Quote:
Originally Posted by ValKehl
Not so everywhere yet. I just received my VA driver's license renewal form - the license renewal fee is:
- $35 if done in person at the local DMV office.
- $32 if done via mail.
- $31 if done online.
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This makes most sense in that on line payment requires so many fewer man hours than processing in person or mailed payments. That said, SF charges some nice convenience fees to pay parking tickets on line.
Seems fees are becoming a pretty important source of revenue for a lot of entities... United Airlines is one of the biggest violators.
BELOW RANT FOR THOSE WHO FLY REGULARLY
I'm gonna ramble because I fly a lot for work. I expect others who do will know where I'm coming from.. and those who don't, please feel free to ignore me. Anyway, I typically use SW (AirTran too) or Alaska, both of which are great. United on the other hand is a total joke. At the automated SW kiosk there are maybe 2-3 steps for check in, none of which involve fees. United on the other hand has about 8 steps, all but maybe two (enter your confirmation # and print your boarding pass) involving fees. They go something like this---- "are you checking a bag for $40?", "do you want more leg room for $40", "do you want to sit in an elite (forward) area $40?", "do you want upgrade to window or aisle for $40?", "do you want to upgrade your boarding group for only $40?". Once on the flight, the TV screen is running a continual commercial trying to get you to swipe your card to watch TV. On a flight last week, I tried throughout the flight to turn the screen off, but could not.
At SFO, United also has a little contracted baggage policeman at their TSA security gate (this security gate only goes to United gates) who flags people down for having an extra hand bag, or if their bag looks too big. Anyone they grab is gonna get stuck having to go back, stand in line, check a bag and pay because almost no one's bag really fits in that little baggage size checker/thingo (I'd guess that fewer than 1/2 the carry on bags actually fit that thing, yet almost ALL will fit in the overhead once on the plane). ALL other airlines at SFO do not have this person at the security screening station, they just do what they're supposed to do--- screen/X-ray your bags. I'm certain United only stations this person there in order to augment revenue via bag fees.
Back to cards
I posted similar in another thread and totally agree with earlier comments about PSA (or other TPG) graders potentially being tempted to collude amongst themselves (or a lone person acting with outside people) to upgrade 9s to 10s, sell them and split the hundreds of thousands' profit.