Rugs, Carpets and Carpeting - Rug pads

The store I'm trying to buy my rug from insists that I should use a rug pad with it. Is there a real need to spend $70 for a non slip pad? Will the pad damage my floor. This is the rug pad (http://www.xxxxxxx.xxx/xxxxxxx/control/prod/~pid=145PRP-10014/~color=8214)BTW.

I think a non-slip pad under a rug is a good idea, but $70 is outrageous.

What sort of rug are you talking about and what is the floor it's going on? If, for instance, the rug is actually a piece of carpet that has been cut to fit and does not have a soft back, the backing will be a huge sheet of sand paper and really damage the floor it's on if said floor is some sort of finished surface such as vinyl or wood. A pad would help protect the floor under it. If it is a standard area rug, the backing shouldn't harm anything and a pad shouldn't be needed. A pad does provide a softer feel, but is of nor real structural value to the rug. The rug will actually last longer without it. Any sort of carpet, to include area rugs, has a directional sweep to it and walking on it will cause it to "scoot" in the direction the knapp tends to lay down. A non slip pad helps to minimize this which may be one of the reasons they're pushing you to use a pad. Then again, most sales guys are paid on commissions.