Are you sick of add on fees?

[tallyho8]

OK, my wife and I are bored. We've been sitting around all year with nothing to do because of the virus. We're dying to get out and do something. We worked all our lives and saved up to see the world when we retire. Now we're retired and love cruising but there are no cruises this year and at least some of next year so far.

We want to book a flight and a hotel to go somewhere, any where, to enjoy ourselves a little while before we are too old to travel due to medical conditions. We check out a flight for $99. Then there are add-on fees for pick your seat, checked baggage, carry on baggage, food, drinks, internet, movies. Suddenly the flight is over $800 for a return trip.

We go to book a hotel. Great news, it's only $18 a night. But then in the fine print it's $45 a night resort fees, 28% taxes and mandatory minimum 20% tipping the room maid who only comes every other day. And lord help you if you smoke in the room because that cost you an extra $300 cleaning fee. Lots of more optional fees which we are luckily able to avoid.

The sightseeing bus is very inexpensive and you can get off and on at every stop and get back on at the next bus but each time you get off they expect a 20% tip so if you get off at 6 stops the tips are more than the bus fare.

All we want is to find out how much something will cost before we book the $900 trip that winds up costing us over $3000+.

 

[Alan W.]

I feel that way about eating at restaurants and car dealers.

Just charge what you need to pay your help a decent wage without hoping that they make it up in tips. Its costing me the same either way.

Car dealers cant understand when you tell them what you will pay for a vehicle is it. They think thats plus their fees.

 

[RickB]

Tipping a driver or guide at every stop on a tour is not something I will ever do, nor have I ever seen it done by others.

Add ons are annoying. You can get out and enjoy yourself or sit home and blame added and hidden fees for ruining your life.
My wife and I have enjoyed short easy and moderate hikes in local, state and national parks this year at minimal cost.

 

[Diggin It]

I will absolutely never fly again. Ever. Anywhere. Air travel adds far too many complications and levels of stress that take too long to relax from.

Much of what was discussed is why I'll probably never travel anywhere again. If I do, it wouldn't be to a tourist trap area.

Considering that most people can drive 500 miles a day, there are an awful lot of places in the US that you can drive to in two days. I'm not sure I'd want to drive that far anymore though. Few if any add-ons doing that if you're able. Most areas have hotels in the sub $50/night range with no add-ons. National parks have now dropped or eliminated fees for military or veterans if you qualify.

It is NOT necessary to spend big bux to travel and enjoy a vacation.

 

[Roadworthy]

I'm with Diggin' It. If your physical condition permits get a reliable car and drive. You don't need to cruise or fly to travel. If you don't want to drive perhaps you could consider the train. It beats the bus.

 

[Cat_Driver]

Let me start of by saying I hate all the add ons. As business owner I learned from these people and started the add on to my business, why not everyone else was doing it.
Truth be told I never made so much money as I did with these add one. I called them 'JUNK FEES" This I did as part of normal business practices I now charged for.
I'm retired now but I was in the event business for large corporation, the very people that were miking me for junk fees were at times my customers. What goes around comes around.
To start off I added 18% labor charge on ever every event where s in the past it was included in my quotes. Immediately I gained 18% more profit ob just that.
No one ever questioned the fee and gradly paid it. Understand some of my events were between 10K-100K so you can see how that 18% added up.
Then I charged a fire retardant fee which Ca. required on all good brought into a hotel or resort. I charged them for my staff meals during set up and I called that a ryder.
I also added a ryder fee to every entertainer for snacks, drinks, etc.
I charged them for "consumables" like duct tape, staples, nails, screwes, etc. another junk fee.

Like I said as a consumer I happer the junk fees I had to pay. At some resorts I've been to they charge the $45.00 a day resort fee then they tack on $50.00 parking fee $25.00 a night WIFI fee on top of a $300.00 a night room rate.

As a busins owner I smiled every time I went to the bank gouging these crooks that gouged me every day of my life.

