What do you think of surge pricing?

It seems to me that the prices goes up during peak periods but doesn’t come down lower than it has been on other times so I see it at as a gouging technique. Airlines are doing it now with frequent flyer point too.

It is price gouging. It sucks for the consumer. It may make more money for the company.

If I am a person who wants to do something, but I don’t know what the cost will be – I’ll tend to not to it in the first place. Surge pricing is fundamentally dishonest (as @janbb said) and is NOT for the benefit of the person paying the bill.

It’s probably done on your local trains, too (BART, @zenvelo).? Here on the Metro North to the city (NYC), they have off peak and on peak prices. If I’m taking the train to the city, I pay whatever it costs but if I had to do it daily, it would add up.

They’re looking to do it here in the city (again, NYC), for people who drive into downtown. I very rarely drive into the city but again, for people who may commute, it would add up. For people who are taking their cars to see a show on the weekend, that would hit them, too.

When Uber does it I usually walk.

@jca2 I see congestion pricing to reduce gridlock and pollution in center cities as being somewhat different from surge pricing.

He’s a great golfer, the pride of Spain.

@jca2 BART isn’t sophisticated enough to have lower fares for off peak or high fares for rush hour.

The Bay Bridge charges a higher toll during rush hour, and lower toll on weekends.

I have noticed some carpool/toll lanes charge higher at peak times; an express lane in Virginia charges $47!

We received vouchers from the charter school for The California Academy of Science, but when we got there, we had to pay more because of “special day” pricing. I don’t like “surprise” charges. To be fair, there were a variety of special activities included.

I would rather see a higher listed price, and be surprised by getting an “off time” discount’

Hotels all charge according to peak times and off times.

@YARNLADY yes, but you know about the hotel charge ahead of time. Surge pricing is a dynamic change.

Well, people are willing to pay it.

Many places have cheaper fees on slow days to increase volume. I like that better than trying to gouge people who don’t have a lot of flexibility in their schedule.

Surge pricing of electricity: is nothing sacred?

Say what you will about surge pricing at least it’s progressive taxation.

As a consumer, I hate it. But based on economic principles, it’s absolutely the right thing to do if you want to maximize profit.

@JLeslie they don’t care whether or not a person has flexibility in their schedule.

Surge pricing of essentials should be illegal @Pinguidchance.

@Dutchess_III Are they surge pricing essentials? If essentials are raised enough, I would assume that falls under federal or state gouging laws.

I was talking to @Pinguidchance, who said, ”Surge pricing of electricity: is nothing sacred?”.

@Dutchess_III Surge pricing of energy has been proposed for California; they call it “time of use”, getting people to use big energy machines at off-peak hours. Use the dishwasher or washer machine at night, not during the late afternoon. when demand peaks.

@zenvelo That’s interesting, because a few days ago I was thinking about the possibilities of solar power again, and I often run my dishwasher at night, but if I had solar I would want to run it during sunny hours. Same with laundry, even cooking.

Well, you store the energy from the solar panels for use whenever. If you have enough you can even sell it to the utility companies.

^^You sell it for cheaper than you use it.

That’s how business works. Whatever you sell it to them for, it is 100% profit to you, regardless of what they resell it for.