[huge-pigeons]

The OP doesn’t understand inflation nor the true cost of running a business. In 3 years, everything is way up in cost. The cost to hire people with no experience or the cost to hire people for a menial job, is way up, the cost of water, electricity, insurance, and rent, have gone up. It’s not greed, it’s the current situation.
The people that really feel it are people on a fixed income.

[Shish]

It's leveled off at an unsustainable high rate. It needs to be under 2%/year, like it had been previously before all the government spending kicked in. The dollar is now worth only 80 cents over the last 3 years. Those on fixed income (pensions) really have got hurt.
Look at this chart.
Historical Inflation Rates: 1914-2024

[saywhat]

Perhaps the price increase is due to the cost of liability insurance? Businesses are getting slammed with rising insurance costs as well..

[bowlingal]

businesses are taking advantage.....ALL businesses. covid, supply chain issues, ( all now 4 years old), minimum wage increases, all contribute to the inflation, high prices we are now in. Everyone is still using these excuses....4 YEARS LATER!

[Rich42]

Originally Posted by Philipd411

So why did they just become greedy? According to your train of thought, they could have raised their prices years ago to $34 and been greedy back then. Their cost has gone up, less people are shopping there. It not greed but business.

I think new owners.

[dougjb]

All too often now, a business, when questioned about why their prices have gone up, will claim it is because help is getting more expensive. That is a convenient rubrick that just does not hold water.

In the past, businesses would claim they increased prices or decided not to provide a particular service because of the lawyers, or because of insurance. Again, that was and is nonsense.

We live in a free enterprise society. Businesses must adjust their prices and services accordingly. No excuse is necessary for me!

Simply put, since we live in a free enterprise society, I am also free just to walk away from doing business with a business whose services or prices no longer align with my interests. If others follow me and the business fails, I really do not feel anything. To my mind, it is simply that the affected business was unable to manage their business plan appropriately.

There is always another car wash. There is always another business that meets my needs.

[banjobob]

Originally Posted by Rich42

Inflation has been raging beyond the typical norms for the last three years. It is significantly affecting virtually all Americans. While businesses need to increase prices to cover legitimate rising costs, too many are just taking advantage of the upward spiral in prices to gouge the consumer. I encountered the epitome of this trend in The Villages yesterday. I have patronized the “Village Car Wash” in the La Plaza Grande shopping center in Spanish Springs for over 10 years. Admittedly I had not been there in quite some time with covid and all, and the last time I was there was a couple of years ago. At that time the price of the cheapest basic car wash (they call it Bronze) was $14.95. Of interest, also note the prices of the various levels of service were prominently posted when you entered their property. To just digress for a moment, I pass their location several times a week and had been noticing the normal long waiting line of cars—regardless of time of year or time of day—has been absent. The place has always appeared to be a gold mine! Well, not so for the last few months. I don’t know exactly when they raised their prices, but the basic Bronze wash (again the cheapest option) was $34! I only found this out when I went inside to pay because their prices were no longer publicly posted. That is an increase from the relatively recent price of 127%!!! No way have their costs gone up anywhere near that. I now understand why there are no longer any lines of people waiting to get their cars washed, and I will certainly no longer be a customer. That is pure greed that should not be supported by the community.

Greed? perhaps, I would rather believe the cost of doing business, hiring staff that will work in hot wet conditions daily , hopping in and out of hot cars, being wet and sweating continually. The price of hiring good help ain't cheap , cost of water and chemicals always increasing maintenance on equipment ,building rents taxes the list goes on. have you ordered a large order of fries at McDonalds lately Greed??
The car wash does a great job, although out of my price range as is an order of McD's fries not a value.

[Girlcopper]

Originally Posted by Keefelane66

I wash my own cars about 20 minutes total haven’t been to a car wash in years.

Yep. An easy job so why farm out the job

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by Rich42

Inflation has been raging beyond the typical norms for the last three years. It is significantly affecting virtually all Americans. While businesses need to increase prices to cover legitimate rising costs, too many are just taking advantage of the upward spiral in prices to gouge the consumer. I encountered the epitome of this trend in The Villages yesterday. I have patronized the “Village Car Wash” in the La Plaza Grande shopping center in Spanish Springs for over 10 years. Admittedly I had not been there in quite some time with covid and all, and the last time I was there was a couple of years ago. At that time the price of the cheapest basic car wash (they call it Bronze) was $14.95. Of interest, also note the prices of the various levels of service were prominently posted when you entered their property. To just digress for a moment, I pass their location several times a week and had been noticing the normal long waiting line of cars—regardless of time of year or time of day—has been absent. The place has always appeared to be a gold mine! Well, not so for the last few months. I don’t know exactly when they raised their prices, but the basic Bronze wash (again the cheapest option) was $34! I only found this out when I went inside to pay because their prices were no longer publicly posted. That is an increase from the relatively recent price of 127%!!! No way have their costs gone up anywhere near that. I now understand why there are no longer any lines of people waiting to get their cars washed, and I will certainly no longer be a customer. That is pure greed that should not be supported by the community.

Wow! You’re right! $34 for the basic wash without even anyone drying your car! Fortunately, there are many cheaper options here. I’ll never go there. This isn’t “inflation”. It’s a switch to a different business model that entails soaking those suckers born every minute. There’s a lot more profit in a $3 car wash sold at $34 than in one sold at $15. They can serve 40% as many customers and make the same profit while cutting down on wear and tear to the equipment and hiring fewer workers.

[Wilharm]

The government does not include food or gasoline in the CPI. So if you don't eat or drive you have nothing to worry about.

[Ptmcbriz]

They became greedy when everyone else was being greedy. People will pay for it. Unemployment at record lows. Inflation has come way down since 4-5 years ago when Covid hit. Then it was supply chain problems. Now it’s greed because people have been paying the prices so why lower their prices? Only competition will lower prices on any given thing.

[jarodrig]

Sweetwater on 466A is $10 for a “basic” wash . They do a decent job.

[opinionist]

Have you ever wondered why the CPI, GDP and employment numbers run counter to your personal and business experiences? The problem lies in biased and often-manipulated government reporting.

Shadow Government Statistics - Home Page

[coconutmama]

Originally Posted by Normal

I carried our groceries the other day from Public’s in one hand in one plastic bag. The bill was 97 dollars. I jokingly told my wife I never thought I could single handedly carry a hundred bucks worth of groceries like that. Kind of scary when you think about it.

Who do you think pays for those long winded ads on television? You do.

We shop elsewhere unless it is a BOGO item.

[Normal]

When the supply chain was shut down because of the government, everything shot up in price. Then they handed out checks even if people had never worked before.

Let’s see, low low inventory on everything, and extra free money, what could possibly happen?

The mistakes can’t be corrected and huge amounts of government cash are still leaking into our economy through immigrant policy, older infrastructure bills and tightening of our fossil fuel production.