Big Brother IS watching

[Bonnewagon]

I am putting a trailer hitch receiver on the front of my '00 Cherokee. I want the maneuverability in tight spots that the front mount gives. So I ordered a rare CURT front mount hitch from RockAuto and it was the last one anywhere. Of course it came with NO HARDWARE. CURT was no help and they were out of stock too. The RA return page showed that they may pay you a rebate for sourcing the missing parts locally. I scrounged the square hole washers that go inside the frame from leftovers of my rear CURT hitch. I fabricated the 1/2" thick spacers that go between the frame and hitch. All I needed was some grade 8 bolts to mount the hitch. I found what I needed on Fleabay. I then submitted the cost of $19.49 to RA and they approved it. When I get the notice from PayPal that I have a refund, it is for $19.49. But when I see the RA refund notice, it is broken down by price ($17.90 plus $1.59 tax = $19.49). HUH??? That was the Fleabay total and I DIDN'T TELL RA THAT!!!! How did they know? What if I had said it cost $25? Would I have been caught? What goes on here?

 

[pagrunt]

They just know...

 

[melloelky]

 

[Texas82GP]

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

Its big data. The data industry is huge and everywhere now, and they can even predict your behavior. Privacy is all but dead, and many people are perfectly happy about it.

 

[81cutlass]

They know what zip code in NY you live

They know the tax rate, must be 8.16% roughly?

You said the final sales price, they did math and got what you paid because math does math doesn't lie?

Just a thought.

 

[Supercharged111]

 

[malibudave]

 

[Bonnewagon]

Yeah, but what if I said I paid $50 for the parts at my local hardware store and paid cash with no receipt? No paper trail and no cyber-trail. Anyway I doubt they are in cahoots with Fleabay and saw the invoice. But maybe Paypal let them see my transaction.

 

[malibudave]

I think RA assumes on the refund that you paid taxes on the purchase. They know your tax rate, so the refund included taxes. Technically it worked out like it was suppose to.

This brings up the question, How do local and state governments know what FleaBay or RA collect in taxes?
Who is to say that they paid all of the taxes they collect out to the state governments?
Who and how does a state government oversee tax collection from a company not located in that state?