this post was submitted on 11 Oct 2023
833 points (99.4% liked)

Technology

59598 readers
3427 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related content.
  3. Be excellent to each another!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

The FTC wants to ban hidden 'junk fees' that jack up the price of your purchases::A new rule proposed by the FTC targets hidden and "bogus" fees businesses often add onto their services at checkout, aiming to do away with the deceptive practices.

all 49 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 155 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Price advertised == Price actually charged.

It’s not really that hard. Do it!

[–] [email protected] 131 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Can we please include sales tax in that price too? It is also a bullshit hidden fee the way the US does it.

[–] [email protected] 54 points 1 year ago (3 children)

The argument the idiots use is "We want to see government theft!" instead of just having a line item at the end of your receipt showing tax collected and the breakdown. It's not like we don't have toiletpaper roll length receipts already.

[–] [email protected] 44 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The kicker is we already do the “price at point of sale including taxes” thing at gas stations. If it’s $3.09 or whatever per gallon, that’s including state and federal sales tax.

We already see the line item thing on most receipts anyway. We basically do everything except roll the sales tax into the sticker price.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Only 3.09 per gallon? We pay 2 per litre!

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

CVS be changing their tape rolls every other customer…

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

CVS near me gives you a store credit if you let them email your receipt to you. It's silly.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

It's very profitable for them to sell your email + buying habits I'm sure.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

CVS has entered the chat

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Government: no not like that

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

My weed dispensary includes taxes in the display price. It's awesome

[–] [email protected] 82 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Alright let's target Ticketmaster first.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

How to say you didnt read the article without saying it...

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

What kind of loser reads the articles? I just make snap judgement on catchy titles.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The website isn't loading for me, can you tell me what the article says?

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

A new rule proposed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would ban the sneaky fees some companies slap onto their services at checkout time. Thanks to these junk fees, which have crept into the process of everything from buying concert tickets to booking vacation rentals, the prices consumers initially see are often nowhere near what they end up paying.

The Biden administration has been putting pressure on companies like Ticketmaster and Airbnb to improve their ways, and both recently committed to providing more transparency about their extra charges. The FTC wants to take things a step further by banning the common deceptive tactics altogether. The proposed rule targets both hidden, mandatory fees that aren’t properly disclosed upfront and ambiguous “bogus fees” that leave consumers unsure of what it is they actually had to pay more for.

These practices are misleading, with companies often resorting to “bait-and-switch pricing and misrepresenting the nature and purpose of fees,” the FTC argues in the proposal notice. Under the proposed rule, businesses would have to include these additional fees in their advertised prices, explain what each fee is for and let customers know if any of it is refundable.

The FTC took comments from the public last year to assess the impact of junk fees and ultimately gathered over 12,000 responses to shape its proposal. It’s now opening up comments for 60 days so consumers can weigh in on the rule it’s put forth. “By hiding the total price, these junk fees make it harder for consumers to shop for the best product or service and punish businesses who are honest upfront,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. The proposed rule would "save people money and time, and make our markets more fair and competitive.”

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

That’s their entire business model

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Seriously! They charge more in fees than some ticket prices.

[–] [email protected] 74 points 1 year ago (1 children)

While we're at it, can you roll taxes into it as well? Fuck having to guess what the local sales tax is...

[–] [email protected] 63 points 1 year ago

Car dealerships shaking and crying

[–] [email protected] 27 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Hmmm Ticketmaster seems like a good place to start

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago

Admittedly their fees are blatant because Uncle Sam basically handed them the whole market in the 2010s, when they were allowed to merge with Live Nation.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They're starting with Ticketmaster right?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

Those fucks are beyond this and just need to be destroyed

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago

KKHHHAAAAAAANNN!

Seriously though, Lina Khan is awesome. Best FTC chair in a very long time.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago

Absolutely necessary and I hope it is implemented sooner than later

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

My partner's best friend helped pen the legislation for this and specifically took it on because she knows how much this shit pisses my partner off lol

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Wrong picture, that's definitely Chad doing this.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago