Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with fee

ATM fee overcharge

gatorbiddy — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:20:42 -0800

Taking money out at a non-my bank ATM last night, the screen stated you will be charged a $2.50 fee. However, looking at the receipt after it spit my money out, they actually charged a $6.00 "terminal fee". I realize its only $3.50 difference but that type of misleading fraud just makes me boil. What are my options to correct this? Is there a reporting agency that is interested in this type of thing? Is the store that the ATM was by responsible for this? It does say on the receipt that the Terminal Fee was paid to the business that the ATM was out in front of. But no where on the ATM does it say $6, just the $2.50 that they make you agree to.

How much is reasonable (if anything) to pay to a lender for a mortgage application fee?

mockjovial — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:32:18 -0800

How much is reasonable (if anything) to pay to a lender for a mortgage application fee? The fiancé' and I have finally found the perfect house…a condo actually. The contract was accepted by the seller yesterday, and we are super excited! I went into the process benefitting from many of the great posts on the green that came before me. One of the things I did was get preapproved for financing of a 30 year fixed rate mortgage. Now that the contract has been accepted, the mortgage company wants to meet to complete the actual application. I was surprised when the representative told me that there is a $350 application fee. In your opinion / experience, is this outrageous? Should I find a different company? I’m not sure if it matters that I have excellent credit and can qualify for the most favorable interest rate offered. I am in Chicagoland. I am of course hoping to close by 11/30 for the tax credit, so time is of the essence to secure financing. Thanks in advance!

Is it appropriate to ask for a finder's fee? If so, how much?

melissasaurus — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 07:29:20 -0800

Is it appropriate to ask for a finder's fee? If so, how much? I have a friend who does web design. A contact of mine, a consultant, has a client who needs to revamp their website. Consultant asked if I knew anyone who could do the work. I plan to recommend web designer friend.

If I make the referral, is it appropriate to ask for a finder's or referral fee? If so, what are the particulars of doing this: How much is "standard"? Who pays it - designer? consultant? both? Should I ask for a flat fee or a percentage? Should it apply to any further contracts that may result, or just the one instance?

Any advice, especially from those who have paid or received such fees in the past, would be greatly appreciated.

What things used to be free?

tomwheeler — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:23:50 -0800

What are some things that were once free but now require us to pay for them? I was thinking today about some things which were once offered at no charge but aren't any longer. Examples include using another bank's ATM, checking luggage on a flight and filling using the air pump to fill up your tire at the gas station.

What are some other things that were free in the last 20 years but which now require some payment?

Are shops allowed to add a fee for paying by credit card instead of cash?

wastelands — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:39:19 -0800

Does it go against Visa / MasterCard / etc. policy for a retail store, such as a restaurant or coffee shop, to add a charge to your order if you use credit rather than paying by cash? While it's incredibly common, I have heard that it goes against policy, and the store could actually risk punitive action from the credit card company if they were found out. True?

$25 ticket turned into $426

SpacemanStix — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:51:44 -0800

Is it worth showing up in court to see if a citation fee (that I don't contest) might be reduced? I live in Los Angeles county. I was recently cited for having a burnt out headlight in Los Angeles County. I was given time to get a confirmation that it was fixed, and I had the choice to either show up at the courthouse with proof that it was done, or to simply send in a $25 fee with the proof of correction.

I got the light fixed and the confirming signature, but forgot to send it in on time and mailed it in two weeks late.

I received a letter in the mail today returning my check and proof of correction and saying that the new fee accrual was $726, which includes the court bail of $300. If I don't contest the fee, I can mail in a check for $426, which is less the bail amount.

The letter said this: "You may pay the reduced amount of $426 by 6/12/2009 in full or see the judge for payment arrangements (The judge may or may not reduce the citation amount)."

Is it worth setting up a court appointment to see if there might be a reduced amount? It's hours out of my day if I were to make arrangements to go, so I'm trying to weigh if I should go or just pay the fine. I have no previous citations, if that matters.

