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I agree with the OP. $20 is a lot to charge for two prints of one photo taken by a polaroid camera with a split lens and placed into a little paper folder.
I can't see what possible difference it makes that it won't have to be redone for the next ten years. A $15 an hour clerk with no extra training is spending 5 minutes and using a $1.50 (retail price) card of polaroid film. That's quite a hefty mark-up.
When stores and businesses do not want to provide a service, they over-charge, so at least they are being well paid for the annoyance of doing work they don't want to do.
To be fair to the store, in 2019 they were charging $$13.99, and prices on just about everything have double so $20 is probably just inflation.
On the other hand, when CVC was charging $13.99, Sam's was charging $5.31, so all along CVS has never ever wanted to be in the passport business. They are very close to being the most expensive place to get a passport photo done.
Specialty stores are always more expensive than one-stop-shopping stores. I don't shop at CVS, Walgreens or any other drug store chains as I can get almost everything I need/want at my grocery store when grocery shopping. As for Passport photos, this would qualify as a specialty item, so therefore it is going to cost way more than the Post Office or AAA, where I have gotten mine done in the past.
Location: Formerly Pleasanton Ca, now in Marietta Ga
10,345 posts, read 8,557,056 times
Reputation: 16679
Quote:
Originally Posted by k374
Recently had to get some passport photos and the cost at CVS or Walgreens makes me laugh! $20+ for 2 passport photos in this day and age? If there was a platinum award for the master of rip offs, this one would certainly claim the grand prize.
Luckily for me, I went to AAA and got my passport photos for free with my membership, but otherwise oh my gosh. I cannot believe anyone is paying $10 per photo that costs 20 cents in supplies for them to print out.
OK, so charge $4.99 or $5.99 for 2, but $20? These people should be ashamed of themselves for running such a scam.
I know there are passport photo apps out there but I have not tried them out. Would like feedback.
If there was a platinum award for whining you might get it. If it such a moneymaker you should open up a passport photo business and charge 4.99.let us know how it all works out.
I can imagine the whining you must do when you use the passport and actually travel. Do you whine to the airlines, hotels, etc?
Recently had to get some passport photos and the cost at CVS or Walgreens makes me laugh! $20+ for 2 passport photos in this day and age? If there was a platinum award for the master of rip offs, this one would certainly claim the grand prize.
Traveling is also very expensive, for which you need that passport in the first place.
We had the Post Office do each of our photos so that we knew it would be acceptable for their legal document. Many times people have brought their own photos and been rejected.
If you want to talk rip off, let's talk about dentists' fees. I've never once left a dentist's office feeling satisfied, that the fee charged was a good value for the service. They gotta pay for their Benz and country club memberships somehow...
Not going to the dentist is way more expensive than the maintenance on your dental health. My dentist doesn't own an expensive car or anything. He is also a personal friend.
Post Office in Philadelphia charges $15 for a passport photo, appointment-only, separate from your passport application appointment. The PO website does not specify if you can do both appointments back-to-back. From the previous post, it sounds like that's okay.
Here in Georgia they did the photo the same time they went over our application.
I agree with the OP. $20 is a lot to charge for two prints of one photo taken by a polaroid camera with a split lens and placed into a little paper folder.
I can't see what possible difference it makes that it won't have to be redone for the next ten years. A $15 an hour clerk with no extra training is spending 5 minutes and using a $1.50 (retail price) card of polaroid film. That's quite a hefty mark-up.
When stores and businesses do not want to provide a service, they over-charge, so at least they are being well paid for the annoyance of doing work they don't want to do.
To be fair to the store, in 2019 they were charging $$13.99, and prices on just about everything have double so $20 is probably just inflation.
On the other hand, when CVC was charging $13.99, Sam's was charging $5.31, so all along CVS has never ever wanted to be in the passport business. They are very close to being the most expensive place to get a passport photo done.
You're paying for the convenience factor, no different than buying office supplies at the CVS.
You can do it at the post office but you have to make an appointment.
You can do it at Sam's but you pay a membership there and it's not as convenient; there aren't as many of them and they're enormous. It's harder for many folks to get there on their lunch break or whatever.
You can do it at your house but you need a printer, the correct paper and color ink. Not everyone has that (I have a black and white printer/copier/scanner) and buy the time you buy photo quality paper, you've probably negated many savings.
You can do it a AAA, if you have a membership (lots of folks don't.)
Location: Formerly Pleasanton Ca, now in Marietta Ga
10,345 posts, read 8,557,056 times
Reputation: 16679
Quote:
Originally Posted by jlawrence01
It is amazing that there is so much effort complaining about an expense that is only incurred once every TEN years ...
Not only that , rather complaining about costs like dentistry and everything else. It’s a free market, so if something is overpriced the market will adjust it. If it’s too high eventually they will go out of business. Evidently the prices are fine as the dentist and cvs are still in business.
I’d be willing to bet very few have run their own business and understand costs and overhead. I think some of you should do your own selfies for passports and do your own root canals.
Passport photos. 2x$20 every decade.
Trip to Europe. $14,000 every year.
$40/$140000 is a very small number. 2.9*10E-4
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