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To: Earlie who wrote (52168)	6/7/2006 3:06:41 PM
From: Crimson Ghost	Respond to of 116555

Don’t Let Hidden Fees Pick Your Pocket By Lynn Brenner Published: June 4, 2006 Have you ever noticed that “low-cost” goods and services are costing more than you expected? You’re not alone. We’re all paying more than the sticker price these days—on just about everything. The reason is “stealth fees”: fine-print extra charges that boost the final tab. Consider: Telephone companies offer cheap monthly plans but also charge fees for setup, directory assistance, regulatory assessments and change-of-service. Retailers sell electronic goods at bargain prices but often demand a hefty “restocking fee” if you return an item. Many hotels charge extra for using the telephone, cable TV and Internet access—even for cleaning your room! One consultant estimates that a $2 daily charge for “housekeeping service” can rake in as much as $100 million a year for the hotel industry. A $39.99 a month cell-phone plan might really cost $46 when you include the surcharges and taxes—and that’s without incurring the text-message fee (10 cents a message) or the surcharge for exceeding your minute allotment (45 cents a minute). The average fee for bounced checks is now $27.04—a 25% increase since 1998, says bankrate.com, a personal-finance site. The average ATM fee for non-bank customers is $1.60—up 21% since 2004. In a widely quoted academic paper, two young economists—Harvard’s David Laibson and MIT’s Xavier Gabaix—described this widespread phenomenon as “shrouding” the true cost of products and services. Shrouding is commonplace because merchants and service providers risk losing customers when they raise prices. Instead, they keep prices low to get customers in the door—but devise ways to make a profit afterward. For example, almost 31% of American credit-cardholders don’t pay any interest on their accounts because they pay their balance in full. But card issuers have found a way to make money on those customers—by moving up the payment deadline and charging late fees. Indeed, fee income is now a big chunk of their annual revenue: Last year, they collected almost $16 billion from penalty fees alone. There are two types of stealth fees: unavoidable surcharges and pricey add-ons that an alert consumer can sidestep—such as extended warranties, which are aggressively sold by salespeople on commission. But how often did your last toaster, cell phone or television need to be repaired? And if the item you’re buying breaks, will you really repair it—or will you just replace it with a newer model? Thanks to add-ons like these, naïve customers often wind up subsidizing the savvier ones.

To: Earlie who wrote (52168)	6/14/2006 9:45:06 PM
From: Bill/WA	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 116555

Earlie, I'm traveling up in the Yukon, just got out of BC. Mining going nuts. Been coming up here since '94 & never seen anything like this. Going to check out Atlin & Dawson City. Traffic still going gang-busters...big motor homes & trailers. Could hardly get in my favorite campground in Whitehorse. Have some info on mining in the Stewart/Hyder area if you want to investigate. And a new startup waiting to be listed on the TSX. Still @ the same #? Best Bill