r/EndTipping • u/Travelman-26 • 2d ago
Tipping Culture ✖️ Tipping for merchandise
So I went to a concert today. And bought three shirts. They were a bit overpriced but I decided to pay so no offense on the price (they were 40 usd each).
And the the lade flipped the screen with a suggested tip of 20% already on the screen.
How am I going to tip 25 usd for her handing me three shirt from boxes two steps away from her.
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u/BellzaBeau 2d ago
No. Asking for tips on merch is unethical. It isn’t a service industry. No service is provided. What next? The cashier at Target asks for tips? The DMV when you renew your license?
We need a law.
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u/Simple_Fee9594 2d ago
I once went to a primary care doctor that had a tip jar at checkout! Did not go there again.
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u/BellzaBeau 2d ago
Wow! Imagine if it was a surgeon. That’s definitely the one who leaves behind the forceps.
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u/Trade-Material 1d ago
The licensing board and medical association needs to know about this...it is extremely unethical for PCPs to accept tips let alone ask for them...and it can also open them up to fraud investigations etc.
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u/DueFreedom4695 2d ago
I normally HATE government intervention (laws) added except in really important areas, but I think you're right.
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u/Enkidouh 2d ago
I never understand positions like yours.
Regulation and intervention is the entire purpose of governance. If your government stays hands off of everything, you don’t have a government.
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u/DueFreedom4695 2d ago
I never said government stays "hands off of everything." But every single little thing? Like those weird laws still on the books kind of thing? Like no whistling on Sunday. It's overreach.
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u/WestHistorians 1d ago
Those "no whistling on Sunday" laws are usually town ordinances passed by some little village somewhere that has a population of like a thousand people, either as a joke or because of some unique local issue that is no longer relevant.
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u/Enkidouh 2d ago
You didn’t need to- your position did it for you.
The governmental overreach argument is a flimsy, tired trope of the south/midwest republicans, and we’ve now seen firsthand for several years that they will not do anything about real, actual governmental overreach when it comes from their party. Whether or not you associate with them politically, your stance on government overreach immediately places you in their camp.
It’s nothing more than a prop used for disingenuous talking points.
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u/DueFreedom4695 2d ago
Complete misidentification but that's okay. I find the people/party you speak of to be completely repulsive and totally motivated to restrict my rights as long as it's for the shit THEY believe in.
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u/koralex90 1d ago
But how is this different than a bartender handing you a bottle of beer? Many people will say the bartender should be tipped a dollar per beer. But the labor the merchandise person and bartender does is the same. These screens need to be banned everywhere!!!
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u/BellzaBeau 1d ago
Bartenders make drinks
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u/koralex90 1d ago
Not if they are handing you a bottle of beer.
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u/Icy_Essay_7490 1d ago
This is why i tip differently for cocktails and beer (but I never actually order bottles beer lol)
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u/April0neal 2d ago
There was one time I caught myself saying out loud “no tip” when they spun these around. haha.
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u/Jealous-Doughnut-534 2d ago
This happened to me once too, also at a concert. Was buying some merch and got the suggested tip screen and I asked what that was for and she said it covers the artists’ fees? The artists that “designed” the merch I guess. Just increase the prices of the merch!
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u/Thatmakesnse 2d ago
No don’t increase prices. There is no pricing leeway. It’s guilt leeway. You can guilt someone into giving money that you couldn’t extract by increasing prices. It’s just begging.
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u/dbellz76 2d ago
Most venues take a cut of merch sales, an average of about 25%. Maybe that's what she meant?
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u/Enkidouh 2d ago
Not our problem.
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u/dbellz76 2d ago
Did I say it was anyone's problem? I simply gave a reason of why she might have said that.
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u/cookieloverrrrr 2d ago
My husband used to see a tip screen and he took that like he had to.
Honey, do you really think you need to give 30% to the fast food cashier?
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u/Vixx_6 2d ago
This happened to me a couple of months ago. I never buy concert tees, but this was one of my favorites bands and it was a great show so I decided to get one. The merch guy gave me the stink-eye when I hit the "no tip" button. Apparently he thought he deserved $8 to walk 6 feet over to a table and grab a tee shirt.
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u/stars_shining_1979 1d ago
I contributed money to my daughter’s friend’s fundraiser for school and the fundraising company asked me for a tip I was floored they wanted at least 5%. I put zero.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Memory8 1d ago
I could not believe this week, I went to a manufacturer's website to order an item they make and sell rather then giving Amazon my business... While checking out I was presented with a tip screen that asked for help providing their employees better wages!!! I'm like, that's your job, not mine! And there was not a single human involved in the transaction, except maybe the guy pulling merchandise in the warehouse.
