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Gotcha capitalism : how hidden fees rip you off every day, and what you can do about it Cover Image

Gotcha capitalism : how hidden fees rip you off every day, and what you can do about it / Bob Sullivan.

Sullivan, Bob, 1968- (Author).

Summary:

Fees for ATM transactions. Cell phone contracts you can't get out of with a crowbar. Big bucks for insurance you don't need on a rental car or for supposedly "free" wireless internet. Every day we use banks, cell phones, and credit cards. Every day we book hotels and airline tickets. And every day we get ripped off. You didn't fill up that rental car with gas? Gotcha! Gas costs $7 a gallon here. You're one day late on that electric bill? Gotcha! All your credit cards now have a 29.99% interest rate. MSNBC columnist Bob Sullivan exposes the ways we're all cheated by big business, and teaches us how to get our money back--proven strategies that can help you save more than $1,000 a year.--From publisher description.

Record details

ISBN: 9780345496133
ISBN: 0345496132
Physical Description: xiv, 345 pages ; 21 cm
Publisher: New York : Ballantine Books, [2007]
Copyright: ©2007

Content descriptions

Formatted Contents Note:

1 World of Gotcha Capitalism -- 1 Shrouding, Reverse Competition, and Other Corporate Tricks That Attack the American Way of Life 3 -- 2 Sneaky Fees in Everything -- 1 Credit Cards 39 -- 2 Banks 57 -- 3 Retirement/401(k)s 73 -- 4 Mortgages and Rentals 84 -- 5 Cell Phones 100 -- 6 Home Phones 115 -- 7 Pay TV 128 -- 8 Internet Access 144 -- 9 Travel 156 -- 10 Groceries 169 -- 11 Gift Cards 178 -- 12 Rebates 184 -- 13 Student Loans 191 -- 14 Sneaky Fees Everywhere 205 -- 3 Toolkit -- 1 Customer-Service Calls 221 -- 2 Sample Letters That Work 236 -- 3 Legal Options 256 -- 4 Sneaky-Fee Survey 278 -- Gotcha Glossary 303 -- Looking for Help? Consumer Advocacy Groups 307 -- Sample Troubleshooting Worksheet 311.