This was interesting today as I went to a store and the person I was with saw this coffee machine for about $7. It was definitely a very cheap deal. When it came to actually buying the item though it appeared that he had to pay $2 for an environmental fee. What was funny was that cashiers were telling previous customers that they were going to be charged that fee but this time they didn’t. So it was definitely a surprise and he felt ripped off when you see the cost of the fee in relation to how much the item was.
That’s not something I would be inclined to ask initially though as it’s still a relatively new type of recycling fee. Though for big purchases I usually do ask. I suppose it’s just when things are too cheap you don’t think that there could be any kind of substantial fee to justify your time in asking. But like in this case though it was sure a hefty fee to the point where he mentioned he probably wouldn’t have bought it.