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102 Comments
- tonicboy, on 07/29/2008, -3/+58Totally dead on, this kills me. A while ago I was eating out and at the bottom of the menu in tiny print, they noted that there was an extra 10% fee to provide "Health Care" to their employees. No *****, what company doesn't provide healthcare of some sort to full-time employees? What's next, will there be a 10% fee to "purchase food ingredients"?! Pretty soon, everything on the menu will be $1 with about ten hidden fees that appear when you get the check. As a matter of fact, that's already happened. The other day I was trying to buy a ticket from an airline that advertised a "$1 Fare Special!!" So after fiddling with dates a bit (ok, a lot), I finally managed to get the $1 fare. Man, was I stoked! Go to checkout and the final tally is something like $150 with airport taxes and "services surcharges". I say we grab our axes and pitchforks and start a consumer revolution, this ***** has got to stop.
- dampeal, on 07/29/2008, -0/+31What pisses me off lately are the 'convenience fees' that I've been running into... It cost me $5.95 to pay my electric bill over the phone, their online service wasn't working so I called to take care of it, so they charged me to take my money.. but that's not the worst, my car is through Chase, they charged me $10 to take my car payment over the phone?!? They call them 'convenience fees' but I think they're downright damn inconvenient !
- cusoman, on 07/29/2008, -1/+23Reminds me a lot of the farce and swindling that is Ticketmaster. Hate them.
"Processing fee" of $7?? Bull. *****. Your computers do all the processing for you and I refuse to believe that the amount of power needed to complete that is worth $7. If there's ever a show I really want to go to and the only place selling tickets is Ticketmaster, I will try my hardest to find them up on Craigslist or EBay. I will NOT do business with a monopolistic thief. - therealkdog, on 07/29/2008, -0/+18I got hit with a 5$ bank fee to cash a check at a bank (M&T They also fingerprinted me to cash the check). The person who wrote the check has an account there.
"Oh sir you can get the fee waved if you open an account with us here today"
"I will never do buisness with this bank because of that 5$ fee, now give me my money" - MikeSobe, on 07/29/2008, -1/+17I have noticed an increase in these hidden fees as well. I think it's *****, I want to know what the good or service is going to cost me total, not some random percentage of the total that the company decides to advertise. Does anyone know of one of these hidden fees being challenged in court? Shouldn't they fall under some realm of bait and switch or false advertising?
- kent1146, on 07/29/2008, -0/+15In general, a good article. Consumers would be smart to simply refuse to do business with any establishment that charges fees which you believe to be unfair, if you can avoid it.
"Dialing directory assistance from your cell phone can cost as much as $3.49. Call 1-800-FREE411. In return for listening to a brief ad, you pay nothing." Forget that. 1-800-GOOG-411
"Forget about interest-bearing checking accounts. They typically require a huge balance ($2,660 on average, says Bankrate) to avoid service fees of around $10 a month, and they pay paltry interest (0.34 percent in the latest Bankrate survey)" ING Electric Orange. They'll pay 1.75% to 3.35% interest on a checking account, for a balance of $0 to $100,000+. - inactive, on 07/29/2008, -0/+14Gotta love companies that charge you a fee to pay the bill.
- Solo011, on 07/29/2008, -5/+18In countries like Japan, its considered rude to tip. They think its an honor to do their jobs over there. In America, we pay people extra to do whats expected of them.
- jerbaker, on 07/29/2008, -1/+14"No *****, what company doesn't provide healthcare of some sort to full-time employees?"
Are you for real? What fantasy land do you live in where employers take care of their employees? 71% of uninsured people between 18 - 45 years old are employed full time - http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hus/pri ... - Yuthinkiwont, on 07/29/2008, -1/+13I'm surprised no one has mentioned ticketmaster. A flat-rate $10 convenience fee[for my $15 tix] per ticket and then $5 in processing fees after that. I now will travel an hour just to buy tickets at the box office just so I won't give ticketmaster any of my money.
- thorstrongstone, on 07/29/2008, -1/+13Felonious Fees is my favorite Jazz pianist.
- DocHoliday22, on 07/29/2008, -0/+11Insurance companies in the UK, Norwich Union, charges a small fee for their "administrative process", when you purchase online, EVEN though you are the one that typed that ***** up, printed it off, and then submitted it to relevant parties... What a joke...
