheaper) so the billing address is in Ohio, and the account is based in Ohio, and I also used her credit card to make the purchase (I'm going to write my mom a check for half of the phone).

I suppose you could be right, I just don't think it makes sense to change me CA tax just because it's being shipped to CA. And of course CA is the ONLY state that taxes are based on the full retail value of the phone without the contract discount. If it's purchased in the state of Ohio, I thought OH taxes should apply. I mean if they wanted, they could have charged me extra to ship to CA, and I wouldn't have minded that...

I talked to my mom, and she also thought it was a little absurd.

But again, maybe you're right.

Unfortunately that's the way it works. You get charged the tax rate of the state it's getting shipped to. If you physically received the phone in Ohio, then there wouldn't be an issue. I was very tempted to go to Delaware to buy my iPhone for a similar reason (no sales tax at all in DE). But then I did the calculations, and found that the extra gas would cost me about as much as my local tax

 

[HKUSP.40]

Well that's the thing, it's not really about the money to be honest. I wouldn't go through the whole process again to save the 50$, but it's just the principle. Was just under the impression that if something is purchased in X state, you get charged X state taxes. I guess I learned something new.

It all comes down to who got the $$. If the store in OH got your $$ then you should pay their tax rate. If they ordered it online for you and it's going direct from Apple to your CA residence then you should pay CA tax. I'd still call and ask to double check.

 

[ecwhite4S]

It all comes down to who got the $$. If the store in OH got your $$ then you should pay their tax rate. If they ordered it online for you and it's going direct from Apple to your CA residence then you should pay CA tax. I'd still call and ask to double check.

Good point...and that's what I was thinking, if the OH store took my money, then they should be charging me OH taxes. Maybe I'll call just to ask. And I'm not sure if it shipped from Apple, pretty sure when I tracked it, it said it shipped from Canada.

 

[aristobrat]

I guess I learned something new.

Also, it's really a good idea to verify the total of a charge before you sign for it.

If anything, had you caught this while you were still in the Ohio Verizon store, you could have had them explain it to you.

And who knows, maybe they would have thrown in a free case or something to have made you happy.

 

[ecwhite4S]

Also, it's really a good idea to verify the total of a charge before you sign for it.

If anything, had you caught this while you were still in the Ohio Verizon store, you could have had them explain it to you.

And who knows, maybe they would have thrown in a free case or something to have made you happy.

Also very true, I guess I just didn't think. Based on OH taxes, it would've been about 12-14$ for tax. I suppose when I bought it I just assumed it was about $215.00, so it is my bad that I didn't catch it at the time. But either way, she didn't say any sort of total, she just said "okay, swipe your card"... seemed a little sneaky, like she was avoiding mentioning the fact that I had to pay CA taxes. Should have said something at the moment, but my sister was with me, and I guess I was a little distracted.

 

[maliu]

It's the law. I ordered a MacBook from the Online Applestore for my daughter and had it sent to her in Arizona. I live in Hawaii. We had to pay AZ sales tax. If it was delivered to me I would have paid HI tax. The amount changed as soon as I entered the delivery address.

 

[Crystal-RX]

So, return it....re-buy it and have it shipped to your mom. Then have her ship it to you. Seems like a lot to do but if it saves you $50....

It would be better if you have someone in Oregon who can help to receive your phone. Oregon does not have sale tax at all.

 

[Tilpots]

California is ripping you off. Verizon's just obeying the law. Call your Congressmen if you really want to complain to someone. Taxing the consumer at retail value when that's not what you pay is absurd.

 

[Leonard1818]

California is ripping you off. Verizon's just obeying the law. Call your Congressmen if you really want to complain to someone. Taxing the consumer at retail value when that's not what you pay is absurd.

Yes, but when your state is going belly-up quicker than a starving beta fish, that's what they do... at least they let people (pretty much) poke smot legally...

Anyway OP, look it up on other sources than the MacRumors forums... it is how it is. If you don't like it, do a return and have it shipped to your parents house in Ohio and have them ship it to you...

But I don't think b*tching to verizon is going to get you anywhere:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1246111/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1283579/

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3565353?start=0&tstart=0