After reading Dean Minnich the other day one paragraph hit home."Does anyone else wonder about the ethics of going to a store to take up a salesperson's time in explaining a product, then going home and ordering online to save a couple of dollars?"
We are a small business that deals with this practically every day. We started our business in Carroll County 33 years ago. People come in to see it, touch it, try it on. We sometimes spend hours with them.
Now they take out their cell phones, take pictures of the manufacturer's tag with the stock numbers on them and order online.
In recent years it has become harder to handle. Last summer, on a 93-degree day, a customer arrived, horse trailer, trainer and horse in tow. We offer saddle fittings on our premises to ensure proper fit. After spending two hours with these people in the searing heat she left. We found out from the trainer this woman went home and ordered online to save sales tax.
People do not realize that they are killing small businesses all over our country by doing this. Until an online sales tax is implemented by our government, this is killing us.
It should not be that hard to figure out. If you drive to another state and buy something, don't you pay sales tax?
Please think of the small business owners and what we have to offer you.
Denise Duvall
Finksburg