Comments on: 8 Stupid Fees Consumers Hate to Pay (But Often Do Anyway) http://lenpenzo.com/blog/id1041-8-stupid-fees-consumers-hate-to-pay-but-often-do-anyway.html The offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:41:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Gray http://lenpenzo.com/blog/id1041-8-stupid-fees-consumers-hate-to-pay-but-often-do-anyway.html#comment-142880 Gray Mon, 23 Jan 2012 04:51:26 +0000 http://lenpenzo.com/blog/?p=1041#comment-142880 If you do a breakdown on your phone bill, (like they have to do with the state utilities regulators), part of your monthly fee is for listing your phone number, so on top of paying to have your number listed you have to pay more to have it unlisted. If you do a breakdown on your phone bill, (like they have to do with the state utilities regulators), part of your monthly fee is for listing your phone number, so on top of paying to have your number listed you have to pay more to have it unlisted.

]]> By: Susan http://lenpenzo.com/blog/id1041-8-stupid-fees-consumers-hate-to-pay-but-often-do-anyway.html#comment-142878 Susan Mon, 23 Jan 2012 04:21:01 +0000 http://lenpenzo.com/blog/?p=1041#comment-142878 I don't understand why we have to pay to take our money out of the bank from our atm machines. Remember when banks wanted our business? They bribed us with toasters and silverware and place settings of china? Now they ding us with all kinds of fees for everything we do, with our money! I don’t understand why we have to pay to take our money out of the bank from our atm machines. Remember when banks wanted our business? They bribed us with toasters and silverware and place settings of china? Now they ding us with all kinds of fees for everything we do, with our money!

]]> By: Reese http://lenpenzo.com/blog/id1041-8-stupid-fees-consumers-hate-to-pay-but-often-do-anyway.html#comment-142873 Reese Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:53:11 +0000 http://lenpenzo.com/blog/?p=1041#comment-142873 One area I have not seen fees mentioned is with regards to gas and electric bills. They are outrageous!!! My delivery charge for these services is almost equal to the cost of the gas and electric I am using for example a recent gas and electric bill was $333.97 of those charges $124.64 was in delivery fees. An additional $32.21 was for government taxes and misc. fees. Those extra fees added on that no one could adequately explain could not be removed. After speaking to three people I was told that the fees are mandatory and my only option was to shut my service off. Oh and there would be a fee for that too! As if you can really just shut off your gas and electric. One area I have not seen fees mentioned is with regards to gas and electric bills. They are outrageous!!! My delivery charge for these services is almost equal to the cost of the gas and electric I am using for example a recent gas and electric bill was $333.97 of those charges $124.64 was in delivery fees. An additional $32.21 was for government taxes and misc. fees. Those extra fees added on that no one could adequately explain could not be removed. After speaking to three people I was told that the fees are mandatory and my only option was to shut my service off. Oh and there would be a fee for that too! As if you can really just shut off your gas and electric.

]]> By: chris bohan http://lenpenzo.com/blog/id1041-8-stupid-fees-consumers-hate-to-pay-but-often-do-anyway.html#comment-142872 chris bohan Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:00:56 +0000 http://lenpenzo.com/blog/?p=1041#comment-142872 I recently bought a new car, refused to pay the "Doc Fee". The dealer then took it out, but then attempted to add it on to the bottom line. I walked out, and they came and begged me to come back in. I did only after refusing to pay them a dime in Doc fees or any other fee. They are sneaky, they think we are all stupid, and all one has to do is remember that they are all fundamentally dishonest, lying, deceitful crooks. Once you understand that, you can decipher the code on not paying the fees. I recently bought a new car, refused to pay the “Doc Fee”. The dealer then took it out, but then attempted to add it on to the bottom line. I walked out, and they came and begged me to come back in. I did only after refusing to pay them a dime in Doc fees or any other fee. They are sneaky, they think we are all stupid, and all one has to do is remember that they are all fundamentally dishonest, lying, deceitful crooks. Once you understand that, you can decipher the code on not paying the fees.

]]> By: JFChrist http://lenpenzo.com/blog/id1041-8-stupid-fees-consumers-hate-to-pay-but-often-do-anyway.html#comment-142863 JFChrist Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:27:03 +0000 http://lenpenzo.com/blog/?p=1041#comment-142863 I don't care about the pizza delivery fee. All those pizza places are disguising, but I can especially confirm that Papa Johns pizza is so full of MSG that it causes projectile diarrhea within 7 hours of eating it. I don’t care about the pizza delivery fee.

All those pizza places are disguising, but I can especially confirm that Papa Johns pizza is so full of MSG that it causes projectile diarrhea within 7 hours of eating it.

]]> By: RILEY http://lenpenzo.com/blog/id1041-8-stupid-fees-consumers-hate-to-pay-but-often-do-anyway.html#comment-142844 RILEY Sun, 22 Jan 2012 03:09:29 +0000 http://lenpenzo.com/blog/?p=1041#comment-142844 I was booking a rental car the other day and the quote for the week was $400, but when I went to pay, it was $505. They had fees for everything. $20 here, $10 here, etc. I was booking a rental car the other day and the quote for the week was $400, but when I went to pay, it was $505. They had fees for everything. $20 here, $10 here, etc.

