THIS WEEK: THE PLAGUE OF FEES

Before I give you this weeks Money on Your Terms, let me just say
that my thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Boston and those
affected by this terrible tradegy.

The other day I went to Carl’s Jr. to grab a teriyaki burger
for a late night dinner. I love eating American hamburgers. I swiped my
American Express card and the cashier said, $1.00 fee for using debit,
free for using credit. I am not a big fan of paying fees. You are probably
not either. I pressed the credit button to avoid paying the extra fee.

The business world today is nickel-and-diming consumers with fees.
In a down economy, companies are finding every way possible to add revenue.

Sometimes the fees are small, but other times they take a bite out of our wallet.
The mortgage loan industry has been doing this forever, but now the
practice has spread like the plague to almost all industries.

Hopefully, it will not get down to having to pay to use the
bathroom while flying on an airplane. But you never know!!!

The worst fees I have dealt with in the past are:

Convenience Fees when buying entertainment tickets
Wire Transfers Fees from Banks
Account Statement Fee from Banks
Minimum Account Balance Fee from Banks
Overnight Parking Fee from Hotels
Wi-Fi Access Fee from Hotels
Resort Fees from Resort/Hotels
Airplane Luggage Fees
Mortgage & Escrow Junk Fees when purchasing a new home
Account Closing Fee from Investment Companies

The good news is that if you’re aware and proactive, you can avoid paying
some of the fees you will likely encounter in the future. I seek out companies
that don’t practice this annoying way to do business. Usually, I find that
customer service is better if the company doesn’t gouge me with fees.

If I do encounter a fee from a company, I call the company immediately to
request taking the fee off. The majority of time they will take the fee off
since they want to keep me as a customer. If they refuse to waive the fee
then it is most likely the last time I do business with them.

Lesson:

1. Read the fine print before purchasing anything, especially online.

2. If you are talking to the customer service rep. then ask what fees are involved.

3. Be proactive by seeking out companies that don’t charge annoying fees.

Feel free to E-mail me about the fees you hate to deal with.

Listen to Money on Your Terms Show, Thursday’s evenings
8:00-8:30 pm PST. Catch recent shows from the archives,
anytime.

Remember when it comes to Money, it’s on your terms not their terms.

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