And now, the fees you hate

	BOILING POINT  Hundreds of you had stories to share about excessive fees.

We asked. You answered. In July, I wrote about obnoxious fees we at Consumers Union hate and asked you to tell us about fees that annoy you. We heard some doozies, and we share your indignation.

For example, one reader has to pay $2 a month if he doesn't use his phone company's long-distance service. "I'm afraid if I go completely wireless for my phone service, they'll charge me for not having a phone," he wrote.

A reader who booked a $128.40 ticket through a travel site and later needed to cancel was allowed a credit. But when he rebooks, he'll be slapped with a $35 fee for the travel site and a $100 fee for the airline. Yes, he'll owe $6.60 for no ticket at all. "How sweet that is!" he said. "I actually have to pay an additional $6.60 for a ticket that they sold to another passenger."

An insurance company started charging an extra $500 for a reader's screened enclosure that had been previously covered. The new bill also included a $150 fee for the change in coverage.

Among the hundreds of you who wrote to Consumer Reports, some of you complained about ... Consumer Reports. You asked why you have to pay for our Web site if you already pay for the magazine. A fair question. Here's the answer:

What you don't get. Advertising. Our online service is created by dozens of writers, editors, designers, and programmers, and is housed on multiple servers, all of which is funded by subscriptions, not ads. You won't see pop-ups, pop-unders, banners, sidebars, or, even more annoying, ads that sing and dance. We couldn't truly be independent if for-profit companies paid the bills.

What you do get. An up-to-date, 24/7 way to find out what to buy and why, customizable to your specific needs. As a complement to our expert Ratings, subscribers can write their own reviews of TVs, cars, and other products. Your take adds valuable insight into how well products perform in the real world, helping us and other readers.

Some 675,000 of you subscribe to the magazine and the Web site, recognizing that each serves different needs. No matter which of our publications you read, we aim to provide the advice you need in the format you need it.