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Why do women pay more?
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| Jayx1 |
| quote: | Why do women pay more?
MPP seeks to outlaw gender-based pricing
Lists dry cleaning, hairstyling as examples
ROBERT BENZIE
QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU
Why do women pay more than men for dry cleaning, hairstyling and clothing, among other things?
Liberal MPP Lorenzo Berardinetti (Scarborough Southwest) said yesterday there is no valid reason for such discrimination, which is why he is pushing legislation outlawing "gender-based pricing."
Berardinetti has introduced a private member's bill making it illegal for women to be charged more for similar products and services than men. It will be debated April 14.
The bill, if passed, will prevent businesses such as dry cleaners, hairdressers, retailers and others from charging different prices based one whether the person is a man or a woman, he said.
Under the proposed legislation, fines of up to $5,000 would be imposed on anyone breaking the Ontario Human Rights Code by having gender-based prices for products and services.
"It's a form of discrimination and it's a form that should have been removed a long time ago," said Berardinetti. "It's odd to think that in 2005, discrimination of this type still exists in Ontario and in Canada, where more than half the population ... is discriminated against in several different areas."
The newly married MPP said he did not realize the extent of the differing prices for men and women until he went shopping for clothes with his wife Michelle Berardinetti.
He noticed that clothes made for men were invariably cheaper than those for women even though they were the same brand. For example, a Giorgio Armani suit for men cost $1,200 while the women's version was $2,000.
"It's the same company ... and hers was probably less material with the jacket and pants. There's no way it cost more to manufacture," said Berardinetti, noting alterations usually cost less for men than women.
A similar consumer protection law has been on the books since Jan. 1, 1996 in California, where companies are barred from charging different prices for services based on customers' gender. The law is aimed at dry cleaning, hair styling and tailoring. But a 1998 study by the California Public Interest Research Groupfound the legislation is routinely violated due to a lack of public awareness.
Berardinetti said he was inspired by the work of Toronto market-research guru Joanne Thomas Yaccato, author of The 80% Minority: Reaching the Real World of Women Consumers.
Thomas Yaccato estimates that Canadian women are overcharged $750 million a year on their hairstyling alone.
"The excuses go from women take longer and they require more product in their hair. My point is charge according to the time it takes," the marketing consultant said.
"It's the same in the word of dry cleaning," she said, recalling a Vancouver hidden-camera experiment where a man and a woman showed the same shirt to a drycleaner and were quoted different prices.
"The man goes in first and asked how much it costs to have his shirt cleaned and he's told $5. He comes out into the parking lot, passes the shirt over to the woman, who walks in five minutes later and is told it's $7.50." |
Great! So i will be expecting that as a man, I will be getting lower insurance rates, free dating services, free cover for certain clubs, and discounts on valentines day gifts?
Not bloody likely i bet!!
Chalk one up for inequality in the name of equality. |
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| Jem_hadar |
| quote: | Originally posted by Jayx1
Great! So i will be expecting that as a man, I will be getting lower insurance rates, free dating services, free cover for certain clubs, and discounts on valentines day gifts?
Not bloody likely i bet!!
Chalk one up for inequality in the name of equality. |
Actually very interesting point you made. But should gendre statistics (about the liklihood of getting in accidents or whutever by males vs. females, etc.), play a factor in pricing tho ? For example, i know that insurance in TO costs WAY more than insurance up here, but that only makes sense seeing the amount of traffic you have down there, the increased risk of accidents to get in, etc. etc.
Interesting piece to ponder ;) |
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| verndogs |
| I think women get charged more for at least dry cleaning and hair styling because they tend to be more finicky than men when it comes to what they want. More details to follow = More Work. It's justifiable to charge more for having to follow more details provided they charge based on the # of details as opposed to gender |
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| MaxTO |
| quote: | | Great! So i will be expecting that as a man, I will be getting lower insurance rates |
1st thing that came to my mind.
As far as haircuts go, yes I think that what most women pay is quite high, however most that I know tend to go to higher class salons and they spend hours and hours in there, so perhaps it ain't as bad as it sounds. |
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| starsearcher |
| quote: | Originally posted by verndogs
I think women get charged more for at least dry cleaning and hair styling because they tend to be more finicky than men when it comes to what they want. More details to follow = More Work. It's justifiable to charge more for having to follow more details provided they charge based on the # of details as opposed to gender |
They have more hair which is why there's more work to do :)...it's much easier for guys, but if anything i'd like to see the equal pricing go down...I don't want to pay $100 for my haircut next time I go to the salon...
Although I agree with Jayx1...there are too many women that want equality BUT... ;) |
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| Jayx1 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Jem_hadar
Actually very interesting point you made. But should gendre statistics (about the liklihood of getting in accidents or whutever by males vs. females, etc.), play a factor in pricing tho ? For example, i know that insurance in TO costs WAY more than insurance up here, but that only makes sense seeing the amount of traffic you have down there, the increased risk of accidents to get in, etc. etc.
Interesting piece to ponder ;) |
NO because imagine that if it came out in a woman's favour. This would have been struck down eons ago. |
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| Jayx1 |
| quote: | Originally posted by starsearcher
Although I agree with Jayx1...there are too many women that want equality BUT... ;) |
My favourite saying that i have personally coined....
Feminists love equality until the bill arrives! |
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| starsearcher |
| quote: | Originally posted by Jayx1
My favourite saying that i have personally coined....
Feminists love equality until the bill arrives! |
:haha: :haha: :stongue: :stongue: I've heard/read that somewhere before...who is this by?! :stongue: :haha: |
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| Jayx1 |
| quote: | Originally posted by starsearcher
:haha: :haha: :stongue: :stongue: I've heard/read that somewhere before...who is this by?! :stongue: :haha: |
I made it up myself... although im sure somebody else must have thought of it somewhere. |
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| starsearcher |
| quote: | Originally posted by Jayx1
I made it up myself... although im sure somebody else must have thought of it somewhere. |
lol yeah I've definitely heard a version of this somewhere by some comedian or perhaps read it in the British GQ which quite often has a lot of hillarious articles with very creative writing :) :happy2: |
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| Jayx1 |
| good to know that some people are on the same wavelength. Anyways if this ridiculous bill does pass i am definately going to think about challenging it for men's rights as well. It's about time we stand up and be counted among the rest. |
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| StereoPrincess |
i don't mind paying more for hair cut. i would rather pay more and get it done well. i can't imagine paying 8 bucks and then having to shave my head bald because they did a horrible job. a guy can live without his hair for a while, i would not.
as for dry cleaning, i never heard any place charge more to women. like what, you bring a pair of pants and they charge you more because they are girl pants? never heard of that. |
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