Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 18, 1993 TAG: 9305180337
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Cox News Service
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
"I found that women truly do pay more - and get less," said Frances Cerra Whittelsey, author of "Why Women Pay More," published by consumer advocate Ralph Nader's Center for Responsive Law.
Blaming both sexism and suckerism, her book documents how women get bad deals everywhere from car repair shops to cosmetics counters:
Although women buy nearly half of all cars sold in the United States, they are consistently charged more than men.
A study by a Northwestern University law professor, for instance, found that white women paid $150 more than white men did for identical cars. Black women paid about $400 more than did black men and about $800 more than white men.
In a New York City Consumer Affairs study where men and women asked the price of a used car, 42 percent of the car dealers quoted a higher price (average $496.67 more) to women; 36 percent quoted the same price; 22 percent gave men the higher price (average $183.18 more).
Women paid an average of $20 and men $16 for the same basic shampoo and haircut, another New York City Consumer Affairs study found.
To launder and iron a white cotton shirt, cleaners charged over one-fourth more for women's shirts than for men's, another study found.
Department stores often did alterations for free for men purchasing clothes but charged for altering women's clothes.
"Women pay more for haircuts and dry cleaning because of `traditional' pricing," wrote Whittelsey.
"Women pay more for auto repairs and used cars and new cars . . . because the people who sell these services believe we are suckers and decide we are the ones on whom they can make their profit margins."
After age 25, men and women are charged the same premiums for auto insurance even though the average woman drives half as much as the average man and has about half as many accidents.
Doctors prescribe twice as many tranquilizers and sleeping pills to women than to men. The two most common surgeries are hysterectomies and cesareans - both performed only on women. Studies have shown that a fourth to a half were not necessary.
Adding to the pricing inequities, women earn an average of 74 cents for every $1 earned by a man, according to the book.
"Women earn less and pay more. That's the double jeopardy," said Nader.
The women's movement has focused on inequities in employment, said Whittelsey. "I don't think they have looked sufficiently at the marketplace." \ TIPS FOR WOMEN\ How to get a fair deal
\ Be assertive, but try to remain level-toned and calm. Men who raise their voices many be viewed as authoritative, but women who shout are often dismissed as hysterical.
\ Learn about your home and your car. Take courses, read books or have a friend teach you how to make repairs.
\ Shop around, negotiate, and be prepared to walk away if the price is above your ceiling.
\ Don't accept incompetence or fraud. Complain to your city or state consumer protection office. Source "Why Women Pay More: How to Avoid Marketplace Perils."
by CNB