Most national parks are free to enjoy, but some of the most popular destinations overseen by the National Park Service charge entrance fees of around $25 to $30 for a full vehicle. Today, the Trump administration announced a proposal to more than double some of those fees for visitors during peak seasons. [More]
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National Park Service Wants To Charge Up To $70 To Visit Grand Canyon & Other Popular Parks
By 10.25.17
Student Loan Debt Relief Operations Allegedly Bilked $95M From Borrowers
By 10.13.17
The federal government and 11 states have joined together to accuse 30 purported debt relief operations of using deception and false promises to swindle more than $95 million from student loan borrowers. [More]
Congratulations America, You Gave Airlines $7.1B In Baggage And Change Fees Last Year
By 9.20.17
For the better part of the last decade, airlines have been tacking on fees for everything from checking bags to allowing customers to cancel or change their flights. While spending $25 now and then for the convenience of not dragging your bags around the airport might not break the bank, those fees add up — to $7.1 billion. [More]
Wells Fargo Fake Account Fiasco Grows By 1.5 Million Customers
By 8.31.17
It’s been nearly a year since Wells Fargo was slapped with a $185 million fine for pushing their employees to increase their sales numbers by opening new accounts without proper authorization from the customer. Now the bank has revealed a new estimated number of so-called ‘fake accounts‘ that is 1.5 million higher than the bank had previously disclosed. This brings the new total to 3.5 million. [More]
Wells Fargo Accused Of Overcharging Small Businesses
By 8.11.17
The scandals and accusations continue to mount for Wells Fargo. This time, the banking giant is being accused of overcharging small businesses to process credit card transactions. [More]
How Does A $3 Toll Turn Into A $20 Rental Car Charge?
By 8.10.17
Cashless payment systems like E-ZPass have helped make highway driving a less irksome experience by speeding up lines. Rental car companies even offer this option so you don’t have to worry about an embarrassing last-minute scrounge for change at the tollbooth, but rental car customers are now realizing that this convenience can come at a huge price. [More]
Huge Collection Fees Making It More Difficult For Cash-Strapped Students To Afford College
By 8.7.17
Each year, millions of college students rack up student loans that won’t come due until they leave school. But even with financial aid, some students have trouble keeping up with the soaring costs of tuition, and once that debt ends up in the hands of a collection agency, the amount can mushroom out of control while the student is still in school. [More]
Frequent Overdrafters Spend $450 More In Fees Each Year, More Disclosures Could Help
By 8.4.17
Under federal law, depository institutions are prohibited from charging overdraft fees on ATM and one-time debit card transactions unless consumers affirmatively opted in. But a new report suggests that those who do opt-in might not know the cost of such a decision, with opted-in frequent overdrafters spending about $450 more in fees each year than non-opted-in frequent overdrafters. [More]
Charter Customers Surprised To See ‘Broadcast TV Fee’ For Streaming Service
By 7.12.17
Earlier this year, Charter subscribers in Massachusetts began noticing a significant increase in their cable bill attributed to a new “Broadcast TV surcharge.” Now it appears these pesky and costly fees have migrated to the company’s new streaming service. [More]
Four Credit Repair Agencies Accused Of Misleading Customers, Charging Illegal Fees
By 6.27.17
Four different “credit repair” operations have been ordered to pay a total of more than $2 million in penalties for allegedly tricking people into thinking their bad credit could be easily fixed. [More]
CenturyLink Employee Says She Was Fired After Alerting CEO To Wells Fargo-Like Scam
By 6.16.17
Most of us have looked at a cable or phone bill and questioned a random charge we felt shouldn’t have been there. Usually this is an error, but a former CenturyLink employee claims that some workers at the telecom company were deliberately adding these charges to pad their sales figures. What’s worse, she says she was fired after bringing this possible scheme to the CEO’s attention. [More]
National Guardsman Says United Wrongly Charged Him $200 For Checked Bag
By 5.18.17
A National Guardsman returning home to Texas following nearly two years in Afghanistan says United Airlines broke its own policy by charging him $200 to check a bag full of gear. [More]
What Is Digit, And Why Are Users Upset That It’s Charging A Fee?
By 4.14.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
Maybe you’re familiar with Digit, an app that analyzes your bank account and tucks away money that you won’t miss. The app has a lot of fans, who credit it with helping them build more savings than they would have on their own. This week, though, the company announced that it will start charging a $2.99/month fee. [More]
Student Loan Debt Collectors Not Eager To Charge Fees Reinstated By Trump Administration
By 3.30.17
The Department of Education recently advised companies that collect debt on billions of dollars in outstanding federal student loans that they can once again charge a large penalty fee to defaulted borrowers. However, the collectors — even one that is currently suing the government for the right to charge this fee — now say they will not automatically add thousands of dollars in additional debt to loans in default. [More]
Instacart To Pay $4.6M, Revise Service Amount Description To Resolve Class Action Lawsuit
By 3.24.17
Back in 2015, and again last year, Instacart shoppers took their growing ire over worker classification, as well as tip and service amount changes, a step farther by suing the grocery delivery startup claiming it broke state and federal labor laws, the company has agreed to settle the class-action suit for $4.6 million. [More]
More Charter Customers Now Being Hit With Controversial ‘Broadcast TV’ Fee
By 2.8.17
As the recently merged Charter and Time Warner Cable finish combining their customer bases, some subscribers are getting their first look at controversial fees that significantly raise their cable bills without being counted as a rate hike. [More]
Lenders, Real Estate Brokers To Pay More Than $5M For Alleged Kickback Scheme
By 1.31.17
The home buying process is complicated and expensive enough without mortgage servicers and real estate brokers tacking on illegal and costly fees. To that end, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has ordered Prospect Mortgage and three other companies to pay more than $5 million to settle allegations they participated in an illegal kickback scheme. [More]
Senator Takes Aim At American Airlines For Charging Extra For Access To Overhead Bins
By 1.23.17
Odds are, if an airline finds a way to charge travelers yet another add-on fee, New York Sen. Charles Schumer will be close behind, expressing his displeasure. This time, the lawmaker has American Airlines’s new Basic Economy fare in his sights. [More]
