# Businesses who mostly make money by tricking people and adding hidden fees **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 13, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506 "2008-02-13T21:19:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RedRosesForMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RedRosesForMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedRosesForMe)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506/41 "2008-02-14T16:02:59Z")
[QUOTE=Mycroft H.] For years I’ve called them TicketBastards. I will go to great lengths of inconveinece to avoid using them. [/QUOTE] Is it difficult to avoid them where you live? I can’t speak for sporting events or the like, but for concerts there’s at least 2 record stores near me that don’t charge the extra Ticketmaster fees. I don’t know how they do it, and I’m still probably getting fucked by Ticketmaster somehow, but if you go to those record stores instead of certain other record stores or the Ticketmaster office, it’s a couple bucks cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506/42 "2008-02-14T16:09:19Z")
[QUOTE=bufftabby] I actually _read_ stuff before I sign it. I try to understand commitments before I make them. So I don’t really have that problem. [/QUOTE] I have to agree. For example, I know that as long as I maintain a balance of at least $1000 and only use Bank of America ATMs, I don’t get charged a fee. I know that I don’t get charged a fee as long as I pay my credit card balance each month. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506/43 "2008-02-14T16:10:24Z")
[QUOTE=Edward The Head] Except here, you have to rent the cable card, it’s not as much, but it’s still 2-3 bucks a month. Plus they have to come out and install it, which is a fee as well. [/QUOTE] Oh, of course! You though it might be different? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506/44 "2008-02-14T16:12:59Z")
[QUOTE=Dragwyr] How about Amway/Quixtar? They trick people by initially getting them to buy their products, but switch to getting them to be a distributor. When they are working on you to become a distributor, they say it will take only “a couple hours per week” and say it will only cost the initial fee for their getting started package to get you on your way to financial success. They don’t tell you about the costs of the rallys you just have to go to or you won’t be successful, or the cost of books and tapes you just have to have in order to make your business successful. They won’t tell you about the countless hours you have to put into the system to get your financial independence. I think it qualifies. [/QUOTE] You’re talking about “mult-level marketing” companies. Essential, you are joining a religeous cult that asks you to buy a bunch of their product on consignment, after which you call all your friends and acquaintances and try to sell them on it. Ideally, you try to get them to become distributors under you and you get a cut off of their take. It’s basically a pyramid scheme. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506/45 "2008-02-14T16:43:15Z")
[QUOTE=msmith537] You’re talking about “mult-level marketing” companies. Essential, you are joining a religeous cult that asks you to buy a bunch of their product on consignment, after which you call all your friends and acquaintances and try to sell them on it. Ideally, you try to get them to become distributors under you and you get a cut off of their take. It’s basically a pyramid scheme. [/QUOTE] There’s a very fine yet critical line between a multi-level marketing company and a pyramid scheme: Is the primary business selling the products? Or is it recruiting new members? Other than this legal point, yeah, they’re very much the same. My parents sold Amway for a few years back in the 80s. I think they still say their penance. ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506/46 "2008-02-14T16:49:56Z")
Our **land line** started this sneaky $5 charge _for not making any long-distance calls_. Had to pay $8 to get that turned off and now we can’t make any non-local calls on our land line, period. Which is fine, we really only have the thing for 911 (little kids in the house). That’s the downside of auto-bill pay, I don’t necessarily read each one and didn’t see their notice. ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506/47 "2008-02-14T17:59:28Z")
To a small extent, Fandango. They tack on a charge when you buy your ticket (obviously how they make money) but really overstate the convenience aspect in my opinion. Where I live, there are tons of movie theaters. There is a movie theater that’s been around for years, and a newer one in a shopping mall. Most locals go to the shopping mall one, since there are more places to eat and stuff nearby. This makes the other theater rather dead, even on opening night of a new movie. I really don’t have a problem standing in a line that only has 1-2 people in front of me, buying a ticket and sitting in almost a completely empty theater on opening night for a movie 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506/48 "2008-02-14T18:05:14Z")