Thanks for any feedback.

Consulting to help create a "draw" to bring people into booth at medical tradeshow. How much should I charge?

UMDirector — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:12:18 -0800

Consulting to help create a "draw" to bring people into booth at medical tradeshow. How much should I charge? I am working to create five paragraph concepts for a marketing company to draw people into their clients booth at a medical tradeshow. Previously this consisted of something along the lines of giving away pens or having a Wii for them to play in the booth. They want something more innovate and tied with their advertising themes.

I am used to setting fees for production services, but those are somewhat standard. I have a good amount of specialized training for this sort of idea generation and feel that is likely worth something. I do some of this type of work through another company but I have no idea what they charge us out as. This is also a bit more work than when I typically work for them.

I also have no idea what the overall budget is for the entire project.

So how much for five ideas in paragraph form?

Should I expect a payment for the option rights to my book?

wggrace — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 05:17:26 -0800

I've had a book published and been approached by a film producer wanting to option the film rights to the book. He's sent a draft agreement but there is no fee involved. When I questioned this the response was that this was standard practice for a book that is 'not a known branded property'. I gotta be honest me and my book are about as unknown as its possible to be but should I still expect some sort of fee for this.

Am I a horrible person for reporting my local pizzaria for charging an extra credit card fee?

UMDirector — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:40:18 -0800

I just reported a local small business for adding a fee to my credit card for its usage. Am I a horrible person? A local pizza place just started a fifty cent fee for using a credit card. This is in clear violation of their agreement with MasterCard so I reported it on the MC violation page but now I feel rather tool-like.

I want to support the small guy but:

1) They already charge a $1.50 delivery fee, which I am okay with
2) They will lose probably $30 a week from me if I stop going there since I won't use my card and don't carry cash.
3) That being said if they get smacked for it I may save them other lost customers who would get annoyed by the fee.
4) They have the option to just stop taking cards (for example they do not take Amex)

I feel like my actions may be justified but am having issues pitting the massive corporation against small mom-and-pop over my convenience. I am just sick of places making me buy more to hit a "minimum charge" or charging a fee. The way I bank pretty much means I rarely have cash (outside of emergency cash) so this hits me often.

So am I horrible or have I done them or society a favor?

Should I pay my cellphone cancellation fee?

GuyZero — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:34:12 -0800

Should I pay my cellphone cancellation fee? I moved out of Canada. I canceled my landline, internet, etc but I needed my cell phone for a while while moving. I was slow paying the bill because I was busy, but I did indeed pay off all bills. However, because I was late they sent me a cancellation notice which I didn't protest because I needed to cancel the plan at that point anyway. Now they want $550 in cancellation fees. Since I've moved to the US, what are the ramifications of simply not paying? Let's assume I'm planning on staying 5+ years here so if and when I return to Canada any complaints on my credit record will be very old news. Can/will they take me to court? The company has not been provided any information on my new address as I get my bills by postal forwarding via my old address.

Can I negotiate my new wage with the temp agency I'm hired through?

Anonymous — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 05:37:59 -0800

Can I negotiate my new wage with the temp agency I'm hired through? I recently got promoted at my job. At the time I was hired, I was very much in need of work, and although my background is in communications and graphic design, I was willing to take anything for the time being. I took the first job I was offered. It was supposed to be a 2 month contract, which now looks like it end up being nearly a year.

I am living in New Zealand, and registered with an employment agency (I am Canadian but have a work visa in NZ until the end of July.) The agency hired me for an admin job for a large branch of the government, and although they knew I wanted communications work, thought that this would be a good environment to work and expressed that it was only an administrative role. I was hired at $18NZD/hr.

So I started out doing admin work, was trained by the admin person before me. However, due to some shifting around of roles in the department, and the fact that I know InDesign and web design, and have several years of experience in Communications roles, I ended up taking on a lot more responsibility. I am now finding and writing stories, taking photos, and doing the layout of the weekly internal newsletter for the ministry, in addition to all the admin jobs I was trained for. I've been working here for about 3 months.