 

[Oaktree]

We want to book a flight and a hotel to go somewhere, any where, to enjoy ourselves a little while before we are too old to travel due to medical conditions. We check out a flight for $99. Then there are add-on fees for pick your seat, checked baggage, carry on baggage, food, drinks, internet, movies. Suddenly the flight is over $800 for a return trip.

We go to book a hotel. Great news, it's only $18 a night. But then in the fine print it's $45 a night resort fees, 28% taxes and mandatory minimum 20% tipping the room maid who only comes every other day. And lord help you if you smoke in the room because that cost you an extra $300 cleaning fee. Lots of more optional fees which we are luckily able to avoid.

The "$18" charge for a motel room should have been a red flag. There's no way anyone could provide a room at that price...even a space at a campground costs more than that. I don't think I've ever paid any additional fees for a room (other than tax), but I don't travel much and when I do it's not to resort areas.

No one's mentioned all the various fees on cable tv/internet/phone. Can add up to 40% or more of the advertised rates, and to me is a lot of BS stuff. We have the cheapest cable tv package our provider offers, mostly off-air channels and a couple channels we never watch like EWTN, CSPAN and a couple shopping channels. Then they tack on a broadcast tv surcharge that's almost as high as the basic rate!!

 

[bigtiller]

I say 86 those in-season charges, fees, long lines and crowds.

Jump in the truck and go for a ride. It can last for 2 hours or 2 weeks.

Forget destination traveling, wait and see where the truck stops.

 

[ultrarunner]

Vote with you pocket book and refuse to play along...

The phone provider added a fee for years and I simply deducted and contested it when paying... so did a lot of other people and eventually the PUC said it was misleading... a little win sticking my neck out.

Service cannot be interrupted due a disputed fee as long as the fee is disputed in writing and the undisputed portion paid.

Even the Dentist is now charging a Covid Fee...

The Hospital Linen provider added a Covid Fee and I said I don't pay those... account rep said OK... it will be removed to which I said please document... and rep did.

The University of California has piled on with student fees for specifics like Student Union, etc... a group of students filed a class action law suit enumerating service fees paid for service not provided... students lost the first round and the University was told it could avoid future problem by lumping all fees into generic "Activity" fee...

I was closing on a property and at the last minute noticed several fees at the signing from the lender amounted to $500 and change...

I stopped the closing... the title and escrow people were scrambling and was told lender will not fund without... I said fine... and then told I could address these after closing and holding things up could mean losing the property...

My response to lender was remove the fees or I'm self funding and they can keep their money and I would be also expected the return of the appraisal fee as it was taken under misleading circumstances...

After a flurry of calls the fees were removed, docs redrawn and transaction completed...

Growing up around the car business buyers could be merciless and I have seen a buyer walk on a new Porsche over a tire recycling fee...

Costco charged a tire fee State Disposal Fee and I said I want my old tires so take off the fee... they did... no one had ever asked.

I'm in a feisty mood right now paying property taxes... 26 special assessments on the bill above the property tax... I don't really care about the $3 mosquito district fee but hundreds of dollars for city libraries that have been closed since March???

Good Luck deducting that one so I'll pay up.

About 15 years ago the city imposed a Landscape fee of $75... it was so sketchy the county refused to collect... so city invoiced separately... only about 50% compliance and the those that paid were eventually refunded... so it proved costly to city finances...

 

[Fuddy1952]

I say 86 those in-season charges, fees, long lines and crowds.

Jump in the truck and go for a ride. It can last for 2 hours or 2 weeks.

Forget destination traveling, wait and see where the truck stops.

I like this. The best vacations wife and I ever had, and taking weird roads.
Interstates are boring as heck.

 

[Citydude]

Seeing America from a car is better than a window seat on a plane. I’m done with flying.

