If you've taken a vacation lately, flown on an airline, even eaten in a nice restaurant, you may have experienced them. We are talking about hidden fees, that can make your final bill a lot bigger than you expected.
The Better Business Bureau is now calling it the "hidden cost economy," where a $300 flight or hotel room turns out to be $400.
It's also known as "drip pricing," all the little extras that drip onto your bill.
They include:
- Some restaurants are adding inflation surcharges of 5% to bills.
- Many hotels are adding $25 or $30 per night resort fees, whether you use the pool or not.
- Airlines may add baggage fees, fees for onboard food and fees for extra legroom.
- Some vacation home rentals are including hundreds of dollars in fees to a weekly rental.
So from the doesn't that stink file, those rental properties may some of the worst examples of drip pricing.
Let's say you find a beach condo or lake house rental at a great price.
But then comes the $150 cleaning fee, the $100 booking fee, possibly a $100 administration fee and good luck if you want to bring the dog: that can be another $150.
The BBB says they are perfectly legal, unless they are added onto your credit card as a surprise after you pay the final bill.
So check in advance before hitting the "book now" button.
Some fees you might be able to negotiate: If you are in a hotel for just one night, for example, ask if you can skip the resort fee.
Otherwise just watch out for them, so you don't waste your money.