What to do if you're unsure about added COVID-19 fee

Although a vaccine for COVID-19 is on the way, people will be seeing extra fees associated with the pandemic for a while.

Since businesses have found ways to remain open during the pandemic, many are adding fees because of the expense of extra cleaning and sanitizing.

SEE RELATED STORY: Businesses now adding surcharges to cover COVID-19 costs

Companies are allowed to add the charges, and consumers really don't have an option to avoid paying them.

For the most part, the fees relatively range from $10 to $20.

Most businesses are up front and warn of the added costs, but experts at the Houston Better Business Bureau said to speak up if you're unsure about a charge. If a charge seems excessive, you can report it the BBB and the Texas Attorney General's Office.

"Talk to the manager to see exactly what their side of the story is, and if you are not satisfied with that, you can always file a complaint with entities like the Better Business Bureau. See if you can get resolution that way if you feel it was not applied fairly or if the business was not being transparent with you," said Leah Napoliello with the BBB.

Experts expect these additional charges to disappear once the virus has slowed and a vaccine is made accessible. They predict consumers will be see the last of them by summer of 2021.

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