Alerts Archive

Fee of the Month

In this special feature, Consumer Action analyzes some of the sneakiest fees and surcharges that affect consumers, and offers tips on how to avoid them. If you have a "favorite" hidden fee you'd like to recommend, e-mail us at the Consumer Complaint Hotline.

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2006

November

• Nov 07, 2006  Nasty “Sonora Surprise”
  This week, Mexico imposed a costly fee on calls from other countries. The new fee greatly impacts immigrant workers who…
• Nov 01, 2006  Doc Fees
  

  "Doc fees" are charges by auto dealerships for preparing vehicle sales paperwork. These are "junk fees" that dealerships use…

October

• Oct 25, 2006  Credit Card Interchange Fees
  

  A lesser-known member of the family of credit card fees is the “interchange fee.” These fees are what it costs…

• Oct 17, 2006  The Resort Fee
  

  A persistent thorn in the side of travelers is the “resort fee,” a bit of stealth inflation whereby a hotel…

• Oct 12, 2006  Key Replacement Fee
  

  If you own a late-model Toyota, your car probably starts by means of a “Smart Key.” Ford, Chevy, and…

• Oct 03, 2006  Sprint Fee Can Set You Free
  

  Since August, Sprint has been sending out notices that, as of Oct. 1, it is hiking its text message fees…

• Oct 02, 2006  The Opt-Out Fee
  

  For years the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), an organization of businesses that send out bulk unsolicited marketing communications, has let…

September

• Sep 20, 2006  The Prescription Drug User Fee
  

  The Prescription Drug User Fee (User Fee) isn’t a fee that consumers pay directly. It’s a “user fee” the drug…

• Sep 13, 2006  The Certified Deed Fee
  

  National Deed Service, through mass-mailings, asks homeowners to pay up to $89.50 for a “certified deed” to their property. This…

• Sep 05, 2006  Death of a Bogus Fee
  

  We mark the passing of our dearly departed fee, the DSL Supplier Surcharge or “Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee.” After the…

August

• Aug 22, 2006  The Flying Bike Fee
  If you are a cyclist who likes to travel with your bike, this fee will burn your butt worse than…
• Aug 15, 2006  Prison Phone Monopoly
  

  States give telecom companies a monopoly over calls made from prisons and jails, with the understanding that the company…

• Aug 07, 2006  Credit Limit Increase Fee
  At Consumer Action we survey about 150 different credit cards a year, so we’ve seen some crazy fees over the…

July

• Jul 31, 2006  Airport Rental Car Tax
  

  Would you like to pay for a sewage plant in Massachusetts? Help bankroll the new Rodeo grounds in Randall County,…

• Jul 24, 2006  ‘No Late Fee’ Fee
  

  Blockbuster's tease in its come on below: "And there's more...." There sure is: After seven days...,

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