Say again, please???
True story. Guy calls the newspaper the other day and complains about all the talk -- and copy -- about hotel price-gouging at the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point.
That's an unfair charge, said the man, who also said he was a local hotelier, but would not reveal which one.
What evidence did we have of price-gouging? he said.
Well, um, the prices, I replied, adding we're not the only ones complaining. The Market Authority and market visitors have complained about inflated rates during market for years.
And hotels weren't the only ones. Restaurants had been known to jack up prices as well.
He huffed and he puffed and then he went nuclear.
You're only writing this kind of stuff because the News & Record is liberal and probably gets instructions from the French on what to write, he said (I'm not making any of this up).
So we agreed to disagree and I invited him to write an op-ed if he was interested in telling another side of this story.
And I thanked him from bringing to my attention how efforts to curb price-gouging were part of a liberal conspiracy.
Comments (9)
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I am not sure that the hotels during market are price gouging. Airlines and hotels adjust their prices up and down all the time based on factors like weather and special events.
Check out the prices on NYC hotels in July vs. December, the month many folks make their annual shopping pilgrimage to the Big Apple. Or check out the high prices in Wine Country during the harvest months, when it is often hot as blazes, vs. the lower prices found during more mild weather. Or the price of a cruise ship in January vs. August.
Posted on October 28, 2005 11:53 AM
Patrick, that may be true, and others have raised similar comparisons. But, with all due respect, High Point is not New York. High Point faces a serious threat in the Vegas market. It has to consider ways to become more attractive to market clients. Part of that is reasonable hotel rates. Otherewise hotels risk long-term losses in their quest for short-term gains.
Posted on October 28, 2005 12:08 PM
The French!
Now it all makes sense...
Posted on October 28, 2005 2:39 PM
Hey, dude. What happened to Charles Davenport Jr. I don't see him listed under your new columnist section, and his webpage hasn't been updated since Sept. 25th.
Posted on October 28, 2005 7:24 PM
Allen, I agree that High Point hoteliers have a self-interest in lowering their prices, but I think the pitch to them would have been more effective by appealing to their pocket books rather than using labeling them price gougers.
Posted on October 29, 2005 11:31 AM
Patrick, I beleive in calling things as they are in the realm of price gouging. I lived there many years and saw it, heard the complaints and saw the start of a decline.
The same things happens in Asheville each year during Belle Chere, a rip-off sidewalk baazzar filled with overpriced junk and tourist trinkets. The hotels and motels raise the prices almost double and the gas stations stick it to the tourist who do come, resturants, already overpriced by most standards, up the ante even more. And that is just the fringe, when leaf season comes it gets worse. Ahhh but this year the leaves are brown and very little color and the Florida tourist are not here and the locals are being picky about their gas prices.
Posted on October 30, 2005 7:56 AM
Patrick:
I see your point on attracting more bees with honey and appealing to the long-term financial benefits of not jacking hotel room rates out of sight. But as I understand it, we've been there and done that before, with meager results.
Posted on October 31, 2005 8:27 AM
John Rouse:
Charles Davenport is still with us. He alternates on Sundays with Giles Lambertson.
Posted on October 31, 2005 8:30 AM
For the hotels, raising prices during high demand is pretty common place. I'm not saying it is right or wrong but I've seen it everywhere.
The restaurants, however, is ridiculous. Maybe more so because it doesn't seem that common for restaurants to jack up their prices just because they are busy.
These restaurants are making a boom profit without raising their rates. Just by being sold out for weeks should be enough.
But maybe they have a perspective I don't know about? Do they have to hire temporary help and how much does this help costs? Maybe that's driving the increases.
But as a citizen of the High Point/ Jamestown area, I have to pay that extra expense right along with the market goers. So I'm interested in a good explanation as well.
Posted on November 1, 2005 9:37 AM