[78-L] Convenience fees

[Steven C. Barr]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "D P Ingram" <darren at ingram.fi>
>I see one major auctioneer has started adding a "convenience fee" now  
> for all card payments on their auctions at short notice. Personally  
> I'm not happy paying another 4% on top (and I get stung by Customs for  
> that..).. These 4%s add up when you are buying a lot.  The letter  
> announcing the changes was rather "wrong" in my personal opinion: but  
> that could be a style and cultural difference I accept.
> I thought such fees were against various merchant agreements as well  
> as several U.S. state laws. ISTR was was illegal in the European Union  
> as well (but that's not an issue here).
> I wonder if other auctioneers and outlets will now follow the trend,  
> or make themselves more visible as "non followers".
> 
Be thankful (so far) they have yet to add the "buyer's premium" which
is, sadly, now standard practice in virtually all auctions..!  Understand
that the whole point of "business" in a "free market" economy is to
separate the sucke...er, customer...from the maximum possible amount
of his/her/its cash money (without the use of a loaded firearm...?!).

FEH!!

...stevenc