[QUOTE=Joey P] She tried to tell me it wasn’t a scam. I told her what I read on the internet and she said that she is aware of what the internet says about her company. I asked her how she can go online, read the BBB complaints against her, read the ripoffreport against her and read countless blogs talking about her, and then tell me that it’s not a scam when they did they tried to do the same thing to me that they did to all these other people. [/QUOTE] I’ll tell you how. She’s a closely monitored phone rep with a script reading _IT’S NOT A SCAM._ She says anything else, she’s out on the street coughing up bloody fragments of headset. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506/49 "2008-02-14T18:30:53Z")
Putting Amway into this is like putting that dude from Nigeria who has oil money he wants to share with me into this. It’s a trick from the start. It’s more insidious when real companies just jack you because you’re already signed up with them and you know that 1. It would be a pain in the ass to change your service 2. Even if you did, the next company would do the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506/50 "2008-02-14T18:31:41Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] UHAUL advertises a low rate to rent a medium sized truck. But by the time you pay for insurance, options (what -you WANT a truck with a radio?), and other fees, you are up to \>$50.00/day. Or renting a car in Florida-there are at least 3 taxes, plus a sales tax (on the total including other taxes). [/QUOTE] And if you don’t remember to fill it back up before you turn it in, you pay for the gas/diesel at their rates. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506/51 "2008-02-14T18:44:55Z")
[QUOTE=Yllaria] And if you don’t remember to fill it back up before you turn it in, you pay for the gas/diesel at their rates. [/QUOTE] Don’t forget the “great deal” where you prepay for a tank of gas, that’s only worth it if you cruise back to return it running on fumes. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506/52 "2008-02-14T19:21:07Z")
Wedding events, especially venues and caterers. Getting married was hell dealing with these rats, I was forced to fire a couple of venues due to hidden fees. You will get strung along, offered great deals/discounts/coupons/rebates, and be fooled into thinking that you can make a sound financial choice going into the contract. Until…“oh by the way, here are some standard boilerplate fees we’ll require, don’t bother going to someone else because we have all colluded with each other to maximize our rake”: Chair setup fee Napkin folding fee Tablecloth fee, plus a laundering fee Cutlery washing fee Server gratuity added on You are bringing your own microphone and decorations? ok, but there is a fee for your _own_ items as well…insurance liability you see… Our alloted 12-minute window for setup isn’t enough? Pay the extra time fee. I finally found a place that had a single fixed fee for all of their services. I happily sacrificed my control and expectation of napkin color and service staff microtippagement just to be able to have a clear fixed budget. ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mycroft\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_H)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506/53 "2008-02-14T19:26:37Z")
[QUOTE=RedRosesForMe] Is it difficult to avoid them where you live? [/QUOTE] No, not difficult, just inconvenient. We don’t go to many events where tickets like this are necessary and I actually haven’t used TicketBastards for about 5 years, but the irritation still remains. I live and work in the suburbs of Minneapolis and, when I have purchased tickets for events using TB, I have driven into the downtown area to get the tickets direct from the venue. Thank you for the heads up regarding ticket availability from record stores. When the need arises, it will be nice to know a possible option to check. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506/54 "2008-02-14T19:43:39Z")
[QUOTE=GargoyleWB] Wedding events, especially venues and caterers. Getting married was hell dealing with these rats, I was forced to fire a couple of venues due to hidden fees. [/QUOTE] Yikes. If I ever get married (and that’s a HUGE if), I’m marrying someone who believes in eloping. Of course, I’ll probably find out that the JoP has a bunch of hidden fees as well. The last concert I went to had a huge variation in ticket prices. Seriously, the first ones I found were about $120, after all the fees. Shopping around, I found some for around $60. Not satisfied with that price, I finally found some for $30. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506/55 "2008-02-14T22:39:04Z")