Anyway... I am expecting someone to say "***** you, two of my friends died paying fees" - it's getting old and people are misusing it... - drlha, on 07/29/2008, -0/+10$10 fine for "rediculous"
- inactive, on 07/29/2008, -0/+10Yeah, it's BS. I had the same thing happen to me when I couldn't pay my FIOS account online and I got whacked with a $3 convenience fee. The only reason I was doing it that way was because the Verizon website was stuck in an endless loop of asking me to enter my account number, then my password, then the account number, then my password... nothing convenient at all going on right there. I should have spoken to someone to have the fee waived, but at that point, I didn't feel like sitting on hold for 20 minutes to get $3 back seeing how I had already lost half an hour dealing with their website.
- stanleyford, on 07/29/2008, -0/+10http://www.r-i-d-i-c-u-l-o-u-s.com/
- Mechenger, on 07/29/2008, -0/+9Pretty good article. In general I already do most of what's suggested.
On the issue of fees to subsidize government projects, I'm not entirely opposed. I'd rather pay consumption 'taxes', like fees at an arena or on a car rental in a given location, than pay a income or property tax. In such situations you control how much you pay by whether you use the resource or not, rather than being forced to pay (with little/no control of how much) in the case of property or income tax. - pitchblack16, on 07/29/2008, -2/+11Fees just keep getting more and more rediculous, i think the worst fees are probably from banks and credit cards.
- jorisb, on 07/29/2008, -0/+9Fuel surcharge... It's part of your operating costs, bitches.
- cgbspender, on 07/29/2008, -1/+9So, in the end they want the customer pay the normal price and *their* bills.
- This chocolate bar costs one dollar.
- Alright, here (hands over one dollar)
- Thanks. Now, before you can leave I need you to give me two dollars.
- Why? I already paid.
- Well, that was the price for the chocolate bar. Now, there are still lots of fees to pay. You know, we paid 50c for that bar, then there is 20c for employee wages, 10c for insurance, 80c for the management, 20c for stock dividend, 15c for rent and 5c for cleaning. - jonnymj, on 07/29/2008, -0/+8Add Pizza delivery fees to this list.
These fees are a revenue stream designed to offset the higher cost of food prices and such while letting the chains advertise lower prices. Not only does this screw the customer but then it screws your delivery driver because a very large percentage of customers will lower their tip amount based on that delivery charge even though their mileage reimbursment has not gone up a significant amount from the time there was no delivery charge, resulting in the corporation pocketing most of that charge. - kayfouroh, on 07/29/2008, -0/+7Can we start charging the companies for OUR fees?
If I have to call and pay my bill over the phone, can I charge them $1.00/minute?
What about my time? How much is MY time worth? - inactive, on 07/29/2008, -2/+9Why don't you just spend less than whats in your checking account?
- mrmopwater, on 07/29/2008, -0/+7I signed up for new Charter internet service yesterday. They advertised 10M download for $34.99/mo*. When I called, the lady said it's actually $44.99/mo if I don't order the phone service too. Makes sense, right? Things that I am not buying are costing me more money? And then the $50.00 "installation" fee where some guy has to come out and flip a switch? Plus the extra $30 up front for no good reason? I'm getting sick of this *****. Too much of a pain in the ass for throttled internet.
Sorry for adding to the "bitching consumer" portion of this comment thread, but I had to vent somewhere.
(*Which goes up to $59.99 after 6 months...) - PabloMac, on 07/29/2008, -0/+7It's convenient for them to charge a fee.
- jsauter, on 07/29/2008, -0/+6Oh don't get me started on TM. My wife worked there for years and watched them close down call centre after call centre and start charging the new service charges for web orders. Basically, they were cost cutting by laying off and increasing revenue by charging the fee.
Now I see they have an auction site (at least on TM Canada) where artists can let people bid over face-value for a ticket. I am sure TM gets a cut, but now they are pretty much saying that it is OK if they scalp their tickets, but the normal customer can't. - evilgourmet, on 07/29/2008, -0/+6Apparently you don't live in a state where the business takes 2/3 to half of your check for healthcare. If you are lucky to get fulltime, they take a large chunk of your pay (way to get lucky).
Adding 10% to provide heathcare is a crock, they could cut some corners and just pay it -- or raise the bill 10% and don't say anything.
