The scales at airport check-ins take a beating. Bag after bag, rollies, Louis Vuitons, and duffles filled with too many clothes get put on and off, all day long. Usually the magic number is 50 lbs, and after that, you have to pay a fee. Rules are rules, but in order to fairly enforce them, the scales have to be accurate. Oftentimes, they’re not, the result of lax maintenance.

Repeating the results found in many similar investigations, WBZ-TV found 9 out of 23 scales at the Boston Logan airport were giving inaccurate readings. A report in Ontario found that 27% of the airport’s scales failed inspection.

This is why travel expert George Hobica of Airfarewatchdog has taken to traveling with his own scale that he whips out at check-in to make sure that he’s getting charged the right amount.

Of course, you’ll want to make to weigh the bag with the scale inside at home first to make sure you’re under the 50 lb limit. You wouldn’t want the weight of the scale itself to tip you over into having to pay a fee!

I-Team: Possible Luggage Fee Overcharging At Logan [WBZ-TV]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.