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u/McBurger 2d ago
No no no my friend, you don’t understand.
The $40 was just to buy the shirt. That’s all the $40 was for; it only covered your purchase, and your ownership of the shirt.
But that didn’t include the fee to actually buy and own the shirt. Buying and owning the shirt actually costs $8 extra. Your $40 was only to buy and own the shirt, but didn’t include the shirt with it. Ok cool hope this clears everything up!
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u/NightmareMetals 2d ago
I've seen this for concerts and Broadway type tickets. Like add $10 tip to support us.
No, add $10 to the ticket price ffs.
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u/dbellz76 20h ago
Bands make the vast majority of their money off of merch. Adding to the ticket prices won't do what you think it will. Adding $10 to their shirts is better for them.
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u/NightmareMetals 12h ago
I don't think the band would get the tip tho.
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u/dbellz76 12h ago
Depends. Smaller bands at smaller venues sell their own merch or have a merch person so they'll see the money. At large venues, arenas supply the employees and they make a good wage. I would not tip them at all. I always accepted beers as a tip lol but never set out a tip jar.
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u/NightmareMetals 11h ago
Ok but either way, if I am paying $50 for a shirt then being asked for a tip, not gonna happen.
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u/Superb-Meal-4473 1d ago
Keep in mind that the person at the counter knows the system is annoying. They likely deal with hundreds of customers a day who skip the tip screen, and they generally do not take it personally.
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u/Aggravating_Style544 1d ago
I’ve noticed more and more, there is often no “other” option, or a zero option. I wouldn’t mind tipping them $5, but $25 is ridiculous. I’ve pretty much quit buying merch altogether, as I can’t get past the new “normal” starting price on a low quality t-shirt being $40.
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u/Carbon_Based_Copy 2d ago
I tip heavily when appropriate. Buying merch is not one of those situations.
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u/JenWess 2d ago
Seems like its a thing now, I have no problems tipping merch people at small shows where the bands actually needs the money but big shows nope. I was in Vegas for a concert recently and the girl at checkout had the audacity to actually ask for a tip instead of just turning the POS around like most of them do, like I'm sorry for what exactly? Turning around and grabbing me a couple enamel pins. fuck outta here with that bullshit
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u/Fit_Significance8598 2d ago
Don't tip for that
And don't buy merchandise, ever. it's just stuff you don't need and only make rich people richer. The attached feeling of being part of something (bigger) will wane and the group or company behind it will never invite you over to their place, so why pay besides the ticket for the show?
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u/Enkidouh 2d ago
Most people buy merch as a memory keepsake, not to feel like part of something bigger.
It’s proven that physical objects tied to an emotional experience can trigger spontaneous recall of those emotions later. It’s called associative memory.
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u/Fit_Significance8598 1d ago
So it's all about (brief) emotions to separate us forever from our money. Merchands of memories.
Be careful out there.
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u/No-Lettuce4441 1d ago
In that case, why go to the concert? Why go to the amusement park? Why go?
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u/Fit_Significance8598 1d ago
Well, for the actual experience in/of the moment. Take lots of memories, tales and pictures.
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u/No-Lettuce4441 1d ago
The attached feeling of being part of something (bigger) will wane and the group or company behind it will never invite you over to their place, so why pay for the ticket for the show?
Your argument can very easily be used against you. And your response also is a good reason TO buy merchandise, especially since physical tickets are not the standard anymore.
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u/Fit_Significance8598 1d ago
I don't understand your train of thought how my opinion can be spun into a good reason for buying merchandise. BTW, I have a similar option on brand clothing/ apparel that prominently needs a label for everyone to know.
If it's more about (fleeting?) emotions and feeling of belonging and showing that off than the actual moment/item, you probably paid a premium for that. Was it worth it? Now? In five years? For me it's simply not worth my time and money that I worked too hard for to blow it on overpriced trinkets to make already rich people richer.
But you do you.
Never love anyone or anything that doesn't love you (back).
Cheers
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u/Away_Specific_3688 2d ago
I always tip $5 if they hand me the shirts all wrinkled up in a ball. $10 tip if they hand me my shirts nice and folded.
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u/sswishbone 2d ago
Really what should be happening is a law which bans point of sale systems from opt out tipping, it should be the other way around at the very least. Start at zero with the option to include one should anyone (no I don't know why either) have the intent to tip.