Parnassah Expo 2014 March 25th-26th

[notanonymous]

Right. The people sitting on their a$$es complaining about the lack of jobs should be proud.

I don't follow...I was saying that paying much less than 1 cpp for MR is shameful.

[PlatinumGuy]

I don't follow...I was saying that paying much less than 1 cpp for MR is shameful.

Banana Republic charging 3* their cost is shameful?

Your local Sushi store charging 10* their cost is shameful?

He's not coercing anyone or portraying it as maximum value. He's doing a service and making money out of it. Good for him.

[notanonymous]

Banana Republic charging 3* their cost is shameful?

Your local Sushi store charging 10* their cost is shameful?

He's not coercing anyone or portraying it as maximum value. He's doing a service and making money out of it. Good for him.

I disagree.
BR is charging for brand name.  I think it is silly to pay those prices, but for someone who is brand name conscious...

Sushi, or any other product for that matter is driven by competition.  They can get that amount, not because people are unaware of their cost, but rather people are willing to pay that price.

When one can go to a broker and sell MR for 1.4 (or so), IMO it is not right to charge such a high amount for the service of applying and spending.  Again, IMO, most people do not know that they can get more for their MR points (and would rather take less to not worry about the hassle).  They are unaware, and I think being taken advantage of.

[notanonymous]

To put it differently...
175,000 x 1.4 = $2450
So, essentially they are charging almost $1000 for their service.  If they also do travel, aa opposed to selling the points, then their vpp is much more than 1.4, and they are making money on both ends.

[churnbabychurn]

Details? Was it shoes that have detachable tops?

that's right.

[PlatinumGuy]

BR is charging for brand name.  I think it is silly to pay those prices, but for someone who is brand name conscious...

BR is taking 66% for it's 'brand name'.

This guy is taking 45% for information and service.

Both are valid commodities. People are willing to exchange money for both.

Whats the difference?

any other product for that matter is driven by competition. 

Exactly. So if there aren't more people agreeing to do it for less, הוי אומר that's the FMV for this service.

IMO it is not right to charge such a high amount for the service of applying and spending. 

BR is 'right' in charging 66% for it's sourcing and branding service?

Sushi store is 'right' in charging 90% for it's service of rolling your fish and rice?

There's no right in business. You try to get the most you can for what you have. Just like when you have points you want to get the most value for them, regardless of wether it's 'right' to charge $1500 for something that you created out of thin air. He has information, time, and energy, and he's getting the most he can. Kol Hakavod.

[churnbabychurn]

The issue is that they are booking hundreds of k in refundable. They think they are invincible because they use other ppl's ss. IMHO they are playing in traffic...

[notanonymous]

Again, my main point is that the people do not know that they are paying $1000 for this servive.

[PlatinumGuy]

Again, my main point is that the people do not know that they are paying $1000 for this servive.

So what do you want him to do, advertise how much he's making? Did you ever see a store or restaurant doing that?

He's telling you you're getting 175k points, anyone can very easily find out what brokers pay for them.

[notanonymous]

So what do you want him to do, advertise how much he's making? Did you ever see a store or restaurant doing that?

He's telling you you're getting 175k points, anyone can very easily find out what brokers pay for them.

I disagree with that statement. 
You and I can.  Someone who has no shaychos (never knew of a musag of selling points), is an eino yodaia lishol, and I think has no ability to figure this out on his own.  Should he pay for someone to do it for him?  Absolutely.  $1000?  IMO, too much.

[PlatinumGuy]

$1000?  IMO, too much.

Market principles disagree with you here.

[notanonymous]

Market principles disagree with you here.

What do you mean?

[Saver2000]

@pg
+1
I can't stand those people -  as soon as they figure out a specific companies'  business model,  it becomes "not right,  overpriced etc"

Every store/business/site has thier own markups. 

Some businesses are knowledge based,  some are skill based,  and some are connection based. 

