Much has been written about the out-of-control nature of fees but a new one really bothered me. I purchased tickets to the Pittsburgh Pirates game directly from the Pirates’ site. In addition to the ticket cost, there was a service charge from the Sports and Exhibition Authority, per order fee, and then the kicker: “Pirates Per Ticket Fee” of $5 each. Hum, shouldn’t that be part of the ticket cost since that’s what it is?
Fees make sense when there is a differentiated cost between those who use it and those who do not. As much as I hate baggage fees, I’m glad they charge those who check luggage separately instead of folding that fee into everyone’s ticket cost. But a per-ticket fee–that is just a shady way to make prices appear low when they are not.
Fees are always the subject of scrutiny because they identify a charge and thus call its merits into question. When I worked on campus, I received far more complaints about the activities fee than I did about the tuition itself, even though that was a much greater amount. People gripe about the delivery fee for a car more than the base price, the closing costs of a home more than the mortgage, or shipping fees more than the item itself.
Unless you have a justifiable reason for splitting out your charges, save yourself the grief and your customers the angst and put the total cost upfront as one figure. Hidden costs in plain site are just aggravating for everyone.
