I've been emailing with shuttle-house back and forth a couple of times because of the way they promote their discount system plus a hidden fee. Basically, the sub-total of my invoice showed 20,840 yen which based on their discount chart should have been 22%, instead it said 21% so I sent them a pretty polite email asking why. Their response said that the value of my sub-total (20,840) was after tax and that the discount chart is based on before tax. Ok.... so I ask what tax? The package is being shipped to Canada so unless they're collecting our GST why are they charging me tax and... why are the listed prices showing the tax included price while the discount chart does not... very confusing for the customer. Their response: Oh sorry, that's not tax, my mistake, that's actually a surcharge for using a credit card which is also 5% (convenient right?). So I say fine, but if I was Japanese and the prices already have the taxes in them would I have to pay ANOTHER 5% in credit card surcharge on top of that? Also, that still doesn't explain why you have the discount chart displaying values for before tax and the item prices after tax... If would be so much easier to just show the price and the taxes/surcharges separately so that you can calculate your discount properly. My question to any guys that may have shopped at shuttle house in person, if you used your credit card did you get charged another 5%? Was the tax included in the price of the items or did you have to pay that separately as well? Basically, I'm trying to sort out what they are saying is true and what is doggy doodoo to cover up the mistakes in their initial responses.
Have noticed as well and I believe the GST, VAT, sales tax or whatever it is called locally is included but not deducted and I believe it is 6% in Japan. I assume it's too much of a hassle for them to do all the extra paperwork. Probably isn't even mandatory, all prices in Europe are VAT included as well and many online shops don't bother to adjust for local differences in VAT rate within the EU. Like Denmark has 25%, Germany 19.5%(?), UK something else again. Amazon is one example that does collect it for the destination country (Global something something I read it was called yesterday ). So getting something from Amazon UK is actually more expensive for say someone in Denmark vs someone in the UK (shipping cost aside) ... If you look at your bill/receipt the prices on it are inclusive of tax aren't they?
Yes they are but they have already admitted they don't collect Canadian tax... but that their credit card surcharge is the same as the local tax so that's why there isn't any difference. 5-6% seems high for a credit card surcharge though.
That's fine but since I don't live in Japan I don't have to pay their taxes... have you ever bought at shuttle house in person before? did you have to pay another 5% to use your credit card?
No, I buy from them regularly though. In my opinion their explanation of 5% credit surcharge is just to cover up the mistakes in their initial responses like you suggested I use debit card to make the payment everytime and I am charged the 5% too.
