hidden fees

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FTC Bans Hidden Fees on Tickets, Short-Term Stays

Companies must post total prices, including all fees, up front under new rule

(Newser) - Companies from Ticketmaster to Airbnb will be forced to post total prices charged to consumers, including all fees, under a new FTC rule against "junk fees." The Federal Trade Commission announced Tuesday that it has finalized a rule requiring businesses to prominently display the total price for live...

Starbucks Scraps Hidden Fee After State Fine

It added $1.50 to bags of beans under a pound

(Newser) - Massachusetts officials noticed something fishy about the price of coffee beans at Starbucks: Customers buying less than a pound’s worth were paying more than the listed per-pound price. Following an investigation, state Starbucks branches have been fined $1,575, and the chain has dropped the hidden fee nationwide, the...

Paying Cash? Credit Cards Are Still Costing You Money

Rebates drive up prices for all but reward only users of plastic: Economist

(Newser) - Credit card rebates and rewards may seem like a great thing—like getting free money. The problem is that they're driving up the prices of everything we buy, writes economics professor Larry Harris. What's worse, people who pay cash—maybe because they're too poor to qualify for...

FCC to Crack Down on Mystery Phone Bill Fees

Agency proposes rules to outlaw 'cramming'

(Newser) - Federal regulators are proposing new rules to make it easier for consumers to detect and challenge mystery fees on their phone bills. The Federal Communications Commission voted today to seek public comments on the proposed rules, which are intended to crack down on the practice of "cramming." That...

Family Fights $18K Verizon Bill

The fine print gets you every time

(Newser) - A Massachusetts family is locked in a standoff with Verizon over an $18,000 bill they accidentally racked up in just over a month. When the St. Germain family signed on with Verizon, they received 2 years of unlimited downloads as part of a promotion, the Boston Globe explains. When...

Get Ready for New Credit Card Fees
Get Ready for New
Credit Card Fees
Feb 20, 2010 11:49 AM CST

Get Ready for New Credit Card Fees

New law cracking down on industry makes them inevitable

(Newser) - New rules go into effect Monday intended to make sure credit card users don't get ripped off by sneaky fees and charges that have long been standard practice in the industry. As a result, customers should be braced for a whole new set of sneaky fees and charges, warns the...

Banks Screw Customers in Regulatory Pout
Banks Screw Customers in Regulatory Pout
OPINION
Jan 6, 2010 9:18 AM CST

Banks Screw Customers in Regulatory Pout

Fees soar in revenge for tougher rules in the works in Congress

(Newser) - With a slew of new regulations headed their way, banks are jacking up their fees and credit card rates, in a blatant attempt to squeeze every last penny out of their customers. They say they’re just trying to recoup the money these new consumer protections will cost them. For...

Credit Card Companies Cut Perks for Good Customers

(Newser) - With revenues from high-risk cardholders dwindling, credit card companies are moving to impose stiffer fees on customers who've been accustomed to preferential treatment, the New York Times reports. Expect banks to bring back annual fees and slash reward programs, say industry insiders. And card holders who pay off their entire...

Airline Pitches the Really Friendly Skies

Let-it-all-hang-out Air New Zealand won't nickel-and-dime you

(Newser) - To tout its distaste for hidden fees, Air New Zealand is mounting a tasteful display—of nudity. The airline's new commercial features employees wearing nothing but body paint, the Boston Globe reports. The campaign, called “Nothing to Hide,” touts the now-antiquated practice of providing meals and not charging...

Top 10 Hidden Hotel Fees
Top 10 Hidden
Hotel Fees
Nov 25, 2007 11:24 AM CST

Top 10 Hidden Hotel Fees

Secret ways hotels gouge you when you're not looking

(Newser) - If you're hurrying to catch a plane, you might sign that hotel bill without a second glance.  Avoid unpleasant surprises by looking out for Forbes Traveler's list of hidden fees:
  1. Resort fee: Some resorts tack on a $10 to $25 fee per day for use of their facilities... even
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