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Gouging becoming pernicious
By Ed Perkins More and more travel suppliers are adopting the pernicious trick of advertising low-ball prices, then nickel-and-diming you to death with extras. Actually, these days, those add-ons are more likely to add up to $5 and $10 bills than to nickels and dimes. As a consumer, your only recourse is to complain when you encounter them - and, when you can, demand they be removed from your bills. Granted, the travel suppliers are not wholly to blame. Various governments and authorities have decided that travelers are sheep waiting to be fleeced - they've tacked on all sorts of taxes, fees and charges that the suppliers have no choice but to pass along to you. But, increasingly, the suppliers are adding fees to line their own pockets. Airlines You can blame airlines for adding "fuel surcharges" to some of their prices. They've been sneaky about it. They've included them in the fares they advertise to the public - not to do so would violate federal advertising regulations. But they're still addingsurcharges in as extras in the computers they and travel agents use. Car rentals For years, car rental companies have tried to sock you with puffed up prices for insurance most of which you don't really need. Sure, you can decline the insurance, but there's no excuse for the mandatory fee some companies charge for extra drivers - that's 100 percent gouge. Cruises One-price-covers-everything used to be a hallmark of cruising. Lately, however, a few lines have started to charge extra for meals in some dining rooms. That's a really bad trend - one I hope will die out quickly. Hotels For years, some hotels have been adding outrageous surcharges to long-distance calls - and maybe even blocking your access to your own away-from-home long-distance service. And I'm sure you've come across ridiculously padded prices for beverages and snacks in mini-bars. But lately the hotels have been getting some brand-new gouge ideas. Some just add those gouges without telling you anything about it unless you notice it on your bill. Others ask you about a laundry list of services when you check in, and have you initial the form. You can help fight the gouges. First, if you're charged for something you didn't receive, demand that it be removed from your bill. Ditto if you're charged for something the supplier says is " free" or "complimentary," or a fee for any service that should be part of the base room rate. Also write a complaint letter to the corporate office - let
the top managers know you resent being gouged. |
