How do you feel about dynamic pricing?
 

Heard a blip on the radio that Amazon was possibly opening physical stores but without actual price tags on the items.
You have to point your smartphone at it.
After you've been identified, your personalized price is based upon algorithms from data already collected over years by the .db brokers.

The obvious variables would include wealth, spending habits, immediate need, shopping diligence, etc.
But they could also include many more personal data-points such as physical health, political affiliation or other factors which many people might find a bit creepy.

There are currently zero laws against [myself as a merchant] charging Sara twice as much as Frank for the same item or service. I don't have to explain anything to Sara when she complains and the complex code I use is very proprietary and secret and always changing.

Some misc reading for reference:
CNN.com - Web sites change prices based on customers' habits - Jun 24, 2005
Dynamic Pricing: How to Beat Back Price Bots and Get the Best Deal
How Web Sites Vary Prices Based on Your Information (and What You Can Do About It)

Yeah, no.

I've already read about tricks of clearing your brower's cache before buying certain things. Another reason to run a tighter ship, security-wise.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

When shopping for airline tickets, I always clear my cookies between price-checks.

I've seen an airline ticket double or triple in price because you performed a handful of searches to try to find the best price.

If Amazon went to that, I'd probably never purchase an item in their store. I think people would revolt.

I think folks that got better prices would offer their services until the prices started to go up. I don't think it will work in the long run for many reasons.

"They" just keep pushing it.

There's a lot to be said for supporting local business even if it costs you a bit extra.

When you got to "After you've been identified" I was out! I don't care if it costs me more. Personal privacy is worth more than a few bucks.

Once upon a time I had to get a bereavement flight in a hurry, which should have been cheaper than normal.
But the price was outrageous.
I contacted the service another way.
That flight was now about half the price.
(maight not work these days with the conglomeration and cross-referencing of various DBs and static IPs. Smartphones 'n all. Built into the OS these days.)

Can't imagine the day when someone wealthy runs to CVS at 4am for an inhaler and it charges them $30,000...

Because I want to deal with airline-like opaque pricing on everything. :rolleyes:

Nope. I like the model where a seller says what they're asking, I counter by saying what I'm offering to pay, then a negotiation happens.

Screw the whole "big data" model.

If this came to fruition, I would never buy another item in my life....most times I don't even have my cell phone with me, let alone stuck to my hand using data ! This is honestly the most foolish idea I have heard of in awhile now for the consumer....great for the retailer though, they could track your buying habits, and predict what you will buy next ???? Oh hell no !

I value my privacy too much for this crap.

I DO hope they include behavior on returning items in their pricing. Some people abuse the hell out of that. Pisses me off, because they drive up prices for everyone else.

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I dontshop where prices aren't displayed. It smacks of "if you have to ask the price then you can't afford it"

This example sounds fun, though

The Drink Exchange

Tangent: Forbes Welcome

Exactly!

Good luck with that.

I predict that if this is widely adopted, it will only be a matter of time before someone accuses (possibly correctly) a retailer of discrimination.

My wife used to work for May Company, absorbed by Macy's. They used to see tons of jewelry and prom dresses returned (slightly used) all the time around the end of HS graduation.

I would not be happy with dynamic pricing. It's why I don't buy anything at Middle Eastern bazaars, nor Chinese street vendors.

I would however be in favor of predictably high pricing for people who buy stuff with their "rewards" credit cards, or eliminate that insidiousness altogether.

Bingo! Cindy just back from town after buying a washing machine from a small local appliance dealer. They'll deliver & set up later today.

Guess I couldn't shop at an amazon store anyway...no smart phone. Just an old flip style dumb phone that we use to make calls when out & about. Trac Phone. $100 worth of minutes easily lasts us a year. We call it our $8.33 per month plan...