California’s New Ban on ‘Hidden Fees’ to Take Effect July 1

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KQED

News Commentary, News, Politics

4.2 • 727 Ratings

🗓️ 20 June 2024

⏱️ 56 minutes

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Summary

There are two new laws in California set to eliminate hidden fees, taking effect next month. In a statement released by the attorney general’s office, the purpose of the “Honest Pricing Law” is to ensure that “the price a Californian sees should be the price they pay.” While the laws are aimed at protecting consumers from unexpected charges on purchases like concert tickets and hotel reservations, many restaurant owners are concerned. They fear they may be forced to raise prices, potentially driving away customers. A third bill is swiftly moving through the Capitol with hopes of exempting restaurants from these regulations. We look into the details of these laws and their potential impact on you. Have hidden fees affected you? Guests: Lauren Saria, deputy food editor; The San Francisco Standard Dan Walters, columnist; CalMatters Bill Dodd, California state senator, district 3; which includes Napa County and parts of Sonoma county Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:00.0	Support for Forum comes from Rancho La Puerta, a wellness resort in Baja, California, just an hour from San Diego,
0:07.4	recently voted the number one destination spa by readers of travel and leisure magazine.
0:12.8	Summer retreat packages of three, four, or seven nights including hiking, water classes, mindfulness,
0:19.9	spa therapies, and culinary adventures with
0:22.8	farm-fresh ingredients. Learn more at Rancho LaPuerta.com.
0:27.3	Switch to Comcast Business Mobile and save hundreds a year in your wireless bill.
0:31.4	Comcast Business, powering possibilities.
0:33.9	Restrictions apply. Comcast Business Internet required.
0:36.0	Compar as two unlimited intro lines and lowest price 5D plans of top three carriers. Tax on fees extra, reduce speeds after 30 gigabytes of usage. Data thresholds may vary. From KQED in San Francisco, I'm Rachel Myro and for Mina Kim.
1:05.0	Coming up on form, have you noticed figuring out the actual total price of a rental car or basketball tickets can leave you
1:13.1	feeling ripped off, reeled in by a false promise at the start of the transaction that disappears
1:19.6	under a pile of extra charges hidden from you until you're just about to hit the buy button.
1:25.6	A couple of new laws set to go into effect July 1st would make it illegal for businesses in
1:31.5	California to tack on so-called junk fees at the end of a sales process.
1:36.6	Could it possibly be this easy to end retail sticker shock?
1:40.7	Before you whip out another credit card, this is an hour of form you need to hear.
1:48.2	This is Forum. I'm Rachel Myro in for Mina Kim. A couple of laws coming into effect July 1st
1:55.0	are supposed to ensure the price a Californian sees should be the price they pay. At least according to the state's Attorney
2:02.4	General's office, the laws are intended to deliver retail clarity to consumers facing
2:08.1	sticker shock from junk fees when paying for everything from concert tickets to hotel
2:13.0	reservations. That said, the state's restaurant industry is lobbying for an 11th hour exemption. It looks to set, it looks set to get in the next few days. They warned top lawmakers the honest pricing law could force them to raise prices. Really? Will other industries raise prices to? This hour, we're looking at what's coming for consumers in California.
2:37.5	And we've got a number of great rock'em-sock-com guests to go over this material with.
	...

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