Telecom Carriers Use Deceptive Advertising

theodp writes "Regulatory Programs Fee. It sure sounds like a government tax. It isn't. The latest addition to T-Mobile's monthly bill is merely the latest example of telephone companies passing their own cost of doing business to customers with an array of surcharges that one might easily mistake for taxes being collected on behalf of the government. With millions of subscribers at each company, these less-than-forthright fees add billions of dollars per year in extra revenue without raising advertised rates."

Comments

Car dealers

[nycsubway]

My favorite thing at the car dealer is the "conveyance fee" that is pre-printed on the invoice for a car. They say "it's necessary, everyone has to pay it. It's state mandated." Of course none of it is true, but people will pay anyway, because they're not being told the whole truth.

It's not illegal, but its very sneaky. It's something that most people will miss, and when most people dont know they are being ripped off, then the government can take a closer look at it.