Corporate Crime by Nickel and Dime

[marmar]

from Reclaim Democracy!:



Corporate Crime by Nickel and Dime
Hidden fees may cost you more than $4,000 each year...and it's getting worse

Published January 25, 2008



What's the fastest growing corporate crime in America?

Corruption? Pollution? Market manipulation? Securities fraud? No.

It's hidden fees.

It's how the giant credit card, cell phone, cable, and banking corporations nickel and dime you to death. And there are literally scores of hidden fees with more being proliferated every day.

Bounce a check? That will be a $39 bounced check fee.

One day late on your credit card payment? That will be a $39 late payment fee - and we'll hike your interest rate from the introductory 0.00 percent to 15.99 percent.

Towel fee. Towel fee?

Yeah, you get one of those deals on a swank hotel. And you show up at the hotel and get hit with a $30 a day resort fee - including a towel fee. In case you go to the pool and use the towels. Or even if you don't. Pay the fee.

Here's one of my favorites - the ATM denial fee. You go to your ATM machine and ask for $400 in cash. You get back a note from the ATM machine saying - sorry, but your daily limit is $300. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://reclaimdemocracy.org/corporate_crime/hidden_fees.php

[kma3346]

1. Boy, do I agree

I am SOOOO sick of all the hidden fees and downright thievery that businesses are resorting to in order to get more of my hard-earned money. Here are some examples:

I saw a charge for $9.99 on my last cell phone bill and when I called to ask about it, I was told that apparently I had signed up for a monthly contest newsletter. Well, I looked and saw the SMS message in my phone history but I absolutely DID NOT sign up for it. Two things really infuriated me: first, that I had to pay the full bill and I was told that they wouldn't be able to take it off for a couple of months, and second, if I hadn't noticed it, I would be paying an extra $9.99 a month for NOTHING!

A couple of months ago, I had some relatives visiting from overseas. They called me collect from a payphone in a nearby town where they were shopping for the day and wanted to let me know that they were on their way home. It was a one-minute call, which I was charged $30.00 for!! I called the phone company and they said that there was nothing I could do about it and I would have to call the third party, which I did and they gave me a little bit off, but not much.

I could go on and on, but I don't want my blood pressure to go up anymore on a nice Sunday morning!

:mad: