elray join:2000-12-16 Santa Monica, CA |
elray
Member
2013-Dec-2 8:45 pm
Not buriedKarl has it backwards.
These charges are explicit. They are not hidden or buried. Cable puts them in the light day for all to see, and consumers shrug.
I, too, would like to see an end to all "below the line" charges, including all taxes, fees, unfees, surcharges, "contribution checkoffs", government-mandated, regulatory cost recovery, and of course, USF, Al Gore, E-rate, and whatever other nonsense they'll cook up, and instead, have it all be "buried" in the base rate.
This would put the shoe solely (sorry) on the foot of the seller to defend the consumer against these excesses, rather than have us fend for ourselves. |
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Kramer Mod join:2000-08-03 Richmond, VA |
said by elray:These charges are explicit. You sure about that? Ever try getting an answer as to what those fees might be before you sign up for something? I'm in the middle of that right now and I can't get a straight answer. It is exactly as Karl states. These fees are used to mask price increases in the advertised rates. They are as hidden as they could be up until the point you get your first bill. |
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KearnstdSpace Elf Premium Member join:2002-01-22 Mullica Hill, NJ |
to elray
I think taxes should be separate in ads but available online.
I do agree that fees should be illegal in every business not just telecom. Fees exist solely to hide out the door price products and services.
As I like to put it, Why you buy a package of steaks at the supermarket there is no "Prep Fee" for it being sliced "Refrigerated Storage and Display Fee" for it being in the nice open cold cases. And there is no "Cashier Checkout Fee" for using a normal register instead of those more trouble than they are worth and should be burned with thermite self checkouts. Nope that is all the price of their business operation and what you see on the label is what you pay up front(especially since food groceries are non taxable)
Telecom would of course add all my ass pulled fees to products if they ran a supermarket. |
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elray join:2000-12-16 Santa Monica, CA |
elray
Member
2013-Dec-3 1:12 pm
I find it hypocritical to favor below-the-line taxes, while assailing other below-the-line charges. Both have the same effect of obfuscating (and minimizing) the actual cost. |
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elray |
to Kramer
The charges are on the bill, in writing, assuming you aren't so quick to point-and-click your way to the convenience of automated bill payments so you can act outraged later at what you didn't read. That's explicit and irrefutable.
When I deal with actual cable/telco/utility order processing, I have little trouble getting a pretty precise number from them, and I write down all of the details at the time of the call, and read it back to them for accuracy. Occasionally, especially with telco, I have to fight them the following month(s) to get it applied properly, but for the most part, even with business accounts, cable options have made much of that problem go away. |
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to Kearnstd
Don't forget the shopping cart recovery fee. |
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to elray
said by elray:Both have the same effect of obfuscating (and minimizing) the actual cost Yes they do, but taxes are a required cost that comes from the government that Comcast (or whomever) company cannot control. A fuel surcharge, or broadcast transmission fee, or shopping cart recovery fee used to be part of doing business. It is placed below the line BY THE COMPANY, for the sole purpose of misleading customers in its advertising of its pricing. If it was up to me, all pricing including taxes would be required to be advertised. But at the very least, companies should not be allowed to hide their cost of doing business charges below the line. |
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