Dear SE, please apply a sales tax to adjusting prices in markets

[Jesden]

adding a tax on adjusting prices doesnt change anything.... people would still list the items with the 1g undercut... I can't see your logic here.

[Sakasa]

Also it wouldnt work as intended op. Every time you check your retainer for anything it would relist the items because if you call your retainer they are instantly removed from the market board listing even if you didn't change it and therefore subject to tax. I don't agree with a posting tax any, but they would have to tax people even if they didn't undercut because how the system works atm.

[HaelseMikiro]

While this might stop people from undercutting each other by 1 gil, back and forth 8 times over half an hour, any new items placed on the market will still be free to juke you over, or when people price adjust, instead of undercutting by 1 gil, they'll drop it by thousands. Cheaper it is the less the tax right?

[Llyren]

If they drop by thousands or perhaps hundreds all the better for the buyer, item will reach equilibrium sooner.

There are other ways to compete though then 1gil undercutting.

I will often buy stacks in the amount I need to hand in, or multiples of that number, for more gil per item then I'll pay for a larger stack. I am paying for not having to do the inventory shuffle. Then again I'll also buy that item for 1000 or some other interesting number, instead of the item listed for for 1 gil less...

[Ashkendor]

If they drop by thousands or perhaps hundreds all the better for the buyer, item will reach equilibrium sooner.

But what about the seller? There are two sides to a transaction, y'know.

There are other ways to compete though then 1gil undercutting.

1 gil undercutting gets your item at the top of the list without tanking the price and screwing yourself (and everyone else listing that item) out of an unnecessary amount of gil. Seriously, there's nothing like listing an item then coming back to look and seeing that the price has dropped to fully half of what you originally listed it for due to undercutting. The market isn't just about buyers. Without sellers listing things, buyers have nothing to buy.

I will often buy stacks in the amount I need to hand in, or multiples of that number, for more gil per item then I'll pay for a larger stack. I am paying for not having to do the inventory shuffle. Then again I'll also buy that item for 1000 or some other interesting number, instead of the item listed for for 1 gil less...

And that's your prerogative; you can buy the most expensive one for all I care.

That doesn't mean that the market needs a listing fee. Just... no.

[Llyren]

The deeper the undercutting, the better the profit for buying low and re-listing high if you think the market will support a higher price, and are correct. Market savvy sellers win too.

Most players are better off checking what the items have sold for recently and pricing in that range, whether it is lower or higher then the current bottom price. Looking at the current bottom price and dropping by a gil to be on the top of the list is either leaving gil you could have gotten out of that item on the table after yer done or pricing with the rest of the unsold items. The market only needs one of those non-selling items up to benefit the buyer that wants that item now and cost is no object

If you want to keep price high, price higher in the range that is still selling in an acceptable timeframe, if you want gil soonest price in the lower end of the range.

Free price adjusting simply benefits the time rich player, who likely needs no help at all

[Ashkendor]

The deeper the undercutting, the better the profit for buying low and re-listing high if you think the market will support a higher price, and are correct. Market savvy sellers win too.

True. I've been known to get irritated at undercutting and buy out the entire market on what I'm listing, then relist.

The only problem comes when the quick gil encourages others to relist at the reduced price.

[Adler]

Well, I also tend to just say - It's free market and everyone can buy and sell everything for whatever gil they want. Personally I don't have much patience and inventory space for setting something in market and waiting for a week till it sells so I undercut not by 1 gil but by 10-25%, sometimes even more. That way I get rid of my leftovers in a day usually, get free money and free inventory slots.

[KonaKai]

One pays zero tax when buying an item in the same city the item is listed in. Unfortunately, I still don't think enough people realize this.

[ChameleonMS]

One pays zero tax when buying an item in the same city the item is listed in. Unfortunately, I still don't think enough people realize this.

For those that do realize it, most purchases incur less tax than Teleport costs to get there.
Average teleport cost from one city to the next about 350 Gil.
The purchase must exceed 7000 Gil just to break even.
Or, for those slow travel types, airship 120 Gil comes with 2400 Gil break even point.
These break even points only account for Gil cost, not time cost to player.

That being said, if you are buying for more than 10K, you should definitely go to the listing city.