As reported earlier today, the Government Accountability Office thinks airlines could do a lot more to be transparent about the fees they charge. And buried about 45 pages deep in the GAO’s report are two very helpful tables detailing fees for checked bags and other items that U.S.-based airlines charge extra for. [More]
gao
Government Study Says Airline Fees Should Be Disclosed To Consumers
By 7.14.10
A new study from the Government Accountability Office says that the “optional” fees that airlines have invented for checked and carry-on bags; meals; blankets; early boarding; and seat selection are not adequately disclosed and consumers are not able to easily compare the total cost of flights offered by different carriers. [More]
Wireless Industry Needs Better Oversight From FCC, Says Government Audit
By 12.10.09
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has just completed a survey of wireless customers and a review of the “tens of thousands” of complaints made to the FCC every year, and they’ve reached a verdict: the FCC needs to step up and provide a better way for consumers to get help. [More]
Govt Report: Swine Flu Will Crush The Internet
By 11.2.09
While most people have been worrying about the obvious effects of an H1N1 epidemic — you know, stuff like people dying, vaccine shortages, overcrowded hospitals, that kind of thing — the Government Accountability Office has identified a terrifying new threat linked to the flu: It will bring the Internet to its knees, as millions of bedridden patients spend all of their idle hours online.
Is Bottled Water Safer Than Tap Water? Please…
By 7.12.09
Bottled water isn’t any safer than tap water, and could actually be more dangerous, according to a report from the Government Accounting Office. The big difference lies in the government regulator: tap water is covered by the Safe Water Drinking Act, administered by the aggressive and powerful Environmental Protection Agency, while bottled water falls under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act overseen by the powerless anything-goes industry-lovers over at the Food and Drug Administration.
New Report Says FCC Fails At Tracking Customer Complaints
By 3.14.08
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report yesterday that says that while the FCC processes about 95% of the complaints that come in, it takes some sort of enforcement action in only about 9% of them. “The GAO said it was unable to determine why the [other] investigations were closed without action because ‘FCC does not systematically collect these data.'” The FCC uses five separate databases and “about 46,000 paper files” to track complaints, and the GAO said “made it difficult to get answers to basic questions like how long it takes the agency to close an investigation and the total dollar amount it assesses in fines.”
Department Of Education: Student Loan Oversight Is Overrated
By 8.3.07
Remember that whole student loan scandal, where lenders illegally gave gifts to financial aid officers? The Department of Education doesn’t! A damning GAO report claims that the DOE:
