Lawmakers in Richmond are considering a bill that would crack down on junk fees.
Anyone who’s been to a Taylor Swift concert has probably been hit with a bunch of fees that bump up the cost of the ticket. Delegate Dan Helmer is a Democrat from Fairfax County who wants to do something about it.
"We cannot allow Virginians be caught in a lavender haze when it comes to entertainment ticket prices. Consumers are experiencing a blank space upon check out with surprise, unadvertised fees leaving them with feelings of bad blood," Helmer says. "These mean, treacherous fees at a higher cost than the advertised ticket price leave consumers with sweet nothing."
But what about bank overdraft fees, credit card late fees, rental car surplus fees, cell phone upgrade fees or even hotel resort fees? Senator Stella Pekarsky is a Democrat from Fairfax County who has a bill that takes a look at all those junk fees.
"At the end of the day, it’s just be upfront about what your price is. You know, it has nothing to do with pricing," Pekarsky says. "I want folks and businesses to charge what they need to charge, and I think it creates a more competitive business environment at the end of the day."
So far, members of the House and Senate have a different view of which junk fees they might want to go after, and they could end up trying to shake it off in a secret closed-door conference committee.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
