TORONTO -- As small businesses begin the arduous task of reopening amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, some have opted to tack on a COVID-19 surcharge to their receipts in an effort to recoup funds spent on new sanitation and physical distancing measures.
“This is not a ‘business as usual’ situation for consumers either. A lot of consumers will have to be lured back to some of these services.” “You can’t recuperate what you’ve lost,” Mandy McFadden, owner of Newmarket, Ont.-based Salon Decorum, told CTVNews.ca Thursday. She also expects the salon’s utilities to increase to accommodate for increased sanitation rules. Plus, in order to comply with physical distancing standards, her team will only be able to see half of the clients they normally would in a day.
As Dahl notes, surcharges are typically a temporary measure introduced to cover a sudden rise in cost, like those implemented by the airline industry, which became notorious for adopting a fuel surcharge when oil prices skyrocketed.
Do businesses think they are the only ones affected? Thousands of people that are not in the retail business have lost their jobs. So far I have been reduced to part time hours/pay. No will not pay a surcharge.
Serious? Everyone has less income and tou put in a surcharge? Get your money somewhere else. Customers will just stop coming to you. Tou would be in a worser situation.
I have seen covid-19 discount but not surcharge!!
This is the Liberal way.
Nope won't pay ill go elsewhere
This is a ridiculous idea and should not be an option. Raise your prices if you need to but at least I know exactly what I’m paying upfront. This is a slippery slope.
I will go to the shop that does not charge me.
by keep ask govt help or charge covd fee is not the answer when business make $$. they don't pay extra tax or give discount to customer. now they want run THEIR business; why should others pay more?
That will be the nail in the coffin for the remaining businesses.
These sm. businesses have received gov. aid (funding; utility, mortgage& tax deferrals) Times tough on everyone including the customer. This surcharge will push business out the door to another who isn’t charging, even if to the big box stores. I HAVE TO WATCH MY PENNIES TOO.
EricaWithAnO it’s starting lol
What happened to our governments trying to prevent price gouging? This is bullshit over 100% increase in price. That’s price gouging not supply and demand
I don't use service like this, personally. Salons or restraunts. I get why they feel they need this charge, but in the long run it will hurt them. I can easily see this move becoming the end of tipping, and a boom of small home businesses.
Unbelievable. Isn't this what they call price gouging? This should not happen
Raise your prices, if you must. Don’t add a charge to my bill, that I wasn’t aware of, BEFORE I purchased your product/service! I won’t pay it, if it’s not disclosed. Especially if they raise prices, and charge the fee!
Thank god I'm a natural beauty 🤣🤡 👸
Ridiculous, I am not paying a surcharge. Business owners can claim in on their taxes. Trudeau's screw up & mismanagement caused the problem.
If I see a surcharge I'll never give that business a cent again 😌🙏
Here's why that might bite businesses in the ass: If it's a surcharge, they have to notify customers upfront. If consumers refuse to shop/patronize businesses that do this then so much for making $$.
You mean more taxes.
Flu season is almost over. And if there is a covid surge we’ll see that the death rate will go down even more. We now know it’s the elderly who need protection. K now stop with the narrative.
Thanks for the heads up. I’ll be asking before I spend.
Well that’s the place I will stop shopping
Sorry, I understand the business wanting to recoup their expenses but at the same time the other alternative is to not be open at all. These are unprecedented times and many people are far from getting back to normal. Shouldn’t be guilted into it.
You people under the bridge
Just a greedy way to Jack up prices. I can always shop around.
Good luck! For that small amount do they REALLY want to push clients away? I guess we will find out
Time to boycott
Not paying it. Will avoid stores that charge it.
Illegal .
Everything is more expensive at the grocery shops. Gas price is going up.... now, there will surcharges. That’s so ridiculous! Now, they want to catch up on their profit on our back.
A business trying to charge me a covid fee will discover that I am no longer a customer. Want to be in business? Assume all related costs of doing business. Profit vs expenses. I am not supplementing their expenses. No one is supplementing mine!
If it's a reasonable charge I'll support it to save someone's livelihood. The entitlement in this thread is nauseating.
Will continue cutting my own damm hair if these losers try to take advantage of it!
What a vicious cycle this will become. Suppliers raising prices because of demand, business passing the cost to consumers. Consumers retaliating and walking away. I mean, we’ve done without these recent months and learned what’s dire and what’s not.
I won't shop anywhere they are charging a COVID surcharge
excuse me?
Not to mention Mr. Trudeau has given away the cow, the farm and the country.
I'd pay it for the small businesses that have been suffering. Walmart, and large stores that have been open through this, not.
I think IKEA‘s five dollar pick up charge is a good sign of that. And basically a money grab. They have fewer staff in the store and at the tills but they want your money
NOT A CHANCE. I will everything I need now and buy nothing later. I mean nothing, just basic food & supplies.
Nothing like hitting the public more by adding this fee! Businesses will lose out in the long run because if people are unemployed or not working no extra money for shopping only essentials like food and gas.
Hahaha🤣🤣🤣🤣 you can flat out REFUSE to pay that tax. It is no different than Niagara Falls. They have/had a special tax for business there, to help offset the upkeep of gardens/beautification. You can refuse to pay that tax. Read it!
Another way to kill the economy
Spas and hairdressers should have been sterilizing their stuff before why the extra charge now?
I'll take my business somewhere else If I see this.
I hope those small businesses who have the surcharge go out of business. I will never support mom and pop stores.
Why are 'select' Medias so invested w/ instilling fear re: HCQ [40 years on the market]? Is this about the health and well-being of people OR SOMETHING ELSE? WWG1WGA TheGreatAwakening StopTheLies StopTheMasks HCQworks TheyKnewAllAlong NoOneHadToDie TheMediasAreComplicit
Shouldn’t the government be “paying” for stuff like this, helping out small business to help the economy....
see a covid charge on my bill I'll ask for a refund and take my my money elsewhere. Now that company gets 0$ and no covid surcharge. Company's want business but then turn around and charge extra. On a already struggling economy.
They should charge the Gov. Not citizens who are victims!
Oh so a permanent thing, because its not going away. Why not just raise prices like they'll do anyway.