Gotcha Capitalism: How Hidden Fees Rip You Off Every Day-and What You Can Do About It

Bob Sullivan

Random House Publishing Group, Jan 22, 2008 - Business & Economics - 368 pages

What is Gotcha Capitalism?

Coughing up $4 fees for ATM transactions. Iron-clad cell phone contracts you can’t get out of with a crowbar. Paying big bucks for insurance you don’t need on a rental car or forking over $20 a day 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.
How? Here are just a few examples of how big business can get you:

• You didn’t fill up the rental car with gas?
Gotcha! Gas costs $7 a gallon here.
• Your bank balance fell to $999.99 for one day?
Gotcha! That’ll be $12.
• You miss one payment on that 18-month same-as-cash loan?
Gotcha! That’ll be $512 extra.
• You’re one day late on that electric bill?
Gotcha! All your credit cards now have a 29.99% interest rate.

But not for much longer. In Gotcha Capitalism, MSNBC.com’s “Red Tape Chronicles” 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 the Trade Paperback edition.

What people are saying

User Review -

A book for idiots, for the most part. Way too much attack on businesses trying to make a profit. Remember, it's never about how much profit, but the profit margin.
Most businesses have add-ons because this country is full of people who wants to pay very little for all the entitlements. To adapt, businesses make a profit on add-ons, fees, and wouldn't otherwise survive on base fees/charges which either has a real thin or no margin whatsoever.
Half of the time, articles complains and whines over outrageous taxes and fees on top of what the businesses charge, which are all mandated by federal, state, county, city and local governments. I thought maybe the author could spend some time talking about runaway big governments?!  

Mandatory Reading

User Review  - kjochafr - Overstock.com

This book should be read by every American consumer for their economic survival.

Contents

• Credit Cards: 39
• Banks: 57
• Retirement401ks: 73
• Mortgages and Rentals: 84
• Cell Phones: 100
• Home Phones: 115
• Pay TV: 128
• Internet Access: 144
• Travel: 156
• Toolkit: 218
• Conclusion: 289
• Gotcha Glossary: 303
• Sample Troubleshooting Worksheet: 313
• Acknowledgments: 341

About the author

BOB SULLIVAN is a senior writer at MSNBC.com who has concentrated on high-tech crime and consumer fraud. He is the nation's leading journalist covering identity theft, having written more than 100 articles on the subject since 1996. His work has been read by millions of Internet users, and reproduced in various outlets, including MSN.com, the Wall Street Journal Online, and ZDNet.com. Sullivan also makes regular television appearances on MSNBC, CNBC, NBC Nightly News, NBC's Today show, and various local NBC affiliates. He is the winner of the prestigious 2002 Society of Professional Journalists Public Service Award for his series of articles on online fraud. He has spoken before trade and government groups including the National Association of Attorneys General. He lives in Maltby, Washington, with his golden retriever, Lucky.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Gotcha Capitalism: How Hidden Fees Rip You Off Every Day-and What You Can Do About It
• Author: Bob Sullivan
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, 2008
• ISBN: 0345504887, 9780345504883
• Length: 368 pages
• Subjects: Business & Economics / Personal Finance / Budgeting; Reference / Personal & Practical Guides; Self-Help / Self-Management / General