QUICK TIP: How can you tell if a 'hidden fee' is legal?

Tuesday, July 9, 2019
QUICK TIP: How can you tell if a 'hidden fee' is legal?
Hidden fees seem to be everywhere! But are they legal? Here's how you can tell if a hidden fee is legitimate -- or not.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Do you know how to tell if a hidden fee is legal? Michael Finney has another 7 On Your Side Quick Tip for you!

Hidden fees are everywhere. You check into a hotel and that's when you find out there is a resort fee, a wifi fee, even a safe fee! So are they allowed to do that? Well here's the simple rule. Did they tell you before they bought the product? Did they tell you before you got the final bill? If the answer is yes, then it's legal. That's why here in San Francisco, when you look at a menu in a restaurant, down at the bottom, the majority of the time, it's going to say: "San Francisco mandate fee, 3 percent." What does that mean? It doesn't matter what it means! What matters is, you've been told before you ordered, so it's legal.

Take a look at more stories and videos by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.

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