Item Pricing, Unit Pricing, and Price Accuracy Rules
This domain tests whether the price a buyer is charged matches the price the seller represented, and whether unit prices are stated accurately. Massachusetts item-pricing law under M.G.L. c. 94 and DOS price-accuracy enforcement supply the framework. Auction questions add reserve prices, buyer's premiums, and sale terms to the same accuracy principle.
Item pricing and unit pricing
Retail price disclosure rules require the price of an item to be available to the buyer; scanner-based stores may rely on shelf tags only when the displayed price and the charged price agree. Unit price is total price divided by net quantity, expressed in a standard unit such as per ounce or per pound. Unit pricing lets buyers compare different package sizes honestly.
Auction-specific price terms
A reserve or minimum, a buyer's premium, sales tax, and other charges must be disclosed before bidding. "Absolute" and "with reserve" have different meanings and should not be used loosely. An advertised premium or minimum that differs from the terms applied at checkout is a price-accuracy violation.
Worked example
A 12-ounce box at $4.80 has a unit price of $0.40 per ounce. An 18-ounce box at $6.30 is $0.35 per ounce, so the larger box is cheaper per unit even though its total price is higher. If the auction also advertises a 15% buyer's premium but charges 18%, the buyer's total is misstated regardless of the unit-price comparison.
Traps
Comparing total prices without converting to unit price; ignoring the buyer's premium when quoting the cost; treating "no reserve" as meaning no minimum bid; rounding unit prices in a misleading direction; and assuming tax treatment of the premium is optional.