Add-Ons Add Up

The Washington Post has a story about the proliferation of extra fees tacked on to just about every product or service under the sun. A couple of good insights make it worth the read.

Comments

Fuck banks

[Fastball]

I have been nickled-and-dimed with a diminuation of service by my bank, a bank we call Bank One, for too long now. They charge me $3 for "teller assistance" when I deposit a check. Then, my deposits aren't posted to my account sometimes until three or four days have passed. Like many other banks, they try to "order" my withdrawals and deposits in such a way as to attempt to charge me for overdrafts. And I typically keep a balance in my checking account at or above $500. Fucking absurd.

I've had it with Bank One. My next paycheck is going into a new checking account with a new bank that isn't going to hold me upside down and shake me for loose change.

buy vouchers

[g4dget]

For many services like car rentals, hotels, etc., you can buy "vouchers"--prepaid "tickets" that include a well-specified set of services: insurance, all fees, etc. Read the fine print and make sure that they state that they do include all charges that you care about and that they give you the coverage you need.

In general, people should have the option of negotiating specific, binding contracts with sellers or service providers, be it in the travel industry or anywhere else, with full disclosure of all fees ahead of time, and with a well-specified duration. On the other hand, doing business under contracts that give companies the option of changing their contractual obligations unilaterally at any time should simply be outlawed. Until it is, do business with companies that make commitments.

TicketBastard

[skeedlelee]

You know, it always somehow made sense to me that ticket master could charge a convenience fee for tickets. The idea was that they had to charge a small enough amount that you didn't decide that it was too much and just go over to the actual box office and buy it without the service charge. However, the amount they charge these days is f'ing ridiculous.

I wanted to go to a show recently where the venue is 200 yards from my house. I figured, ha! here's a chance to actually go to the box office and avoid the surcharge! It turns out that they have closed their box office, because no one was using it, you can only buy tickets through ticketmaster/bass or whatever. And the fee is like 35% of the cost of the ticket! When there was actually an alternative I would blissfully accept Tm's business model (and bend over), but now that there isn't an alternative at all. Anyone else have this happen (ie. tried to buy from a box office, when there no longer was one)? Alternatively, anyone ever get charged by ticketmaster when buying the ticket AT THE BOX OFFICE?