4 ms·

Most of this junk fee stuff is about pricing transparency and the way it complicates consumer comparisons; the bottom line is going to stay the same. I have so

Most of this junk fee stuff is about pricing transparency and the way it complicates consumer comparisons; the bottom line is going to stay the same. I have some sympathy with businesses that want to break out government surcharges into a separate line item; but as the article indicates most stuff isn't in that category.

ceejayoz 4y ago
"Regulatory compliance" isn't a government surcharge, though. It'd be like tacking on a "paying our employees" fee. It's part of their costs of doing business; factor it into the price. I don't mind if the bottom lines stay the same. Right now, I can't compare bottom lines, because the real bottom line is hidden. Is the $50/night hotel cheaper than the $100/night one? No one knows, unless they spend the time to get all the way to the final booking step on both (or more realistically, dozens of) options.
- NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
  >"Regulatory compliance" isn't a government surcharge Sure; but the 911 fee is, as is the local utility user fee and the public and educational broadcasting fee; and (to be clear) I am saying that I don't mind them being broken out for billing purposes - the only reason they're not when advertising is because of the race-to-the-bottom on pricing transparency.
  - ceejayoz 4y ago
    If I can't opt-out of the 911 fee, it's part of the price. It should be included in the price they advertise to me. The last time I modified my cell phone plan, the representative admitted they couldn't tell me what the resulting new cost would be. That's insane. My bill includes a "Administrative Fee", "Federal Universal Service Charge", "Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge", "State Telecommunications Excise Surcharge", "County Public Safety Communications Surcharge", and "State Public Safety Communications Surcharge", plus several taxes.
    - NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
      >If I can't opt-out of the 911 fee, it's part of the price. It should be included in the price they advertise to me. Hmm, I actually agree with you, but that would be raising the bar above where it is for normal pricing practice elsewhere in the U.S. e.g. shelf and menu prices exclude sales tax. In fact, for digitally-delivered services or goods that ship across state lines, it's impossible to know the final price unless you know the state (and, indeed, county and sometimes city) to which it's going to be delivered.
  - elliekelly 4y ago
    At least the mandatory fees apply across the board which means you can still price shop somewhat accurately. The completely made up corporate fees like “resort fees” are just a way to obscure the actual price. I think that’s probably stating it too nicely. It’s a way to advertise an artificially deflated price that’s impossible for any customer to actual pay. It’s deceptive. Intentionally.

ceejayoz 4y ago

"Regulatory compliance" isn't a government surcharge, though. It'd be like tacking on a "paying our employees" fee. It's part of their costs of doing business; factor it into the price. I don't mind if the bottom lines stay the same. Right now, I can't compare bottom lines, because the real bottom line is hidden. Is the $50/night hotel cheaper than the $100/night one? No one knows, unless they spend the time to get all the way to the final booking step on both (or more realistically, dozens of) options.

NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
>"Regulatory compliance" isn't a government surcharge Sure; but the 911 fee is, as is the local utility user fee and the public and educational broadcasting fee; and (to be clear) I am saying that I don't mind them being broken out for billing purposes - the only reason they're not when advertising is because of the race-to-the-bottom on pricing transparency.
- ceejayoz 4y ago
  If I can't opt-out of the 911 fee, it's part of the price. It should be included in the price they advertise to me. The last time I modified my cell phone plan, the representative admitted they couldn't tell me what the resulting new cost would be. That's insane. My bill includes a "Administrative Fee", "Federal Universal Service Charge", "Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge", "State Telecommunications Excise Surcharge", "County Public Safety Communications Surcharge", and "State Public Safety Communications Surcharge", plus several taxes.
  - NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
    >If I can't opt-out of the 911 fee, it's part of the price. It should be included in the price they advertise to me. Hmm, I actually agree with you, but that would be raising the bar above where it is for normal pricing practice elsewhere in the U.S. e.g. shelf and menu prices exclude sales tax. In fact, for digitally-delivered services or goods that ship across state lines, it's impossible to know the final price unless you know the state (and, indeed, county and sometimes city) to which it's going to be delivered.
- elliekelly 4y ago
  At least the mandatory fees apply across the board which means you can still price shop somewhat accurately. The completely made up corporate fees like “resort fees” are just a way to obscure the actual price. I think that’s probably stating it too nicely. It’s a way to advertise an artificially deflated price that’s impossible for any customer to actual pay. It’s deceptive. Intentionally.