Fee 292133 219349176 2008-06-14T20:22:52Z Middayexpress 7310206 /* Retail */ {{Otheruses}} A '''fee''' is the [[price]] one pays as [[remuneration]] for [[service]]s, especially the [[honorarium]] paid to a doctor, [[attorney's fee|lawyer]], [[consultant]], or other member of a learned [[profession]]. Fees usually allow for [[overhead]], [[wage]]s, [[cost]]s, and [[profit|markup]]. Traditionally, professionals in [[Great Britain]] received a fee in contradistinction to a [[payment]], [[salary]], or wage, and would often use [[British coin Guinea|guinea]]s rather than [[Pound Sterling|pounds]] as [[unit of account|units of account]]. A [[contingent fee]] is an [[attorney's fee]] which is reduced or not charged at all if the [[court case]] is lost by the [[attorney]]. A '''service fee''', '''service charge''', or '''surcharge''' is a fee added to a customer's bill. The purpose of a service charge often depends on the nature of the product and corresponding service provided. Examples of why this fee is charged are: [[travel]] time expenses, [[truck]] [[rental]] fees, liability and [[workers' compensation]] [[insurance]] fees, and [[planning]] fees. [[United Parcel Service|UPS]] and [[FedEx]] have recently begun surcharges for [[fuel]]. [[Restaurant]]s and [[banquet hall]]s charging service charges in lieu of [[tips]] must distribute them to their [[wait staff]] in some [[U.S. state]]s (e.g., [[Massachusetts]], [[New York]], [[Montana]]), and may keep them in others (e.g., [[Kentucky]]). A fee may be a '''[[flat fee]]''' or a variable one, or part of a [[two-part tariff]]. It is now very common in the [[United States]] for fees to be used to hide the real price of a service or product, in a widely-used form of [[deceptive advertising]]. [[Advance-fee fraud]] is a [[scam]], although some [[contractor]]s or other businesses may legitimately go [[bankrupt]] after accepting an fee in advance. ==Telecom== For [[telecommunications]] services such as [[high-speed Internet]] and [[mobile phone]]s, an '''activation fee''' is commonly assessed, although most companies fail to include it in the [[advertise]]d price, and [[activation]] means only typing some customer information into a [[computer]]. For example, [[as of 2008]], [[Verizon Wireless]] has begun charging 20 dollars for activation of its phones, even for existing customers who want to [[upgrade]]. Customers are told that the phones can be returned or exchanged within 15 days, but are not told that the extra fee (which has been disclosed only in [[fine print]]) will not be returned, and that yet another fee will assessed against him or her for getting a different new phone, or even going back to their old one. Another fee is the '''early-termination fee''' applied nearly-universally to cellphone [[contract]]s, supposedly to cover the remaining part of the [[subsidy]] that the provider prices the phones with. If the user terminates before the end of the term, he or she will be charged, ofter well over 100 dollars. In the U.S., mobile phone companies have come under heavy crticism for this [[anti-competitive practice]], and the [[FCC]] is considering limits to prevent [[price gouging]], such as requiring the fees to be [[prorate]]d. Some [[telephone companies]], including [[AT&T]], include a '''regulatory cost recovery fee''' in the [[billing|bill]] each month of around three [[U.S. dollar]]s, passing the [[blame]] onto [[government]] [[regulation]], and essentially charging their customers for complying with [[U.S. law]]. ==Banking== [[Bank]]s are also notorious for extracting large '''bank fees''' from their customers, who have no recourse as the bank already has their [[money]]. These fees can be extremely high, often many times that actual amount of a small and accidental [[overdraft]], because they are not proportional to the amount of overdraft. Banks also encourage this by paying the largest of several [[debit]]s in a night first, so that multiple large fees can be racked-up against the customer when there is not enough left for the smaller transactions. U.S. banks also extract fees from [[automatic teller machine]] [[transaction]]s that are made at another bank, even if the customer's home bank has no branch in the area (such as when the customer is on [[vacation]]) and has failed to provide any free alternative through an ATM network. Customers are now hit twice, both by the bank that owns the ATM, and now again by their home bank. Some, including [[Bank of America]], even charge a '''denial fee''', literally a fee for refusing service to the customer (if there are [[insufficient funds]] or a daily limit), and a fee to simply check the [[account balance]] at a "foreign" (other bank's) ATM. ==Renting== Like an activation fee, a '''setup fee''' is often charged by places that [[rent]] space or other things. In the case of [[self-storage]] businesses, this negates claims of "only one dollar for the first month" made by [[Public Storage]] and others. [[Apartment]] complexes often charge fees for [[pet]]s (mainly [[dog]]s and [[cat]]s). Some complexes [[euphemism|euphemisitic]]ally call these a '''non-refundable deposit''', ignoring the definition of a [[deposit]] as inherently being [[refund]]able. ==Event tickets== With respect to [[ticket (admission)|events ticket]]s, online [[reservation]]s and payments, and other