Did you know . . . One in four travelers say they’ve had a dispute over a hotel minibar charge, according to a recent study conducted by TripAdvisor.com.

I was clueless on the fact that many hotels are using automatic motion and weight sensors that register your purchase.  Just simply moving the items in the refrigerator around to make room for your snacks or take out food can register that you have purchased something.  It seems to me that these special refrigerators would cost more than they’re worth, but that just shows how much hotels are making off of this stuff.

You know those little bottles of water in your room that look like they’re set out for your drinking enjoyment?  They may not be free either.  I stayed at a hotel and saw some little bottles of water.  It seemed a little fishy to me, so I checked to see if there was a fee.

Here are some tips from TripAdvisor on how to avoid minibar mistakes:

Know the rules.  As a said before, just because it’s sitting out doesn’t mean it’s free.  When in doubt, call the front desk and ask.

Take an inventory of your hotel refrigerator.  To make it a bit easier, just take some pictures with your cell phone or camera.

Bring along your own snacks.  You know after a long day site seeing or sitting in meetings, those munchies may strike.  Have some snacks on hand to avoid paying for the $5 bag of chips.

Steer clear of the minibar entirely.  Sometimes people like to just peek inside to see what they have.  If your hotel offers you a key, decline it.

Thrifty Mommy tip:  Always check your bill before leaving the hotel.  Check for phone charges, minibar charges, or anything out of the ordinary.  Don’t be afraid to challenge the bill.

Have you had any problems with minibar charges?

Picture from about.com.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

What? 

I remember years ago when I had a land line, the companies were trying to charge me an $8 a month long distance fee for their service, even though I wasn’t making any long distance calls through them.  (I was using a 10-10 number through a separate company.)

Then AT&T got really sneaky and switched me over to them as my long distance carrier WITHOUT my permission and charged me a monthly fee.  After a bit of time on the phone with them, I finally had to put a long distance block on my phone so that no one could switch me without my written consent.  I think they thought people wouldn’t notice, they’d think it was ok, or they weren’t willing to fight about it.  Not me!

Now they’re charging NOT to have long distance!?!?!

The Verizon fee is a couple dollars a month, but AT&T has been charging people $3-5 dollars a month not to use long distance.  Needless to say, this charge comes from them losing long distance power with people now using cell phones, calling cards, or internet/phone companies to make long distance calls.

My hubby and I had our land line disconnected about 3 years ago.  We didn’t use it much and it seemed that most of the calls we were getting were irrelevant.  Since then, we haven’t had any telemarketers call us.  It’s wonderful! 

If you have a land line, you should check your phone bill for unnecessary charges.  If you have older parents, you should check their bills as well.  You can also try to enroll them in Lifeline, a more affordable tariff-rated service that seniors can get.  Also be aware that if your parents have been in same residence since the early ’80s, they may be paying a lease for telephones they had back then. Those fees could cumulatively amount to thousands of dollars. 

Thanks to Clark Howard for the tips.

Do you still have a land line?  Have you broken free?

Post from: Thrifty Mommy