High prices are not ripoffs or even attempted ripoffs.
It very well could be that the service provider in the original example regularly charges and receives his price. He could be fully employed in the megayacht or high-end market and that is his going price there.
If he was interested in the OP's example business, he would lower his price until he got it. Both parties walked away with no issues, so this was simply a marketplace transaction.
Who sets prices for businesses? Do we all get to decide what an individual businessman is allowed to charge? If they don't go along with us, do we get to publicly call them thieves? Will all business people be required to have the same prices world-wide, or even in the same locality?
Cheechako, in your example, the high price wasn't an attempted ripoff at all. The service charge may have been, but that would be decided by the
contract you accepted up front - whether verbal or written. It would be a ripoff if they said there was no service charge and then levied one. It is not a ripoff if you didn't ask the cost of sending a guy out in the field, and then got a service charge.
I really can't believe this is a debate! Good businesses make
money by
charging what the market will bear, and delivering an agreed product. If they charge too much, they go out of business. If they charge too little, they either don't make a living, or drop the local prices overall.
If they have a sustainable business
charging above average rates because there are people who will hire them at those rates, then this is also perfectly fine. Even if others think those people are paying too much and don't understand the market for those services. Even if they are "little old ladies".
Charging a higher price than others isn't "preying" on anyone or "ripping off" anyone. Else-wise West
Marine would be in
legal trouble.
Now if you want preying on people - that low cost business that uses under-the-table cash paid undocumented labor - or those WalMart goods you all are
buying that were made in labor camps producing massive pollution…
Mark