transactions, there is sometimes a service charge (often called a '''convenience fee''') that serves as additional compensation for the company facilitating the transaction. [[Ticketmaster]] and others charge this, and have made a [[business model]] of it. However, such groups have a [[monopoly]] on particular events or even entire [[concert venue]]s. ==Air travel== [[Airline]]s have long charged fees for changing [[flight]]s, and for excess [[luggage]]. However, with the [[oil price increases since 2003]], many are increasing fees. In [[May 2008]] it was announced that some would be charging even for just one checked bag, making it nearly impossible to avoid. [[Airport]]s also charge '''[[landing fee]]s''' to airlines in order to cover costs, particularly [[airport security]]. ==Customer service== Some businesses charge fees just for talking to a [[customer service]] representative. [[DirecTV]] charges this when ordering a [[pay-per-view]] [[movie]] via telephone instead of through the [[set-top box]]. Some companies charge for [[technical support]], either prepaid or by using a [[premium-rate telephone number]] (such as the 1-900 numbers in [[NANP|North America]]). ==Speaking== {{Main|Speaking fee}} A '''speaking fee''' is a payment awarded to an individual for [[public speaking|speaking at a public event]]. Sometimes it is used as a way to [[kickback|pass money]] to individuals which would [[loophole|otherwise be prohibited]]. <!--[http://www.consultantjournal.com/blog/setting-consulting-fee-rates Setting consulting fees]--> ==Late fees== '''Late fees''' are charged when payment is not received by a [[deadline]]. ==Retail== Some retail stores add fees, mainly for "guest passes" at [[membership warehouse]]s like [[Costco]] and [[Sam's Club]], where [[membership]] [[dues]] have not been paid. There are a few other "cost-plus" stores, however, that add ten percent or so at [[checkstand|checkout]], using the lower shelf price to trick comsumers into erroneous [[comparison shopping]]. At [[Food Depot]] and other smaller low-end chain stores like this, the shelf price may be 1.95, when the [[shopping|shopper]] will actually be charged 2.15 in the end, in a sort of legalized [[bait and switch]]. (Furthermore, a [[disclaimer]] indicates the shelf price is not even the actual cost to the store.) ==Infrastructure and environment== An '''[[impact fee]]''' is a charge which a developer must pay to [[local government]], in order to raise money for [[capital (money)|capital]] improvements to [[road]]s, [[libraries]], and other services upon which the new [[land development]] places a [[burden]]. This prevents existing residents from being forced to pay in [[tax]]es, in addition to already having to put-up with the [[traffic]], [[noise]], and environmental damage of the new development. ==Government== ===Public resources=== A '''user fee''' is a fee paid for the use of a public resource, like a [[park]]. This is most common for [[national park]]s, and often also [[state park]]s or [[provincial park]]s, and for privately-owned areas. ===Licenses and permits=== Fees are usually charged for various government services, including [[license plate]]s and annual [[motor vehicle registration]], as well as [[driver license]]s and [[professional licensing]]. Fees are also charged for various [[permit]]s, like [[demolition]] and [[building permit]]s, re[[zoning]], and [[land grading]] (which causes [[silt]]); and sometimes for increasing [[stormwater]] [[runoff (water)|runoff]], destroying native [[vegetation]], and cutting-down healthy [[tree]]s. ===Deceptive use=== Sometimes '''fee''' is used to [[whitewash]] what are actually [[penalty|penalties]] or [[tax]]es. For example, Virginia's now-repealed [[Civil Remedial Fees (Virginia)|Civil Remedial Fees]] were actually a tax on drivers with certain kinds of traffic law violations. ==Schooling== At [[public universities]] and [[community college]]s, [[student]]s are charged [[tuition]] and [[matriculation]], when can themselves be considered fees charged per [[credit hour]]. However, the term '''student fees''' typically refers to additional charges which the student is required to pay, typically no matter how many hours the student is taking in the [[academic term]]. Commonly this is a student activity fee, which helps to fund [[student organisation]]s, particularly those which are [[academic]] in nature; and those which serve all students equally, like [[student government]] and [[student media]]. A newer fee is the '''technology fee''', which is often charged to students by schools when [[state government]] funding fails to meet needs for [[computer]]s and other [[classroom technology]]. Students may also be charged a [[health]] fee which usually covers the campus [[nurse]], and possibly a visit to a local [[clinic]] if the student is [[illness|ill]]. [[Parking]] fees are normally optional, because students may not have their own [[automobile]]s. Hoewver, many U.S. schools are now forcing [[meal plan]]s on their students, particularly those that stay in [[dorm]]s, and some force [[freshmen]] to stay in the dorms. Generally, all fees except parking are covered under [[scholarship]]s, whether they are from private, government, or [[lottery]] funds. [[Category:Pricing]] [[de:Gebühr]] [[hr:Pristojba]] [[no:Avgift]] [[simple:Fee]] [[sv:Avgift]]