concealed charge

[kən-ˈsēld ˈchärj]
nounpl: concealed charges
taxa oculta
1. A fee, cost, or expense that is hidden from the customer and not clearly disclosed in the initial price or terms of a transaction
The airline added a concealed charge to the ticket price that only appeared at checkout.
A companhia aérea adicionou uma taxa oculta ao preço da passagem que só aparecia no checkout.
2. In legal context, a lien or claim on property that is not immediately visible or obvious to potential buyers or creditors
The property had a concealed charge registered against it that affected its sale.
A propriedade tinha uma hipoteca oculta registrada contra ela que afetou sua venda.
In Brazil, concealed charges are a significant consumer protection concern, with PROCON (Fundação de Proteção e Defesa do Consumidor) actively monitoring and penalizing companies that engage in this practice. In the USA, similar protections exist through the FTC and various state consumer protection laws. This term is frequently used in discussions about airline fees, subscription services, and e-commerce practices.
NYC Slang
sneaky charge, gotcha fee, fine print fee
Synonyms / Sinônimos
hidden chargehidden feeundisclosed chargeobscured feeimplicit charge
Antonyms / Antônimos
transparent chargedisclosed chargevisible feeexplicit charge

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
taxa oculta
Standard term used in consumer protection and financial contexts
São Paulo
cobrança oculta
Alternative usage more common in commercial and legal documents
Rio de Janeiro
taxa escondida
Colloquial variation more frequently used in informal speech
Portugal
encargo oculto
Portuguese usage, more formal legal terminology

Related Words

hidden feeliensurchargeundisclosed costfine printtransparencyconsumer protection

Related Idioms & Phrases

read the fine print
hidden costs
catch in the fine print
what you see is not what you get
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