Because of the increased amount of responsibility, I talked to my manager and asked if it was possible to be hired by the ministry directly, rather than through the agency. I would also like to commit to them at least until the end of my visa, longer if it could be extended.

My manager pulled me in for a meeting today and said that they were really happy with my work, that they could extend the work until at least the end of July, and that they would like to offer me a raise to reflect the new role - she said they would pay $35 an hour, but that she wasn't sure how much the temp agency took off that. She said they couldn't hire me without the temp agency because they would have to pay a fee to buy out the contract.

This afternoon the temp lady called me, said she had spoken with my manager (she didn't know that I had spoken with the manager beforehand) and told me that the manager would like to give me a raise to $21 an hour (before taxes). I told her I was surprised, and said I had also talked with the manager and asked if the $14 per hour was the cut that the temp agency got. She got really uncomfortable and said "well, yes, it is a lot of work setting up these contracts." I asked if the manager was aware of that percentage, said I was just going to check with her and she said "well, I'll call her to confirm." She didn't seem to want me to go back and talk to the manager.

I guess my question is if there is any wiggle-room with the temp agency to get a slightly higher wage ($25/hr??) After talking with my manager, I was a bit disappointed that the temp agency gets such a large cut. Is this pretty standard?

I don't want to whine, but I also want to make sure that I'm getting paid a fair wage as it is a high-pressure job and I am also responsible for a lot of other management and planning duties in addition to the newsletter.

I haven't signed anything, and I'm wondering if I can go back to the temp agency and ask for a higher wage.

After I got off the phone with the temp lady, she called back a few minutes later and said "I did the calculations, and it looks like you'll actually be getting $21.63....is that OK with you???" I just asked her to send me through the forms but didn't say yes or no.

Should I just suck it up, not tell the manager what the temp agency charges (she told me she doesn't know) and be happy with the increase I got? Or is it worth investigating more?

I really like where I work, I like who I work with, and I work hard.

I have never worked for a temp agency before, and am surprised that they can command such a high fee for doing (what seems to me) very little.

Sorry for the longwinded question, and thank you for your help!

How much should I pay my lawyer to settle a wrongful death claim?

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:38:11 -0800

I'm going to hire an attorney to settle a wrongful death claim in the state of Ohio, USA. I hope to reach a settlement rather than going to court. What percentage of my settlement should the attorney get? A law firm offered to represent me for either 20% of whatever is gained by reaching a settlement, or 35% of whatever is awarded by a jury if the case goes to trial. Does this sound reasonable? Should I try to negotiate a lower percentage in either case, and if so, what is the lowest percentage I might reasonably expect them to accept?

We've already had a free consultation with the lawyers who will be involved. If I wish to negotiate the contract further, what protocol should I follow - ask for another meeting (and more of their time), call them up or send an email?

Anything else I should know before signing up with a law firm? The claim is against an estate, so a personal injury lawyer and an estate lawyer will both be involved. Their contract seems fairly straightforward and includes their expenses plus the percentage.

Shady Broker Situation

theseampsgoto11 — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 22:15:22 -0800

My broker is trying to charge another fee to put someone new on the lease for the NYC apt. we've been living in for 3 years. Is this legal? Do I have any recourse? Brief backstory: About 3+ years ago, two friends paid a broker's fee and signed the lease on an apartment in Manhattan. One moved out and I sublet (legally) for a few months. Eventually, we added my name to the lease. I didn't pay a broker's fee, just $100 or so for a credit check.

Now my roommate is moving out and I found someone new to move in. Our broker is trying to charge this new guy a broker's fee for the new lease, even though I did the work. Is this legal? Do I have any options other than losing the apartment?

I'd appreciate any help - thanks!

