Yep, and these same retailers will tell you "our prices are higher than the internet because the online guys don't have to pay for a store!". BS
- True
They pay employees, overhead, warehousing, shipping, and electricity like anyone else.
- True
Also, the practice of B&M's telling customers not to purchase online because the "feds will come after you for taxes" is just about as low as it gets.
- The main reason a online cigar is cheaper is because of the lack of having to charge state tax. True the feds will not come after you, but the state might. It has happened in New Jersey, and if I can find a link to the thread I will post it. As for what the state tax is here is the link http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=16845
If a retailer is paying more than MSRP for a specific product, rather than finding a dealer for their customers who offer said product at the MSRP, I would say they are ripping their customers off.
If they wanted to save the customers business, they would say "I can get them for you, but they are way above MSRP due to demand", and offer either another source, or possibly buy them from the retailer, add on $10 and make the profit on the customers subsequent purchases.
Simply sticking on a sticker price that is $10-15 higher per stick than the guy down the road is a quick way to be labeled a cheat or scammer. Thats an extra $200-400 a box.
- That is not scamming, gouging, cheating, etc. that is just dumb business and will be corrected by the free market. People eventually will not pay higher than the competition and if they do its their own fault