Most-hated-fee contest: Semifinal round 2
Hate getting nickel-and-dimed by fees? You've come to the right place.
Following up on a story in the July issue of Money about 15 irritating fees — and how to avoid them — the More Money blog has embarked on a quest to find the most frustrating surcharge out of all the fees levied by banks, airlines and other companies you do business with. Last week, visitors to the blog voted for their least-favorites, narrowing down the field of 15 outrageous fees to five semifinalists and one wild card; this week, we're asking you to vote again and select The Most-Hated Fee of All.
So cast your ballot now for what you think is the most frustrating fee among the three in Semifinal Round 2. And be sure to come back tomorrow for the championship match.
Today's contestants:
- Coughing up to chat with a human being: It's not just for computer tech support; other businesses who want you to interact via computer or touch-tone phone may charge you extra to talk to a live agent — $5 to order a pay-per-view movie, for example, or $15 to make a credit-card payment. (For more about this fee, and how to fight it, click here.)
- Being charged for not charging: A few credit-card issuers are levying fees on customers for not spending enough. Citibank, for example, charges certain cardholders $60 if they don't charge at least $2,400 within a year. (For more about this fee, click here. Also note that the Federal Reserve Board last week issued a rule banning these fees, effective August 22.)
- Paying to cover overdrafts from your savings: Many banks charge $10 to $20 every time they transfer your money from your savings account to cover a checking-account overdraft. (For more about this fee, and how to fight it, click here.)
Now that you know today's contenders, it's time to vote for your least-favorite fee! Please add your comments as well.
Follow the More Money blog on Twitter (and be notified of more hated-fee news) at http://twitter.com/moremoneyblog.