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Bill in Congress working to get rid of Resort Fees at hotels
September 27, 2019, 07:41 PM
corsairBill in Congress working to get rid of Resort Fees at hotels
No arguments here, charge the price period, don't line-item the shit out of my bill with a bunch of surcharges and fees.
Congress Is Considering a Bill That Would Abolish ‘Unfair and Deceptive’ Resort Fees quote:
Congress is considering legislation that could once and for all ban hidden resort fees at hotels.
The Hotel Advertising Transparency Act of 2019 is a bipartisan bill introduced by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) on Wednesday that aims to establish clear advertised pricing of hotel rooms.
The act would prohibit not only resort fees but cleaning fees, facility fees, and any other fees that are only introduced to customers when they’re advanced in the booking process. The proposed legislation refers to the hidden prices as “unfair and deceptive to consumers.” The advertised price must include all required fees, other than government-required taxes.
“It is projected that in 2019, over three billion dollars in revenue alone will be collected from consumers due to these hidden fees,” Congresswoman Johnson said in a statement. “This bill would require that the prices advertised by hotels and online travel agencies must include all mandatory fees that will be charged to a consumer, excluding taxes." The bill will also give the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) power to enforce the rule.
Resort fees have reemerged as a present issue this year. In July, attorneys general in both Washington D.C. and Nebraska filed lawsuits against Marriott and Hilton “for hiding the true price of hotel rooms from consumers and charging hidden resort fees to increase profits,” according to the bill.
The bill’s process through Congress will begin with the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee. It would then go to a vote in the House of Representatives, a vote in the Senate, and would then require a signature from the President in order to become law. It is unclear how long this process will take or if it will be seen through to completion.
This is the first act against mandatory hidden fees raised in Congress since 2016. That bill (the Truth in Hotel Advertising Act of 2016) was introduced in the Senate but did not make it any further.
September 27, 2019, 07:57 PM
V-TailI hate hidden fees. I'm all for the advertised price being exactly what you pay. I would even advocate for advertised prices to include all taxes, so that the buyer knows exactly what the cost will be.
הרחפת שלי מלאה בצלופחים September 27, 2019, 08:47 PM
JagerVegas will see to it this effort goes away.
Now they even charge you parking fees while you stay at their "resort".
September 27, 2019, 08:55 PM
r0gueThank god there's a trillion dollar a day circle jerk of poly sci majors diligently bloviating in the swamp to save me from a portion of my hotel bill being called something distinct instead of being lumped in to the final total.
But make no mistake,... the end sum will be the same. Except for perhaps, if they find they have to raise the taxes to pay for the politicians and lobbyists.
September 27, 2019, 09:00 PM
2AdefenderForget this crap, how about passing a bill that outlaws telemarketing calls?
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The Second Amendment is not about hunting or sport shooting.
September 27, 2019, 09:17 PM
Veeperquote:
Originally posted by 2Adefender:
Forget this crap, how about passing a bill that outlaws telemarketing calls?
And one that outlaws drugs!
In all seriousness, the carriers should be the ones investing in shutting down the robo-callers.
“The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false-face for the urge to rule it.”—H.L. Mencken September 27, 2019, 09:39 PM
ridewvGood, while they're at it include "doc fees" that car/motorcycle dealers try to spring on after the price is negotiated.
No car is as much fun to drive, as any motorcycle is to ride.
September 27, 2019, 09:43 PM
roadkillIn Texas the dealers must charge a doc fee by law. I’m sure other states are the same. I think there’s a minimum charge of $50, not sure if there’s a max.
God, Guns, and Guts made this country....let's keep all three
September 27, 2019, 10:01 PM
Balzé Halzéquote:
Originally posted by V-Tail:
I hate hidden fees. I'm all for the advertised price being exactly what you pay. I would even advocate for advertised prices to include all taxes, so that the buyer knows exactly what the cost will be.
I wish it were that way. That's how it is in France at least. The price listed is the final price. If a bottle of wine is tagged 6.20 euro, that's what is paid at the register.
~Alan
Acta Non Verba
NRA Life Member (Patron)
God, Family, Guns, Country
Men will fight and die to protect women... because women protect everything else. ~Andrew Klavan
September 27, 2019, 11:13 PM
casI get this.
I'd like them to "ban"
bullshit gas prices. "$2.25 9/10th"
Stop insulting us.
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Sliced bread, the greatest thing since the 1911.
September 28, 2019, 12:06 AM
arfmelquote:
Originally posted by Jager:
Vegas will see to it this effort goes away.
Now they even charge you parking fees while you stay at their "resort".
We visited the quaint village of Santa Fe, NM a month or so back. Stayed in an old joint near the plaza. Couple three hundred a night for a room where you could wash your hands in the sink while sitting on the foot of the bed. No joke.
When I checked out I noticed they added a “resort fee” of $25/day and asked what it was for, since they didn’t have a spa, or pool, or any of that jazz. They told me it was for the “complimentary coffee” and parking.
Of course I felt obliged to point out that the coffee wasn’t complimentary if I paid for it.
September 28, 2019, 06:28 AM
BassamaticI hate those fees as well but I doubt this will make it out of Committee.
.....never marry a woman who is mean to your waitress. September 28, 2019, 07:52 AM
ulstermanThey need to take a look at the fees attached to an airplane ticket.
September 28, 2019, 08:04 AM
SigLawOne of the primary reasons hotels are doing it is that they do not pay a commission to booking sites on the resort fee, just the cost of the room. Hence, they are getting more for the room but paying less commissions because resort fees are non-commission. There is a pending lawsuit against several resorts by booking sites/agents over the practice.
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September 28, 2019, 08:06 AM
chellim1quote:
Bill in Congress working to get rid of Resort Fees at hotels
Eliminate? Or compel disclosure?
I'm all for truth and full disclosure...
A market economy can't function properly if you can't shop around and that requires price comparison.
"Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible."
-- Justice Janice Rogers Brown
"The United States government is the largest criminal enterprise on earth."
-rduckwor September 28, 2019, 09:53 AM
ridewvquote:
Originally posted by roadkill:
In Texas the dealers must charge a doc fee by law. I’m sure other states are the same. I think there’s a minimum charge of $50, not sure if there’s a max.
I would be surprised if that is the case, I believe the law is "if you DO charge a Doc fee you must charge the same amount to every customer". Some dealers charge none, some charge up to whatever the state maximum is allowed. Some states (VA for instance) have no limit, I encountered one dealer there that charged a flat $1,000 doc. Naturally dealers just have to "show" that they charge the same to everyone. My point in bringing this up is that IMO it's just as deceptive as Resort Fees and even more prevalent. Doc fee is supposedly to cover the dealers cost of "filling out documents", this takes the $25 per hour person what.... 30 minutes?
No car is as much fun to drive, as any motorcycle is to ride.
September 28, 2019, 10:00 AM
recoatliftYes, repeal that tax & replace with a new all encompassing one.
I sometimes forget I am dealing with B/S artists & con men.
September 28, 2019, 10:03 AM
zoom6zoomLet's not forget the "airport surcharge" on rental cars.
I have my own style of humor. I call it Snarkasm. September 28, 2019, 10:05 AM
zipridersonThis is stupid. The government has no business in this.
First, the fee is not hidden. It just appears later in the process, when you check out online. It'd be hidden if you got a bill that was more than what you agreed to.
In this case, all of the information is available to the buyer. It's just annoying because the final fee isn't what is advertised.
September 28, 2019, 10:10 AM
gpbst3I got charged a $10 fee for a room safe I never asked for, used, or even know I had. I think the hotel was only $125 a night so thats a pretty nice add on.