]]> By: reynald http://lenpenzo.com/blog/id1041-8-stupid-fees-consumers-hate-to-pay-but-often-do-anyway.html#comment-142838 reynald Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:53:54 +0000 http://lenpenzo.com/blog/?p=1041#comment-142838 hi there... I have read with interest the posts on fees, and am thinking that Americans are easy to trick. In a lot of countries, fees and taxes must be included in the price advertised. If what is advertised/published is different than what is to be paid, then the seller is breaking the law. This idea is supposed to protect the customer, as you dont get funny surprised at the time of purchasing. and for the un-educated customer, it is actually a great way to help them manage their money better... Some airlines have tried the "fuel surcharge fee" in Europe. Well, if an American airlines is doing it, it would only be fair that a Europen Airline is able to do it to. Well, the various european courts of law have rejected that argument. There are exceptions of course, but mostly, European customers don't get any fee/taxes surprises. Tell your politicians. That is free of taxes and fees... (but wont get you anywhere... just like in Europe...:-( hi there…

I have read with interest the posts on fees, and am thinking that Americans are easy to trick.

In a lot of countries, fees and taxes must be included in the price advertised. If what is advertised/published is different than what is to be paid, then the seller is breaking the law.

This idea is supposed to protect the customer, as you dont get funny surprised at the time of purchasing. and for the un-educated customer, it is actually a great way to help them manage their money better…

Some airlines have tried the “fuel surcharge fee” in Europe. Well, if an American airlines is doing it, it would only be fair that a Europen Airline is able to do it to. Well, the various european courts of law have rejected that argument.

There are exceptions of course, but mostly, European customers don’t get any fee/taxes surprises.

Tell your politicians. That is free of taxes and fees… (but wont get you anywhere… just like in Europe…:-(

]]> By: Diana C http://lenpenzo.com/blog/id1041-8-stupid-fees-consumers-hate-to-pay-but-often-do-anyway.html#comment-142835 Diana C Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:35:56 +0000 http://lenpenzo.com/blog/?p=1041#comment-142835 Could you get the parking fee waived if you told them you were walking! Could you get the parking fee waived if you told them you were walking!

]]> By: Brandt http://lenpenzo.com/blog/id1041-8-stupid-fees-consumers-hate-to-pay-but-often-do-anyway.html#comment-142833 Brandt Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:20:38 +0000 http://lenpenzo.com/blog/?p=1041#comment-142833 However, the airline baggage fees are nothing but highway robbery. Just charge a higher ticket price in the first place instead of making you think you're getting this cheap ticket and then charging a baggage fee, a pillow fee, a soft drink fee, a charge for the lousy little bag of peanuts fee, etc... How about some actual customer service, too, for all of this payout??? However you do have a point with regard to some of this, for example; get off your butts and actually GO and get the pizza yourself...My little brother worked pizza delivery a number of years ago and he sure didn't see any of these extra fees go into HIS pocket. Shoot! They didn't even help him with gas; he was totally on his own regarding upkeep of the car that he was using to enable their business to succeed. BTW, it was Little Ceasars he worked for. They can sponsor a college bowl game, but they can't pay their employees anything resembling a living wage. It's not just the consumers getting it in the you-know-what. However, the airline baggage fees are nothing but highway robbery. Just charge a higher ticket price in the first place instead of making you think you’re getting this cheap ticket and then charging a baggage fee, a pillow fee, a soft drink fee, a charge for the lousy little bag of peanuts fee, etc… How about some actual customer service, too, for all of this payout??? However you do have a point with regard to some of this, for example; get off your butts and actually GO and get the pizza yourself…My little brother worked pizza delivery a number of years ago and he sure didn’t see any of these extra fees go into HIS pocket. Shoot! They didn’t even help him with gas; he was totally on his own regarding upkeep of the car that he was using to enable their business to succeed. BTW, it was Little Ceasars he worked for. They can sponsor a college bowl game, but they can’t pay their employees anything resembling a living wage. It’s not just the consumers getting it in the you-know-what.

]]> By: Dontcaretoshare http://lenpenzo.com/blog/id1041-8-stupid-fees-consumers-hate-to-pay-but-often-do-anyway.html#comment-142831 Dontcaretoshare Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:33:50 +0000 http://lenpenzo.com/blog/?p=1041#comment-142831 Really? C'mon on now. STOP complaining because you DO NOT have to pay these fees. You need to educate yourself about the fees you are being charged instead of making up your own theory as to why you are being charged in the first place. As far as I can see, these are ALL convenience fees therefore you're being charged because you are to lazy to, for instance, learn how to file your own taxes and pick up your own show tickets. Your complaints are so invalid ESPECIALLY because you could avoid ALL of them by simply getting off your own you know what! It sounds to me like to just enjoy complaining about spending your own money. Yet you spend it anyway even though you disagree about whatever fee it is that you're CHOOSING to pay. You cause yourself to lose your own money. Stop using business fees as a scapecoat and learn how to do things for yourself instead of GIVING your money away. Another thing, find a more concrete and factual way of presenting your complaints. Maybe a pie chart on what the average american spends on fees? Anyone can rant as you clearly see you clueless consumer. Really? C’mon on now. STOP complaining because you DO NOT have to pay these fees. You need to educate yourself about the fees you are being charged instead of making up your own theory as to why you are being charged in the first place. As far as I can see, these are ALL convenience fees therefore you’re being charged because you are to lazy to, for instance, learn how to file your own taxes and pick up your own show tickets. Your complaints are so invalid ESPECIALLY because you could avoid ALL of them by simply getting off your own you know what! It sounds to me like to just enjoy complaining about spending your own money. Yet you spend it anyway even though you disagree about whatever fee it is that you’re CHOOSING to pay. You cause yourself to lose your own money. Stop using business fees as a scapecoat and learn how to do things for yourself instead of GIVING your money away. Another thing, find a more concrete and factual way of presenting your complaints. Maybe a pie chart on what the average american spends on fees? Anyone can rant as you clearly see you clueless consumer.

]]>