We raised prices in a restaurant I worked at, no healthcare, by 5% -- to give some of the kitchen crew a raise, bringing them over 5.50 an hour. Most people didn't notice the increase. - jerbaker, on 07/29/2008, -1/+7Most people want it both ways. They complain about paying taxes for things they don't use (like maintaining National Parks), but then when it costs $20 to enter a park they complain that their tax dollars pay for it and it should be free. Surprise, people want others to pay for them, but when it's their turn to pay for others they don't want to pay. Trust me, I deal with these people every week. The concept of mutual cooperation and common good doesn't exist for these people. They're selfish pricks that want the benefits of a modern society but they think someone else should pay for it. They're no different from welfare moochers other than the handouts they want are not cash, but the benefits of a society they don't have to share the cost for.
I think we should just close parks and forests completely to the public and then they won't have to pay for it, nor will it have to be maintained. - XBunnyRacer, on 07/29/2008, -0/+5All I know is that if I have a negative balance in my account, why won't they just deny the transaction? My husband made an error balancing my work account and I paid $140.00 in overdraft fees ($35 EACH) for silly debit card purchases.. that TOTALED less than $35.00.. I HAD cash on me and would have used it if BofA would have declined the purchase because of the negative balance.
- diggstown, on 07/29/2008, -0/+5GOOG411 is good, but so is 1-800-CALL411 which is Microsoft's Live Search. When one fails, the other usually works. Of course, both are tracking everything you do for future marketing (or worse), so make sure you put on your tin foil hat before you call.
- scamper22, on 07/29/2008, -0/+5yeah. These are the worst fees. When you're actually saving them money and you have to pay extra.
In Ontario we have these 'service kiosks' for government related things. For example to renew your license plate, you can either
1. Use an automated kiosk at a mall
2. Go to the MOT and do it with live person.
aaah, use the automated kiosk and you get charged a 'convenience fee'
I do it anyways, because well... it is convenient. Yet, it makes zero sense. - homah, on 07/29/2008, -0/+5The issue here isn't that there are extra fees, it's that they are hidden. I shouldn't have to ask what the "OTD" price is when booking a hotel room or going to a restaurant. Just give me the total amount up front and I will decide if I want it or not.
- RANDOM667, on 07/29/2008, -2/+7I closed my bank account last month and started using a prepaid visa card because I was disgusted with obscenely high bank overdraft fees.
- minorthreat, on 07/29/2008, -0/+5I don't do business with companies that do this stuff, so how come the employee's look at me like I'm the idiot every time I call their employer out on the BS charges?
- chadell, on 07/29/2008, -1/+5some of these charges are not lawful but arbitrary amounts dreamt up by managers to prop up their bonuses. I always challenge fees that do not make sense, 99% of the times I have had the fees cancelled or refunded.
here is some useful info:
Excessive Bank Account And Credit Card Charges Attacked As Unfair And Possibly Illegal
http://mpelembe.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2006/3 ... - subliminalurge, on 07/29/2008, -0/+4A friend of mine recently went on a trip and had to rent a car. As part of the agreement, he's required to return it with a full tank of gas.
They STILL had the nerve to charge him a $3.00 fuel surcharge on the car rental. - NSkram, on 07/29/2008, -0/+4It's like walking into some Dunkin Donut's, they have a tip jar out on the counter.
I'm sorry if you can't even put cream cheese on my bagel when I order it then your sure as hell not getting a tip. - NSkram, on 07/29/2008, -0/+4You think that's bad I went to pay my Wife's Best Buy card over the phone last month but in order to do so I had to enter her SSN. I couldn't remember it so I said screw it I'll just pay it through my bank (they send them a check for me).
I get the new bill this month and there's a $13 fee for cancelling the phone payment.....wtf, I never even spoke to anyone it was all completely automated. - Yuthinkiwont, on 07/29/2008, -1/+5The pizza hut 3 miles away from my boyfriend's house tried to charge him a $25 delivery fee.
- cawpin, on 07/29/2008, -0/+4The most unabashed "convenience fee" I know of is the one charged by Ticketmaster. They charge it at every place they offer tickets. If they charge it everywhere it isn't a convenience fee.
Another one of my pet peeves is restaurants that add an 18% "gratuity" to parties of 8 or more. If you're charging it, it isn't a gratuity. I have yet to pay one, luckily. If a restaurant ever tries to charge me one, I'll simply refuse to pay. If they take it off, the waiter will get a much nicer tip anyway. - RANDOM667, on 07/29/2008, -0/+4Mistakes happen, especially when one is living paycheck to paycheck while trying to raise a family on a single income.
