Fees: eight we hate.(Have You Heard?)(Editorial)

Remember Mr. Whipple? It was bad enough that he whined when shoppers squeezed the Charmin. Now picture him overcharging for the toilet paper and slapping on a fee for restocking the shelves.

That's what some hotels are doing with their already overpriced minibars (see "Hotels: Best rooms, best rates," on page 12). You're used to paying outrageous prices for your bag of 15 peanuts; now get ready to pay $2.50 more to have hotel staff replace them. Which got me to wondering what other absurd and offensive fees consumers are paying. I asked experts around the office. A finance reporter replied, "Where to start?"

You'd think that all the automation in banking would make it an easy place to save a few dollars, but banks are among the worst nickel-and-dimers:

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* A paper statement can cost you $2 a month; you could pay $3 to see your checks or a copy of your checks. But going electronic isn't always a bargain; some banks charge you $6 a month for access to your statement through a money-management program such as Quicken.

* Too little money sitting in your account? That's $25, please, and more if you bounce a check. And just because the bank approves a debit-card purchase doesn't mean it won't slap on an overdraft fee if the purchase sends your account into the red. The Center for Responsible Lending reported that the median fee for such transgressions is $34. The median purchase that triggered that ...