Annoying Fees...Argh!

[bsfins]

This morning stuck in a po-dunk town,and I ordered a sandwich,and an Iced tea from the place across the street. Looked at the receipt and I got charged a fuel surcharge of .50,along with a $1 delivery fee...No problem...except he walked across the street...I happened to look at the receipt,and I asked are you serious? It wasn't the charge,as much,as he didn't drive..So he knocked .50 off....

I hate shipping fees,and Amazon Prime has spoiled me...I see like $5+ to ship something,then it takes a week to get here...Argh!

So what are the fees,and surcharges do you hate the most?

[Dave Gray]

I don't mind taxes and fees, so long as they are apparent and clear.  For example, my cable bill or my telephone bill...  With those, you get quoted a price and then there's a considerable difference with what you have to pay -- sometimes an additional 20 bucks for various surcharges.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I don't like the insane fees such as the ones that turn a $39.99 /mo cell plan into that is really $74.

As for resturant deliveries fees, they don't bother me in the least, but I do subtract the fee from what I would have tipped if there was no fee. 

I know a couple of delivery folks who have told me that the reason they got added was some folks didn't tip at all for delivery and they don't get much of an hourly rate, but they get 100% of the delivery fee plus tips.

[badger6]

Companies that charge fees for paying online, with a any type of card or even worse, both. Many utility companies are doing this bullshit. Also, many companies charge to talk on the phone to a company rep to make a payment. Hell, some even charge to pay a rep in person at the location. WTF, I gotta pay a fee to pay you what I owe you. Really ? There is something called the cost of doing business. That kind of shit should be outlawed......

[bsfins]

^^ Reminds me my insurance company charged a fee for paying monthly like $3 a month,over paying every 3 or 6 months. I'm 95% sure it went away when started Auto pay online though...

[Buddhagirl]

^^ Reminds me my insurance company charged a fee for paying monthly like $3 a month,over paying every 3 or 6 months. I'm 95% sure it went away when started Auto pay online though...

My insurance does this as well.

[badger6]

^^ Reminds me my insurance company charged a fee for paying monthly like $3 a month,over paying every 3 or 6 months. I'm 95% sure it went away when started Auto pay online though...

My policy is rated every 6 months. If I pay monthly they tack on $2-3 a month, if I split it up and pay 50/50 every 3 months they tack on $2-3 dollars on both payments, and if I pay the whole 6 month policy they don't add anything. I pay the 50/50 every 3 months and don't mind paying the few extra bucks because I'm not paying in full when on the policy due date. But paying extra just to pay your bill, on a bill that's due monthly is fucking nuts.

A few years ago my water bill in my old apartment was billed by a 3rd party company. I remembered to pay it on the day it was due. The bill was like $8 or something like that. In an attempt to avoid a $15 late fee, I went online and paid the $7 "quick pay online fee" or whatever they call it. Come to find out that they still charged me a late fee. So an $8 bill cost me $30. I then proceeded to go fucking ape shit on some poor girl that answered the phone. I did apologize to her and asked for the crook who is running the company to no avail.

[Dave Gray]

This isn't really a fee, but I also don't like payments that balloon.  Again, like my cable bill.  Right now, it's reasonable.  But if in 6 months, I forget to renegotiate or threaten to cancel or what have you, it's going to shoot to outrageous rates.  I bet they make a ton of money on people that just have an auto-pay and don't pay attention to it.

[badger6]

This isn't really a fee, but I also don't like payments that balloon.  Again, like my cable bill.  Right now, it's reasonable.  But if in 6 months, I forget to renegotiate or threaten to cancel or what have you, it's going to shoot to outrageous rates.  I bet they make a ton of money on people that just have an auto-pay and don't pay attention to it.

I had luck with ATT, well it was Bellsouth back then. Anyhow, I called them about a billing problem and I told them that if the rate wasn't set permanent, then I was taking my business to Comcast. Sure enough they said that they couldn't set my rate past 12 months. So I hung up and called back to cancel and talked to retentions, he lowered my rate, made it a permanent rate, and took 75% off the item in dispute on the bill. $45 a month for DSL and land line home phone with all taxes and fees wasn't too shabby. Had that rate for 4 years until I moved a few months ago. Moral of the story, don't bluff, call to cancel or get a better deal and if they won't budge, actually cancel and go with another provider. Retentions agents have more ability than the standard CSR in these situations.