Just bec you now became capable of doing what that business does (bec you leaned the skill/acquired the knowledge/made connections)  -  it doesn't also mean that they are now a rip-off. 

I have a few good examples,  but I'd rather not post them here. 

[PlatinumGuy]

What do you mean?

If you agree that it's worth money, we have tools like supply/deman to determine the true value.

The only other claim you've made is that he's not transparent, but I don't understand what you want him to do? Advertise his profit?

[PlatinumGuy]

@pg
+1
I can't stand those people -  as soon as they figure out a specific companies'  business model,  it becomes "not right,  overpriced etc"

Every store/business/site has thier own markups. 

Some businesses are knowledge based,  some are skill based,  and some are connection based. 

Just bec you now became capable of doing what that business does (bec you leaned the skill/acquired the knowledge/made connections)  -  it doesn't also mean that they are now a rip-off. 

I have a few good examples,  but I'd rather not post them here.

TY

The fact that only a few people know something makes it inherently valuable. A doctors time is worth more because he knows more. In today's capitalist society he is expecting to get the most he can for that information. Exactly like everyone here wants to find the broker who pays most for their points.

Just bec you now became capable of doing what that business does (bec you leaned the skill/acquired the knowledge/made connections)  -  it doesn't also mean that they are now a rip-off.

Certain things are up for grabs and anyone can acquire. Certain things are distributed unequally in this world.

Anyone can study and become a Dr. Not everyone is born with the capability to be an NBA player.

In a capitalist society value (including that of human contribution) is determined by it's scarcity, not the effort.

[Saver2000]

The only one ther claim you've made is that he's not transparent, but I don't understand what you want him to do? Advertise his profit?

He can explain to the people that are interested,  that it can be done by themselves on thier own. 

(Which they can't,  bec they don't have the 100k link that he has)

[notanonymous]

I disagree with your points, but I know you disagree with mine just the same.  Thanks for the cordial discussion.

Just for the record though...I used to be in IT.  I would charge $150/hr for my time.  Whenever someone wanted me to do something they could do themselves, I let them know so they could decide.  For example, 'Please install Microsoft Office for me'.  I would tell them that there us no chachma, and they can do it themselves (I would even offer to help for free over the phone).  If they still wanted me to do it, then obviously I would.  But they were informed.

[Saver2000]

So you're tannah is that they didn't inform the customers that they can do it on thier own. 

I figured so. 

The  question is,  wheres the cutoff?  For example,  when someone called you for IT work,  why didn't you just "tell them  how to do it on thier own"?
There's nothing that they can't do on thier own unless it required software that they didn't have.  So why didn't you just tell them every time?


(In any case,  this Amex business can't be done by anyone on thier own bec they can't earn 175k MR at one shot. )

[Deal man]

I disagree with your points, but I know you disagree with mine just the same.  Thanks for the cordial discussion.

Just for the record though...I used to be in IT.  I would charge $150/hr for my time.  Whenever someone wanted me to do something they could do themselves, I let them know so they could decide.  For example, 'Please install Microsoft Office for me'.  I would tell them that there us no chachma, and they can do it themselves (I would even offer to help for free over the phone).  If they still wanted me to do it, then obviously I would.  But they were informed.

well said. Nice to see there's honest ppl out there

[notanonymous]

So you're tannah is that they didn't inform the customers that they can do it on thier own. 

I figured so. 

The  question is,  wheres the cutoff?  For example,  when someone called you for IT work,  why didn't you just "tell them  how to do it on thier own"?
There's nothing that they can't do on thier own unless it required software that they didn't have.  So why didn't you just tell them every time?


(In any case,  this Amex business can't be done by anyone on thier own bec they can't earn 175k MR at one shot. )

I disagree.  If you are/were not in IT then I cannot explain.  But if you work, think of the industry that you are in.  Sometimes there is 'chochma' needed.  Here, I think the chochma is minimal. The 'cost' is mostly tircha (applying, huca, mr, finding a broker, etc).