 

[droptop]

The one that annoys me is the 10% Buyers Premium that is charged at Auctions. It's like going to Walmart and buying something for $10.00 and being charged an extra $1 for the privilege of spending your money there.

 

[Rowdy Redneck]

The one that annoys me is the 10% Buyers Premium that is charged at Auctions. It's like going to Walmart and buying something for $10.00 and being charged an extra $1 for the privilege of spending your money there.

Isn't this how the auction houses make their money? Referring to consigned items. Not sure if they collect fees from the sellers too; I've never sold at one.

 

[beowulf]

The most offensive and outrageous add on fee I have had to deal with was when I booked a flight on Alaska Airlines. I went thru the usual ritual of having to say yes or no to a checked baggage fee, an early boarding fee, a seat selection fee going, seat selection fee coming back, options for meals, and so on. BUT then, after saying no to everything, I was asked if I wanted to charge the ticket on a credit card. WHAT??? If so, there was a fee for that (I think it was something like 3-4%). I mean, I am on-line so how else am I going to pay for the ticket? I paid it - no choice - but has left a bad feeling about that airline ever since. I don't know if they still do this - I would hope not.

 

[ultrarunner]

I was leaving Vancouver Canada at the new airport with everything prepaid in full... the week I was to fly out a $20 US departure fee was added to all non Canadians and to be paid in cash... no cards or checks...

A few people had to borrow from other travelers and everyone was caught off guard and nothing on the Alaska website....

My letter was printed in a travel magazine... pockets picked clean or you were not flying out...

The Alaska fare was through Holland America and included all air, sea and ground transportation...

Have not flown Alaska since or used Vancouver Airport.

 

[Tomtint]

Im in a business where we work with some big names and big budgets. They all have back end fees they hit the consumer with and call it normal. There are actually focus groups that plan the escalation of these fees..like charging for paper bills and not paying them online.. then charging a fee to process a payment made online in 6 months.. processing fees for someone simply doing data entry for a transaction.. the list is endless. In many cases they spend more time coming up with a new non threatening name for the new "tax' than you can imagine.

 

[Tomtint]

Isn't this how the auction houses make their money? Referring to consigned items. Not sure if they collect fees from the sellers too; I've never sold at one.

Places like Mecum, Barrett Jackson and the others, as well as the run of the mill dealer auctions have a run fee..in the event the car docent sell the house still gets a piece. Then there is a "buyers premium" as well as a sellers fee should the car sell... These places eat from both sides of the plate.

 

[bunyip]

A local airline charges a seat allocation fee and credit card fee, I offered to stand and pay cash, both were refused.
Undertaker put on a $600 priest donation for a funeral I was paying for, I found this objectionable given how long they had their hands in his pocket while he was alive so refused to pay it, the new invoice had priest fee.

 

[Frankenkubota]

The most offensive and outrageous add on fee I have had to deal with was when I booked a flight on Alaska Airlines. I went thru the usual ritual of having to say yes or no to a checked baggage fee, an early boarding fee, a seat selection fee going, seat selection fee coming back, options for meals, and so on. BUT then, after saying no to everything, I was asked if I wanted to charge the ticket on a credit card. WHAT??? If so, there was a fee for that (I think it was something like 3-4%). I mean, I am on-line so how else am I going to pay for the ticket? I paid it - no choice - but has left a bad feeling about that airline ever since. I don't know if they still do this - I would hope not.

I flew a lot. I think Alaska had the best rep 10 years ago. No more flying for me, if possible.

 

[dougtrr2]

I had my car in for service. They did the typical, bring me the cabin filter and show how dirty it was. I said go ahead and change it. When I got the bill there was a $30 dollar charge for the filter and a $30 dollar charge for the installation. I told the kid I would pay for the filter but not the installation. He looked confused. I asked him why should I pay for the installation, if I said no to the filter you would have had to put back the old one anyway. We went round and round and I finally got my point across and only overpaid for the filter.

Doug in SW IA