[Brian Fein]

Airlines are the worst!  Especially Spirit.  Here's a nice $39 round trip flight, but pay $40 to carry on a bag, $50 to check one, and a $25 select-your-seat fee and now that $39 flight is like a $300 flight.  Its bullcrap.

[tubba marxxx]

I think anybody who's ordered tickets for sporting events, concerts, etc can level with me on this one:

"Convenience Fee"

Greatest oxymoron of this generation..there's nothing "convenient" about an extra $10 tacked onto you order.


Moreover, if you've ever printed your tickets at home, how the HELL do they get away with charging us Shipping and Handling?!   Makes ZERO sense.

[Brian Fein]

They charge $2.50 to email you a PDF.  Its bullcrap.  That's a good one.  Buying tickets online is the worst.  I always try to buy my tickets straight from the team if possible.

[Landshark]

I think anybody who's ordered tickets for sporting events, concerts, etc can level with me on this one:

"Convenience Fee"

Greatest oxymoron of this generation..there's nothing "convenient" about an extra $10 tacked onto you order.


Moreover, if you've ever printed your tickets at home, how the HELL do they get away with charging us Shipping and Handling?!   Makes ZERO sense.

Same with Fandango movie tickets.  Fandango is like the Ticketmaster of the movies.  You buy your tickets online and they charge you a convenience fee.   You're basically paying to skip the line. 

Airlines are the worst!  Especially Spirit.  Here's a nice $39 round trip flight, but pay $40 to carry on a bag, $50 to check one, and a $25 select-your-seat fee and now that $39 flight is like a $300 flight.  Its bullcrap.

That's why I fly Southwest.  They fly out of Panama City so  I don't have to drive to Pensacola or Jacksonville.  They don't charge baggage fees and they don't charge change fees if you have to change your flight. 

I can't believe major airlines charge $150 to change your flight and even higher if it's an international flight. 

[BoSoxGrl]

Well, I am the asshole who charges you extra fees...tis part of my job.

BUT we clearly say "if you don't pay us by this date, this amount is getting billed to you."  We still have people call and flip out (granted, they have been notified at least 4 times before they get said fee) and it's a complete lack of personal responsibility.  The clients I deal with don't understand that when I shut your service off, it's a pain.  i hate it.  I have to have someone go and log into your machine, take it offline, which shuts down your email and website(s).  Then they call me 5 minutes later because they chose to ignore us, pay, and then I have to have that same guy go back, log into your machine and turn it back online.  Not fun.

When fees are not clearly defined, I have an issue.  When it was poor planning on my part, I take the responsibility.  I suppose I am in the minority just because I deal with it everyday.

Side note:  I also did the math once and we pay someone's annual salary on late fees alone so I get why we do it.

[badger6]

Well, I am the asshole who charges you extra fees...tis part of my job.

BUT we clearly say "if you don't pay us by this date, this amount is getting billed to you."  We still have people call and flip out (granted, they have been notified at least 4 times before they get said fee) and it's a complete lack of personal responsibility.  The clients I deal with don't understand that when I shut your service off, it's a pain.  i hate it.  I have to have someone go and log into your machine, take it offline, which shuts down your email and website(s).  Then they call me 5 minutes later because they chose to ignore us, pay, and then I have to have that same guy go back, log into your machine and turn it back online.  Not fun.

When fees are not clearly defined, I have an issue.  When it was poor planning on my part, I take the responsibility.  I suppose I am in the minority just because I deal with it everyday.

Side note:  I also did the math once and we pay someone's annual salary on late fees alone so I get why we do it.

I have more of a problem with the fees charged to pay online, with a debit card, credit card, over the phone, and sometimes actually in person. A fee to pay your bill just seems like a crime to me. Actually I'm fine with late fees unless they are ridiculously high. In my case a couple years ago the late fee was $15 on an $8 bill.  I think that there should be law that limits a late fee to the higher of $5 or 5% owed or something like that. Your company may notify people 4 times before a late fee is applied but many companies just bill you and if you go past the due date they charge a late fee.