Appearing in WBUR Boston on September 2, 2025, Shennan Kavanagh, director of litigation at the National Consumer Law Center, talks to Hanna Ali and Nik DeCosta-Klipa about how, starting today, businesses in Massachusetts must display the total price of certain goods and services before customers reach checkout, thanks to new state regulations against hidden costs known as “junk fees.”
What’s wrong with junk fees? The hidden charges can trap consumers into paying for costs they haven’t budgeted for and can’t contest. “They might not have the ability [or] time necessary to work their way through these transactions. And even if the buyer can afford the fees, “when there are hidden fees, that prevents the consumer from being able to comparison shop.”
Shennan Kavanagh, director of litigation at the National Consumer Law Center.
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