Maybe someday I’ll run for politics. With all of the debates going on, at least I would shoot straight on what I think about different things, whether people like it or not. As my journeys take me to local restaurants, sporting events, and out of town hotels, I’ve compiled a list of 7 senseless charges that would be on my first list of things to get rid of today. They might not win me an election, but they sure are annoying and don’t seem to make any sense at all. Maybe these things just annoy me.
- Hotel Wi-Fi– What’s the deal with some hotels still charging a ridiculous $14.99 a day to access Wi-Fi? Do I really need to sit in the lobby while I check my e-mail? For crying out loud just mark it into the hotel bill. What I like even better (not!) is that they give you the regular Wi-Fi or ‘premium’ Wi-Fi for $4.95 a day at some hotels for an option. I say stop it and stop it now.
- The Electronic Tip Receipt From Starbucks– You just jacked me up for the $5.25 Graham Cracker Latte. Since I’m such a special member with my bar code scanner on my phone, you now automatically send me a tipping receipt so you can deduct it from my balance? At least give a half an hour to enjoy my latte. There’s a clue for you Starbucks.
- Extra Leg Room– 4 inches? 4 inches? At the absolute end of the day when you are plum tired from your business trip, the airlines could just upgrade you. It’s called getting a reward. Instead, you’ve got to calculate how much ($39 or $49) it’s worth for you to board the plane early, get your roller bag above the seat, and then spread out with a whopping 4 inches of extra leg room. Don’t get me started on paying for headphones or snacks.
- Supplies For The Schoolroom– If you pay your real estate taxes and support your public school system, wouldn’t you think someone could put the math together so our children don’t need to bring in two extra jars of Purell and three extra boxes of Kleenex? I’m amazed and annoyed at the same time how every year I’ve got another nice and neat charitable donation which ends up in my children’s classroom. Can’t we finally figure out what the taxes should be so we aren’t annoyed with these ancillary costs?
- Paying Taxes– When You Sell Your Business- Here’s a scenario: You get to go borrow $500,000 and put a personal guarantee of your family assets on the line. Then you get to start a business and probably not make too much money over the first several years. Then you get to employ 5, 10, 20, or more people and when you eventually make money you’ll pay taxes. The bigger the business grows, the more money you make, the more you will pay in taxes (unless you talk to me). The real rub is that somewhere down the road you’ll get taxed again when you sell it. Want to create more jobs? Give small business owners a ZERO capital gains tax for 10 years and watch the job market light up.
- The Additional Tip Line– When you have a party of six or more at many restaurants, they will automatically add an 18% or 20% gratuity so they don’t get stiffed for a job well done (or not well done). Either way you pay. The one I don’t understand is why add the additional tip line. You can hardly even see it on the invoice when you pay the meal and if you forget the gratuity is charged, you’ll basically tip twice.
- Magazine Subscriptions– Couldn’t you swear that you never signed up for these through your credit card? However, you keep on getting issues and issues every month of magazines that you never ordered and don’t want yet they keep charging you on your credit card. Try cancelling these! It will be worse than trying to cancel with AOL!
What’s the one thing you pay for today that really annoys you?
Written by:
Ted Jenkin
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Ted Jenkin is a frequent guest columnist for the Wall Street Journal and Headline News Weekend Express. He is the co-CEO of oXYGen Financial. You can follow him on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/theceoadvisor or on Twitter @tedjenkin.
