At least 85% of Americans have received a surprise or hidden fee over the last two years, and almost everyone is upset about it, according to a new survey.
Nearly two thirds of those who got an unexpected charge said they are paying more now in surprise fees than they did five years ago, according to a Consumer Reports survey of 2,057 U.S. adults released Wednesday. Just about everyone _ 96% _ finds the hidden fees annoying, the survey found.
By far the most commonly reported extra charges came from cable, cell phone, and internet providers (69 percent), followed by fees tacked onto tickets for concerts and sporting events (44 percent), the survey found. The least common surprise charge came from investment services (24 percent).
Nearly six in 10 consumers who received a surprise fee said they spent more than budgeted for telecommunications services due to unexpected charges, the most of any service. More than half (54 percent) said they spent more than planned on live entertainment and hotel stays.
Last year, Consumer Reports launched a "What the Fee?!" campaign in Philadelphia, calling for transparency about fees buried in bills.
Some consumers are fighting the fees and succeeding, according to the survey. Three in 10 people who received a surprise fee fought the charge, and nearly two thirds of them got a refund or the charge removed from the bill. Fourteen percent said they filed a complaint with a company, government agency, or the Better Business Bureau, while 16% posted comments or reviews on social media.
The nationally representative survey was conducted in October 2018. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.88 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