What does the creator of a curated travel experience charge?

Scram — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:04:09 -0800

What is a reasonable fee for organizing and hosting an Elderhostel/ Road Scholar program? My husband and I have been approached by the local branch of Road Scholar about curating a four day program for travelers based on original research (bus tours, writing and lectures) that we've developed. We've been asked to submit a bid for this service, and while we have some idea of what we'd like to get for ourselves and our staff, we don't have any sense of what industry standard is for what we'd be providing.

Comparable 4-day programs cost $1100-1400 per person (double occupancy, +$300 for singles) including meals and lodging. Our maximum number of travelers would be 50, but conceivably the program could run with half that many people.

In addition to creating the overarching theme of the program we would be on call daily and into the evening for bus tours and lectures, develop hand outs, provide marketing copy and imagery, arrange itineraries and special visits, and select guest lecturers, films and musicians.

If anyone reading this has any insight into what an appropriate fee would be for such a program, and if it ought to begin with a base rate and slide up should it reach capacity, please advise. It would be nice to know if we're even in the ballpark before we start swinging, y'know?

How much is this violinist worth?

chihiro — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:24:51 -0800

How much should I charge to play violin at an old classmate's wedding? A good friend of mine from high school called yesterday to say that a former classmate of ours (a close friend of hers but not mine) is getting married in September and would like me to play the violin at her wedding. I've been invited to the reception (via my friend) which is very kind, and initially I offered to do it for free as I would for family and friends. However, I've been informed by my friend that this classmate makes an excellent living and expects to pay my usual fee. I only play weddings a few times a year (I don't advertise but typically take whatever comes my way via word of mouth) and although I have been charging $200 for weddings for the past couple of years I'm not sure if this is too expensive, too cheap or what. We're in Philadelphia -- any musicians out there have some recommendations?

Looking for an explanation behind the steep "rehoming fee's" for adopting pets.

ShootTheMoon — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:37:38 -0800

Looking for an explanation behind the steep "rehoming fee's" for adopting pets. Can anyone explain the reasoning behind the "rehoming fee" when adopting animals. This seems to be extremely popular on craigslist. I understand covering the cost of younger animals, and would not mind paying $25-$50. But many of these people want 200-300+ for puppies that have not even been spayed/neutered or given all of their shots.

Additionaly, it appears that some of the people doing this may be doign this as a business. Adopting pets from the shelters, and turning around and selling them for a couple hundred in "rehoming fees".

Anytime anyone tries to ask this kind of question on craigslist, it is quickly flagged for removal, making me further believe something unethical is going on.

How are endorsement fees calculated?

IndigoJones — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 17:36:57 -0800

Scoobie Doo endorses Mac&Cheese by allowing his likeness to appear on the box. Question- how do his master and the folks at Kraft decide on his price? Or say Mr Bandaid sells a ten million units a year. He sees the popularity of, say, Spongebob Squarepants. He decides that slapping SBSP on the bandaid might boost sales a bit among the hip set. He approaches the owner of SBSP with an offer to do just that.

Where do they begin? Where do they end? Royalties on a portion of the sales increase year over year? Flat fee, and if so, how is it put to Mr Bandaid so he'll think he's getting a good deal? How do they judge between a unisex hero like spongebob vs an alienates-half-the-audience heroine like Barbie? Might not a bold Mr Bandaid assert that he's doing SBSP a favor by giving him, in effect, free advertising?

No doubt each negotiation is different, but there must be some general scenarios. Interested to know what's worked in the past. Thanks in advance

How to frustrate an advance fee fraudster

superfurry — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 01:21:29 -0800

Responding to an 'advance fee fraud' email. I've had a blatant 'advance fee fraud' email from someone in west africa wanting to buy my car online (I am in Ireland). I want to respond in a way that sends this would-be fraudster down the longest rabbit hole possible. I seem to remember coming across a website at one stage, which gives some example correspondences that people sent back to these guys. These emails led the fraudster along giving the impression that the seller was willing to go ahead with the transaction, and basically making a fool of the fraudster and wasting their time. I'd like to do something similar, with the possibility of trying to defraud the fraudster - or at least try !

