Watch Those Extra Charges!

[+ Lucky]

With the recession hurting businesses, some seem to be trying to get a few extra bucks the cheating way. One T-shirt shop in Times Square tried to charge me sales tax, but sheepishly refunded it when I pointed out that there is no sales tax on clothing purchases under $100.

 

My hotel was worse. Yes, I bought a five dollar coke, but they also added a $4 occupancy tax for each day. Trouble is, all taxes were in my prepaid rate. Also, they hit me up twice for $12.95 internet charge. Problem is, I don't have a lap top, so I couldn't have signed on.

 

The Post today tells of other incidents, including charging for water:

 

 

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04272009/news/regionalnews/check___carefully___166426.htm

[Ivan]

Check credit card charges

 

And check your credit card online statement for separate, additional charges. I recently used Expedia for a hotel and paid a meal charge when I checked out (I always get a receipt at check-out). A week later I noticed on my credit card that they had charged $7 for a bottle of water later the same day, on a separate charge that I wasn't given at check-out. I called the hotel and they immediately credited my account.

[Racketjock]

Consumer beware

 

I travel weekly for business. Without fail, there is always something in a given week. Internet service, bottled water, and parking have routinely been the overcharge culprits. One hotel in particular that I frequent had a consistent problem with this. I spoke with the manager about the consistency with which I have to call in for a refund and how this "continues" to happen. I got the requisite apology and assurance of improvement. Never once have I had someone balk and not offer a refund, but it does beg to question how this has become such a consistent and frequent problem. On another note, make sure you check the minibar and water upon check in for its use. I am amazed at how many times after I check in, someone pops around to restock and finds thigs missing. They inevitably end up on my bill before I raise hell, again.

[Greathands]

You should also closely watch your cell phone charges. A very close friend works for an "authorized dealer" for one of the major companies. In order to increase their store numbers, they are encouraged (even harrassed) into adding features onto people's accounts. They are even told types of people to do this to that are unlikely to check their monthly bill. When my friend stood up to the management about this, they made his life hell and played with how they pay commission (which greatly reduced his pay). This negatively affected all the employees of the store and they were told to learn from the experience. When I shared this with some of my friends, two of them called me back later in the day saying they found incorrect charges on their bills for several months.

[+ Cash4Trash]

Always check the addition on a restaurant check as well. It's easy to slip in a few extra dollars because of "poor math".

[JT Brooklyn]

Clothing Tax

 

With the recession hurting businesses, some seem to be trying to get a few extra bucks the cheating way. One T-shirt shop in Times Square tried to charge me sales tax, but sheepishly refunded it when I pointed out that there is no sales tax on clothing purchases under $100.

 

My hotel was worse. Yes, I bought a five dollar coke, but they also added a $4 occupancy tax for each day. Trouble is, all taxes were in my prepaid rate. Also, they hit me up twice for $12.95 internet charge. Problem is, I don't have a lap top, so I couldn't have signed on.

 

The Post today tells of other incidents, including charging for water:

 

 

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04272009/news/regionalnews/check___carefully___166426.htm

 

Lucky..Good Thinking... How many Tourists pass thru Times Square and DO PAY a non existant clothing Tax under $100 Many I'm sure!

 

BUT Unfortunately I read they are trying to bring it back along with a load of other Taxes!

[edjames]

Yes, check your restaurant bill closely and see if they added a gratuity. Some Times Sq restaurants do so because many tourists walk out without tipping. When confronted the tourists claimed "We don't tip in our country!"

[seaboy4hire]

Yes, check your restaurant bill closely and see if they added a gratuity. Some Times Sq restaurants do so because many tourists walk out without tipping. When confronted the tourists claimed "We don't tip in our country!"

 

They do the same thing in Miami at least in SOBE. It took a couple meals for us to see that a tip was already added. I was none too happy when I realized what happened. But live and learn and now yes I double check if I've never eaten at the place before.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[seaboy4hire]

Lucky..Good Thinking... How many Tourists pass thru Times Square and DO PAY a non existant clothing Tax under $100 Many I'm sure!

 

BUT Unfortunately I read they are trying to bring it back along with a load of other Taxes!

 

Is this tax just in Times Square or all over NYC?

 

Hugs,

Greg

[+ Lucky]

taxing

 

Greg, the state of New York exempts sales tax on clothing sold for less than $110.

[+ Lucky]

It keeps on coming. A hotel I stayed in last February just tried to slip a $5.50 charge unto my credit card. Well, they didn't try, they did it, now I have to fight it. I bet they figure most people won't bother.

[+ Lucky]

I bothered, and it took all of five minutes to get the $5.50 bottle of water removed. I never drink those expensive bottles of water in the room. I think hotels are anxious to enhance their revenues and figure we won't follow up. The car dealer's service department was quite willing to enhance their revenues this morning, but I resisted. They made me pay for it by letting the car (and me) sit for quite awhile after it was done.

[Lookin]

They made me pay for it by letting the car (and me) sit for quite awhile after it was done.

Don't you just hate when they do that?

 

http://www.eroticartcollection.com/Media/Herb_Ritts/Herb_Ritts_01.jpg

[Guest zipperzone]

I bothered, and it took all of five minutes to get the $5.50 bottle of water removed. I never drink those expensive bottles of water in the room. I think hotels are anxious to enhance their revenues and figure we won't follow up. The car dealer's service department was quite willing to enhance their revenues this morning, but I resisted. They made me pay for it by letting the car (and me) sit for quite awhile after it was done.

 

What I hate are the dealers whose repair rates are a fixed price for each job based on their hourly rate of $90 and their estimate that such a job will take three hours = $270.

 

Then after an hour and a half, they cheerfully announce "Your car is ready Mr Zipperzone".

 

To me this means they are really charging $180 per hour. When I try to argue it with the service manager (whose customer relation skills are about a minus 10) I get the lame answer that if it had taken 5 hours, I would still only be charged the quoted amount of $270.

 

To me this is pure horse shit. They know bloody well how long the job will take and this their pricing method is nothing but pure fraud.

[+ Lucky]

Lookin, the guys at the shop don't look like that anymore, if they ever did. At least not out here. If they did, zipperzone might insist they take that five hours to do the job.