A CONSUMER expert has shared a warning to customers after a customer discovered an incorrect surcharge.
The customer said he noticed an extra 15% fee was added to his fast food purchase on his receipt.
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State officials in Hawaii have warned people to be aware of the possibility of surcharges and incorrect fees on their purchases.
Office of Consumer Affairs Executive Director Mana Moriarty shared her concern when she saw the receipt with the 15% fee, according to Fox affiliate KHON-TV.
Moriarty said this would have been inaccurate and the additional charge should not have been so high.
“This was done completely wrong,” the official said.
“There is no way this tax could have been properly disclosed.”
The official stated that taxes added in Hawaii cannot exceed a certain amount, which was significantly less than 15%.
“The current tax rate cannot exceed 4.712%,” Moriarty said.
Moriarty explained what customers need to look for on their bills to ensure they have been charged the correct amount.
“In some cases, it may even be lower, but the important thing to remember is that the maximum is 4.712%”, added the expert.
“These passed charges must be itemized on the transaction receipt you receive from the company.”
Hawaii does not charge a flat-rate sales tax.
Instead, the island state has a General Consumption Tax that can vary between companies, up to a maximum of 4.712%.
Therefore, a 15% surcharge would violate consumer protection laws, according to KHON-TV.
Another local retail expert, Victor Lim of the Hawaii Restaurant Association, said he was also shocked by the 15% surcharge.
This was done completely wrong.”
Mana Moriarty
“I was completely surprised because I have never seen anyone charge 15% tax here before,” Lim said.
ASTONISHED
The US Sun previously reported on other shock surcharges consumers have suffered.
A new law could make certain credit card fees more visible to customers.
Some states have banned in-store credit card fees unless retailers demonstrate the charge in a specific way.
Both the highest credit card total and the lowest cash total should be noted.
This means they must be written on a receipt, a menu and published as a clear cash discount.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