[QUOTE=fessie] Our **land line** started this sneaky $5 charge _for not making any long-distance calls_. Had to pay $8 to get that turned off and now we can’t make any non-local calls on our land line, period. [/QUOTE] :eek: 😕 I would have gone **insane** if I saw they’d tried to charge me for _not using the service_. I am morbidly curious. How’d they try to justify it? I once had AT&T randomly up and switch my phone service over to them. I guess it happens so often it’s called being “slammed”. When I called them up to ask them WTF they thought they were doing, they played me a recording of someone agreeing to change my service that was not me and definitely not anyone who lives in my house. As far as I could tell from the recording, it didn’t seem to be anyone who claimed to be me or my housemates or anyone who claimed to have any authority over my telephone account decisions or bothered to identify themselves, either. About rental car insurance: I hate Enterprise with a deep and bloody passion that I’m frothing at the mouth even thinking about. The last time I did any business with them, they lied about when I could return the car (thus charging me for an extra day), lied the terms of the rental, \*\*and \*\*tried to fuck me by charging me for insurance that I didn’t agree to. After I discovered all of this, they made me sit around their office for two hours before trying to dick me out of some more money and then telling me I was lucky their manager wasn’t there because she’d _really_ “tear me a new one” for protesting over any of these issues, and that I had been an idiot for believing anything their salesperson had told me. Fuck those assholes. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506/56 "2008-02-14T22:43:57Z")
Yeah, I had similar experiences with both AT&T and Enterprise. I use AT&T now mainly because I want an IPhone. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506/57 "2008-02-15T02:22:56Z")
[QUOTE=NajaNivea] ..I once had AT&T randomly up and switch my phone service over to them. I guess it happens so often it’s called being “slammed”. When I called them up to ask them WTF they thought they were doing, they played me a recording of someone agreeing to change my service that was not me and definitely not anyone who lives in my house. As far as I could tell from the recording, it didn’t seem to be anyone who claimed to be me or my housemates or anyone who claimed to have any authority over my telephone account decisions or bothered to identify themselves, either… [/QUOTE] I managed to change our phone service when I was _7_ years old and my parents ended having to pay to get it switched back. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506/58 "2008-02-15T03:01:53Z")
[QUOTE=bufftabby] I actually _read_ stuff before I sign it. I try to understand commitments before I make them. So I don’t really have that problem. [/QUOTE] Well, let me extend to you my heartiest congratulations. When’s the last time you refinanced your home? Did you take a sleeping bag to the bank office? Because I don’t think it’s possible to read --oh, excuse me, we’re using italics now, right? make that _read_ – everything in less than a day. Not with a deep level of understanding. I guess what I object to in your comment is the implication that those who find themselves charged unexpected fees must not have been sensible enough to read documents before signing them. I’ll bet that’s not the whole story. Anyway, on to more practical advice–I would recommend that anyone who feels that something fishy has occurred, keep records. We got into some oddball dispute with our phone company once and did not come out the winner. I didn’t pursue it because I bought their position that it was somehow our fault. I mean, no way a big regulated professional company didn’t follow lawful procedures, right? A few years later I learned that our state attorney general investigated the phone company for shady practices directly related to the thing we’d gotten screwed on. They benefitted from my naivete at the time, and I no longer had the materials needed to pursue it once their practices were revealed. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506/59 "2008-02-15T03:45:12Z")
I have a land line with no-frills/no-features; the cheapest I can get. The line itself costs $6 a month. The fees and taxes kick my bill up to $13! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506/60 "2008-02-15T04:55:06Z")
I second **TicketMaster**. And I don’t remember the exact name but there was some gift card that was notorious for fees. 2.50 "Maintenance Fee" per month. .50 per use. $2 to check the balance. $4 fee to add money to the card. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/businesses-who-mostly-make-money-by-tricking-people-and-adding-hidden-fees/437506.md?page=4)