A NATIONWIDE HUNT FOR 'BILL SHOCK'

Here's a new Beltway term you should get used to hearing -- "bill shock." You've heard about cell phone users who suddenly find themselves burdened by a $5,000 or $10,000 bill for a single month, rung up by a hyper-texting child or excessive Internet downloads. This week, the Federal Communications Commission very sensibly recommended that wireless carriers be forced to send a mid-month text message warning to any customer who suddenly rings up enormous charges.

That's one small victory for consumers, but the giant leap is still to come.

Red Tape Chronicles readers know a thing or two about "bill shock." Crazy cable bills, outrageous hotel fees, unfair overdraft charges -- American consumers are under siege at historic levels. A nagging recession and high unemployment levels make examination of scams and unfair fees even more critical.

So after four years, 400 blog posts, 2 books, and 120,000 comments, Red Tape is taking to the road. Starting today, I'll be visiting a dozen cities on a 15-day fee-fighting journey. My dog Lucky will be with me, helping me sniff out scams from Washington D.C. to Seattle. He's already helped -- you should see the fees some hotels charge when you are traveling with a dog! (In Pittsburgh, $25 a night extra was standard, but the Shadyside Inn wanted to charge me $90! The Red Roof Inn I'm staying at is charging less than that for both of us).

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