America's Biggest Rip-offs

[OnePimpTiger]

America's Biggest Rip-offs

Text messages - 6,500% markup

Movie theater popcorn - 900% markup

'Free' credit reports that'll cost you -

$179 a year at Freecreditreport.com...Instead you can go to AnnualCreditReport.com, which is run by the Federal Trade Commission, and get a truly free report once a year from each of the credit agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

Name-brand painkillers - 160% markup

Wine at restaurants - 500% markup

College textbooks - $900 a year!

Super gasoline - 15% markup

Hotel mini-bars - 1,300% markup

Hotel in-room movies - 200% markup


I'm happy to say I don't take part in any of those. I did the college textbooks when I was there and I used to buy Aleve a lot, but currently I'm not getting ripped off by any of these! Yay!

[garnett_21]

Not surprised on any of them...one thing I am surprised on is that fast food isn't on there...or fountain drinks at restaurants/gas stations...they cost no more than $.25 for a glass + soda, yet they charge a bare minimum of $1...that's a 400% markup right there.

[Joneser]

coffee shops are another big one

[Star_Cards]

every once in a while will I get movie popcorn, but usually try to stay away from the concession stand.

text messaging is the only thing on that list that I regularly use and I have unlimited for $10 a month extra. I've always wondered if and when will unlimited text messages become just part of your normal monthly cost. They make a ton of cash on them, but long distance and roaming used to be a big part of cell bills and they went away. I'm not sure they will, but you never know. I'm not sure what the % markup on text books is, but I will say that they are expensive to produce.

[JeRmZ]

I don't get the text messages one, I also pay $10 a month for unlimited text messages and trust me .. I use them .. hahaha! My last bill I had 2500 text messages sent between myself and the wife and another 2100 received so that's over 4000 messages for $10 bucks.

as for the others well ...

I don't go to the movie theaters
I pull my credit reports through my local credit union I bank with
I buy tylenol and advil and such in bulk wholesale and share with the family
don't drink wine, it gives me a headache
never bought college textbooks but I do know they are expensive
don't travel to often and when I do I stay at all-inclusive places
never ordered an "in-room" movie either.

[OnePimpTiger]

The text messaging they're calculating for people who don't have an unlimited plan. My wife and I don't have a text plan and they're $.20 each. I gladly don't use them, but my wife doesn't seem to get the point. Still, she's only at like 20 a month, not thousands like some of you freaks!

[JeRmZ]

ok yeah I could see that, if you don't have a plan then it is most definitely a rip off.

I work in a call center and spend 8+ hours a day on the phone so it's easier for me to use text messages to contact people, since the last thing I want to do is talk on the phone any more!

[reggie_miller_fan]

i went to a movie theater with my wife i paid $17 for 2 nachoes w/ cheese, 1 large drink, and small box of m&m's, afterwords we went to a steakhouse had 2 steaks w/ 2 sides and 2 drinks..and unlimited peanuts for $22.00

[Titantron]

shouldnt 2009 UD SP Signature Football be 2nd on this list just under the economic "stimulus plan"?

[Star_Cards]

ok yeah I could see that, if you don't have a plan then it is most definitely a rip off.

I work in a call center and spend 8+ hours a day on the phone so it's easier for me to use text messages to contact people, since the last thing I want to do is talk on the phone any more!

yeah, I can't stand to talk on the phone typically. My mom is about the only person I talk to on the phone. texting is much better.