The banks are the quickest to financially punish their customers for their mistakes.
A business should never try to punish their customers.
If you went to the store any tried to buy more than you have enough money for is the store going to try to punish you for making a mistake? no, they would just tell you to put something back.
Overdraft fees specifically target the poorest of the banks customers, since they are the ones less likely to be able to afford to seek litigation.
If banks started charging obscene fees to their richest customers there would be a line of lawyers waiting to sue.
Why cant the banks figure out a way to take money from the customers that have large accounts instead of taking money from the poorest.
"Ohh.. It seems you have run out of money Mr. Johnson, I'm going to have to charge you a fee for not having any money."
C'mon, How much ***** sense does this make?!
A $27.00 fee for a $0.01 overdrawn transaction is just plain wrong no matter how anyone tries to justify it! - TheSavant, on 07/29/2008, -1/+5We don't pay extra. Waiters, bartenders and etc... have a minimum wage half of the normal. Either raise the minimum wage for servers or tip them. What I hate is people who are eligible for full minimum wage asking for tips. The omelet girl at Golden Corral is asking for tips now.
- bmdt2000, on 07/29/2008, -0/+3They'd probably charge you $3 to call and have it fixed :)
- kayfouroh, on 07/29/2008, -1/+4I don't get it. When I was paying ConEd for my gas and electric in NYC, I was paying basically for everything. Paying for people to come out to my house and read my meter, paying for customer service, paying for government fees, paying for this and that. It was even worse with Time Warner Cable, I was paying their franchise fee. It is getting ridiculous. When I complain about it to my girlfriend (who handles the money with me), she tells me I'm whining. Guess she's part of the problem, gotta kick her to the curb over 30 cents!
- theutopian, on 07/29/2008, -3/+6You're argument would be valid if the minimum wage system for wait staff wasn't based on an expectation that they would get tips. Because they get tips, restaurants can pay them $2 an hour.
It's absurd, I know. Just make restaurants pay minimum wage. When I first went to Europe it was hard to wrap my head around the concept that I didn't have to tip. - swaxhog, on 07/29/2008, -0/+3Yeah, a lot of important sounding fees like 9-1-1 service but then in fine print you see "non-governmental fee". i.e. It's nothing to do with any federal regulation and it's a money grab. Or Bell's "Touch tone service". I love that one.
- andrewpmk, on 07/29/2008, -1/+4Then you go to the pizza parlor and pick up the pizza yourself. Remember, delivery isn't free for the pizza parlor, given gas prices (and labor costs). At least you can opt out of delivery fees, unlike a lot of other hidden fees.
- WalkerTXclocker, on 07/29/2008, -0/+3I think the issue is that the fees are hidden. If the park is going to charge extra then I would like to know about it in their price. Don't tell me it's $15, then when i get there charge me $30. Why is that so much to ask?
- Zippo, on 07/29/2008, -1/+4The worst probably has to be the stupid "System Access Fee" all the mobile carriers in Canada charge...
You think you're paying for your service when you cough up $20 s month for your minutes... but no, you need to pay an extra $7-8 a month... to access their system.
I'm sorry, but if I'm paying a monthly fee to use a service... doesn't that mean I'm already paying to access the system?
Sadly, if legislation ever shows up and gets rid of the SAF, the telcos will probably just increase monthly minute plan fees to make up for it. - kd1s, on 07/29/2008, -0/+3Here are the fees on my Vonage account:
Regulatory Recovery Fee $0.99
Emergency 911 Cost Recovery $0.99
Sales Tax $2.09
Federal Universal Service Fee $1.89
State 911 Fee $1.00
State Telecom Education Access Fund $0.26
The Regulatory Recovery Fee, there's a buck. Add the E911 Cost Recovery and we're now at $1.98. Add the 26 cents for the State Telecom EdAc Fund and we're at $2.24 in ***** fees. Add in the FUSF at $1.89 and we're now at $4.13. So fully 57% of the add on fees are *****.
Which is what drives a $24.99 plan to $32 when all is said and done. But still, it's cheaper than Verizon or Cox. - TheMajikMan, on 07/29/2008, -0/+3I have to agree with this. I went somewhere this weekend, and I was gonna buy my ticket early for Ticket Master. They wanted to charge $10 each ticket plus $5 on top. I showed up at the show, and the prices were the same and Ticket Master was listing, and there were plenty of seats available.
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