Most ridiculous 'add-on' you've ever had to pay?

MSE_Laura_F

What is the most ridiculous add-on you've been made to pay when buying goods or services?

Did a gifted experience voucher come with a particularly steep service charge?

Did an airline's mandatory extra charges really take the biscuit?

I'd love to hear any and all examples. Thanks.

Mnoee

Excessive print at home/mobile ticket fees. Ticketmaster wanted £6.60 in fees for two tickets to a comedy show (£24 total, so over 25% extra), but I was smart enough to check the venue website too - they had face value tickets and a voluntary donation. 

pulliptears

The Star Wars Celebration event in London in April would like you to pay £9.99 to have your £269.99 (plus booking fees)  photo opportunity with a celebrity emailed to you in JPG format.
I laughed.
I wont be partaking.

Admiral_Barbarossa

My barber asking if I wanted something for the weekend. She’s still here!

goater78

Not an add on as such but when booking some hotels recently (decent 4 star ones) in the room facilities included they have listed “toilet paper”. It seems strange this is being called out as if it’s an added feature you are lucky to receive. 

Murphybear

goater78 said:

Not an add on as such but when booking some hotels recently (decent 4 star ones) in the room facilities included they have listed “toilet paper”. It seems strange this is being called out as if it’s an added feature you are lucky to receive. 

I have noticed that on some holiday cottage sites.  I can understand you need to know whether you are getting a dishwasher etc or how many bedrooms the property has but toilet paper?  It’s a bit like saying they have “light bulbs” 

pinkladyvenus

I booked a Haven holiday for £49 and got an email saying if we paid an additional £30 could choose our caravan.

Grumpy_chap

goater78 said:

Not an add on as such but when booking some hotels recently (decent 4 star ones) in the room facilities included they have listed “toilet paper”. It seems strange this is being called out as if it’s an added feature you are lucky to receive. 

Well, perhaps they like to be clear, especially post-COVID.

We stayed away for a couple of weeks during the EOHO-era and the hotel had made some changes "because of COVID" - these included no cleaning service mid-stay.  That meant no toilet roll replenishment, as confirmed when we had to ask at the front desk.  We ended up visiting the supermarket to buy a pack of toilet rolls.  

Mind you, that hotel was rather odd as the bed was extra - I wrote a thread on it at the time:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6176099/room-only/p1

daveyjp

pinkladyvenus said:

I booked a Haven holiday for £49 and got an email saying if we paid an additional £30 could choose our caravan.

Having once stayed at a Haven on a mini ruby players tour I'd have happily paid £300 not to stay in the absolute shed we were allocated.

170534

daveyjp said:

pinkladyvenus said:

I booked a Haven holiday for £49 and got an email saying if we paid an additional £30 could choose our caravan.

Having once stayed at a Haven on a mini ruby players tour I'd have happily paid £300 not to stay in the absolute shed we were allocated.

Yep been there done that, connected the gas bottle and plumbed the loo in, so caravan could be used...and i had one of the good caravans!!

turnitround

pinkladyvenus said:

I booked a Haven holiday for £49 and got an email saying if we paid an additional £30 could choose our caravan.

Ive been on 6 short breaks with Haven in the last 2 years and never had a bad caravan yet.

I still have a couple of breaks booked with them. I never 'choose' my caravan and leave it to luck. Last time I was right on the sea front. Had I booked that spot in advance it would have cost me over 4 times what the break did.

Im just waiting to see what happens this next time as they now have a new con. You can pay to choose your booking in time. Its £20. 

Im not paying but it will be interesting to see what happens if they give me a morning booking in time as I am 6 hours travel away from the site and wont be there before mid/late afternoon.