President Joe Biden said Thursday that removing the so-called “junk fee”, or hidden fees, which take customers by surprise, is a “consumer victory”, in a meeting with executives from Live Nation, Airbnb and other companies at the White House.
Biden listed tackling undisclosed fees as a priority in his State of the Union address and has called for ending them through laws, regulations and private sector action.
At Thursday’s event, Biden highlighted steps some companies are taking to eliminate those fees, which customers only find out about when they have to pay them.
This consumer defense campaign is part of his message to voters, ahead of his aspiration to a second term in 2024, that the government can help improve their lives.
LiveNationthe Beverly Hills, California-based company that hosts concerts and other live events, announced at the White House that starting in September it will disclose to customers the full purchase price of tickets with all fees included for the places you own, and ticket master will give customers the option to see the total prices of all live shows on its platform. New York-based SeatGeek will make it easy to find tickets with their full price.
The hosting company Airbnbbased in San Francisco, introduced full prices in December, when Biden called on companies to stop hiding fees.
“These are just the most recent leading private sector companies answering my call to action.Biden said, noting that hidden fees “can add hundreds of dollars a month and make it difficult for families to pay their bills”.
“I urge your competitors to follow suit and adopt the practice of full price,” Biden said. “These measures are important, and they inspire companies to change their practices.”
“President Biden has sought to reduce costs for working families by lowering inflation, capping insulin prices for seniors, and eliminating hidden fees.”, said the director of the National Economic Council, Lael Brainard, in a statement. “More businesses heed the president’s call to let Americans know up front what they’re paying so they can save money”.
Source: AP
Source: Gestion
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