QUESTION: What’s the sneakiest hidden fee you’ve uncovered or heard about on a receipt or bill recently?
The Water Cooler – What’s The Sneakiest Hidden Fee You’ve Uncovered Or Heard About On A Receipt Or Bill Recently?
© Copyright 2007 – 2025 Claycord News & Talk
I never had a sneaky fee on a bill, if I did, I wouldn’t pay it. I’d pay what I actually owe and
walk out. Screw ’em if they can’t be upfront and want to cheat me.
I detest greed and dishonesty.
be careful with the bill at Asian restaurants ( especially Chinese). Most of them automatically tack on 15-18% tip to your bill without your permission/notice. They not expect you to notice so you tip them even more.
I don’t mind if they put a notice on the menu for the tip for party of 6 or more. But to force tip on customers without notice is a rip off
Security fee that restaurants would add.
Having to pay to do a change of address with USPS! it was only 1.25 but still!!
Always when dining out make sure gratuity hasn’t already been included in the total. They won’t let you know and then you tip on top of already being charged the gratuity. It’s a more common practice now a days and really scandalous if you ask me.
I can’t think of anything for myself, but a friend of mine recently told me she had to pay “$80.00 per email” for a certain situation. Has it gotten so greedy that emails can’t be sent/received for free? An hourly rate – sure. But extra for an email is ABSURD! Emails can be read within the time frame of the hourly rate. I’d send a strong message and refuse to pay it myself, but I just listened.
im assuming the email is for a lawyers office. They charge by the email. It’s ridiculous!
It is ridiculous for lawyers to charge by email, but this had nothing to do with lawyers. She’s wealthy, and he tried to rip her off. She stood her ground and took her business elsewhere. Good for her.
Sorry for assuming, just saying that based on dealing with divorce attorneys. Glad she stood her ground!
Yes this sucks, but this prevents clients from sending multiple, lengthy, irrelevant emails that bog down productivity. It’s clear that many people in this thread don’t have to work/communicate primarily through emails because people WILL and DO waste your time and expect immediate responses. Charging per email trains clients to be succinct and thorough in their communications. Again, the second comment today where I have to mention that commenters here talk a lot of mess about how others don’t do their jobs right because they lack work ethic or ability, and yet everyone’s big mad about the fact that they can’t shoot their lawyers emails a hundred times a day because they can’t get their thoughts straight and organized. Your lives would be so much better if you took the care that you expect others to give to you!
I understand your point about wasting someone’s time professionally, but you have to learn how effectively manage your time and maintain your professionalism. If someone is bogging you down professionally, hit delete. Will it prevent anything or alienate people who will take their business elsewhere. I’m going with the latter.
email, the practical alternative to work.
Look at your pg&e and cable bills closely.
Inventive comes to mind . . . . . .
Yes, PG@E recently added a surcharge for cards on autopay.
Tmobile made up an official sounding name for a new surcharge – hoping people would assume the charge was mandated by the FCC. But it was just a corporate money grab.
The lady in front of me got a $50 Safeway gift card, and I overheard the additional $6.95 “processing fee”. I never buy gift cards, so I don’t know if that’s normal. But I do know it’s just plain stealing.
Tire rotation when Toyota Concord with an oil change. Even if you tell them do not rotate the tires they still do it and charge like $40+. Not only Toyota most every dealer. I change all our vehicles oil as I have a lift at one of my houses. Don’t trust oil change monkeys out there.
Yes, some oil change companies share your vehicle info with car insurance companies. They’ll double check your self-reported mileage vs actual and charge you accordingly
Btw -America’s Tires, provide free rotation for life of the tire
Hookers charging tax & tip.
I never check the bill when checking out of a hotel. I don’t even see a bill most of the time. We were recently at Paris in Las Vegas and for some reason I actually looked at the bill. There was a $75 fee with no explanation. I called the desk to inquire and she immediately said that she would remove the fee. No questions asked, no explanation offered. Like they just add it to every bill and wait to see who notices it.
Comcast had been charging us for a service that we had never signed up for, never used. They claimed that we would have had to opt in, which we didn’t. They reversed the fees for multiple months. We only found out because we were cancelling our service.