Can anyone point me to this website, or suggest ways in which I could at least frustrate these gangsters ?

Royalty fee for creating spin-offs?

Sevenupcan — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 05:15:00 -0800

What are the legal issues and requirements regarding the use of someone else's creative property/material in spin-offs, and fan related projects? This project is essentially for 3 reasons,

- For fun and enjoyment
- To give something to the fan community
- And to show how much the original creator of the universe has inspired me and many others

The designs and characters we use are our own, but they exist in the world someone else made. ie the same races/species.

How would I go about creating merchandise related to the spin-off that I am creating without violating anyone's rights, and also am likely to be able to do this without the risk of being charged; I'm presuming and daunting that I might have to pay a royalty fee.

Thank you for your time.

Double dipping, corporate-style.

Big Fat Tycoon — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 16:32:12 -0800

How legitimate is it to add a new fee or charge after they've billed you for something and it's already been charged to your credit card? I got a plane ticket with my frequent flyer miles last year, but they only allowed me to book a round trip ticket. I was allowed to rebook within the year for a relatively small fee, and set a date for later this year. I was quoted a price I'd pay, which showed up a little while later on my CC bill, along with an email invoice for that amount.

A few weeks later, I received a second invoice indicating that they had charged my card again with a fuel surcharge. Now, is this legit? I mean, I understand that fuel costs have risen, but if I'm given a price and invoiced electronically and have that payment taken out of my card, do they really have the ability to just tack on a fuel surcharge at a later date? This seems like the big business equivalent of those gym scams where they get your CC number and just go to town. According to the customer service manager, since I got this ticket through the frequent flyer miles program, the money "was not with them" and my only recourse was to get the ticket refunded. This seems a little dumb, considering it's not like I'm buying an appliance or something, but rather purchasing something on which I base a ton of other plans.

How to deal with fees for Canadian checks?

korej — Mon, 05 Sep 2005 10:24:14 -0800

Banking question: I have a small business in the US, I live in the US, I'm a US citizen. A number of my clients are in Canada. Everytime they send me a check, my local bank has to take a flat $10 out of it - even if its in US funds. Most of these checks are less than $50, so that's a pretty big hit. Apparently this $10 fee is not just my bank, but from their processor. I know I could ask my clients to pay in paypal, but a lot of them aren't set up to do it that way, and I'm reluctant to make them change. I emailed a canadian bank, thinking I'd just mail a deposit off once a month, and then every few months transfer funds, but I need to be there in person to set up the account. Do I just need to insist that clients use paypal? Are there other options I'm not thinking of? Any advice would be welcome.

Just?

amtho — Tue, 30 Aug 2005 12:47:08 -0800

$95 IRA termination fee (well-known regional bank): legit? unavoidable? The $95 termination fee which would assessed by Wachovia Securities for moving my very tiny IRA to another bank (non-investment bank) seems a blatant tactic to keep me from moving my money. I'd understand if it took a huge amount of time for them, or if I hadn't been paying annual fees, but really -- is this justified?

Let me know if I'm being a whiny wimp about this. It's only a little unexpected. I'm also going to see if I can find mention of it in my existing paperwork - wouldn't be surprised if it's there, but I'd think I'd remember if I'd come across it.

Apartment in North Jersey

alphanerd — Thu, 26 Aug 2004 14:27:04 -0800

I'm trying to find an apartment in North Jersey (Belleville, Bloomfield, Rutherford, Clifton, Montclair), but brokers and realtors have saturated the online classified ads and Google results and I'd like to avoid unnecessary fees. Any advice? I've checked Craig's List and the Village Voice and I have a few local papers, but I'd like to know of a decent way to skirt the middle man.