4 ms·

I didn't know this existed in NYC. It's well known in Vegas (which the article mentions) where it's called a "resort fee". It's paid at check out and is mandato

by jmyeet 4y ago

I didn't know this existed in NYC. It's well known in Vegas (which the article mentions) where it's called a "resort fee". It's paid at check out and is mandatory. And yes, it's to have a lower sticker price for rooms. Airlines do it too. There are "fuel surcharges" and other fees that aren't really fees. It's just a way to make the ticket appear cheaper. Uber got in trouble some years ago by adding a "safety fee" to their fares. What did this buy? Absolutely nothing. They just pocketed it. And of course concerts are a big one for added on fees that may well double the price (or more). And let's not get started on AirBnB and their "cleaning fees". I hate this crap. The only price you should be able to quote is the all-inclusive price. And mandatory fees should be part of that price. It should be illegal (ie false advertising) to do otherwise. It just goes to show how feckless the FTC is.

Mountain_Skies 4y ago
A few months ago President Biden announced his war on "junk fees" which should include this, but it appears the administration has ADHD and quickly forgot about it.
FireBeyond 4y ago
> by adding a "safety fee" Hell, a lot of these companies (even ISPs) tried to avoid the bad blood around things like this by actually listing them as taxes, until they were told they could not call anything a 'tax' that wasn't actually required by and paid to a government entity.
nukeman 4y ago
One other thing with fuel fees is that they aren’t taxed the same way airline tickets are, so there is a tax benefit to charging for fuel fees as well.
danpalmer 4y ago
I’ve never seen a dual surcharge except on the final receipt breakdown where I learn the ticket price is only about half of what I paid. From Google Flights through to checkout it’s all inclusive of fees. I think this might be due to EU legislation requiring that. Maybe time for the US to crack down on it in a similar way.
cultofmetatron 4y ago
> And let's not get started on AirBnB and their "cleaning fees". at least airbnb lets you see it in the total price now. used that heavily last time I was travelling

by jmyeet 4y ago

Mountain_Skies 4y ago

A few months ago President Biden announced his war on "junk fees" which should include this, but it appears the administration has ADHD and quickly forgot about it.

FireBeyond 4y ago

> by adding a "safety fee" Hell, a lot of these companies (even ISPs) tried to avoid the bad blood around things like this by actually listing them as taxes, until they were told they could not call anything a 'tax' that wasn't actually required by and paid to a government entity.

nukeman 4y ago

One other thing with fuel fees is that they aren’t taxed the same way airline tickets are, so there is a tax benefit to charging for fuel fees as well.

danpalmer 4y ago

I’ve never seen a dual surcharge except on the final receipt breakdown where I learn the ticket price is only about half of what I paid. From Google Flights through to checkout it’s all inclusive of fees. I think this might be due to EU legislation requiring that. Maybe time for the US to crack down on it in a similar way.

cultofmetatron 4y ago

> And let's not get started on AirBnB and their "cleaning fees". at least airbnb lets you see it in the total price now. used that heavily last time I was travelling