I cannot for the life me understand why the FAA doesn't regulate this in some way. There's a DPE that came into to do a checkride for a guy today and from last week raised his price $200 freggin dollars. He 'normally' charges $500 but since he had to drive 40 minutes to get to the airport, he charges $200 more (he lives on a private strip that's only a skip away by plane - he 'only' charges $100 if he can fly over...how nice of him). No, I'm not kidding. $700 f'ing dollars for a checkride. The student (a commerical candidate) was told $500 and went and got the owner of the school who came in and said WTF? He's like, yeah I raised them a few weeks ago... She was like, um, you can't just raise your prices and then come in here and tell students that we've already scheduled with you and told them $500 that it's $200 more now.
Sadly, the dude's an old grumpy a-hole to boot. I don't know how you can be grumpy making $1400 a day pointing at sectionals and asking what this or that is and sitting in an airplane telling someone to do a steep turn or a soft field landing.
What a damn racket. And the FAA wonders what's happening to GA?
The DPE I'm using for my PPL charges $400 and is booked 2 a day for the next 3 weeks straight. All cash. Good gig if you can get it. One of the Partners in my plane is a retired SWA captain and inquired with the head of the FAA here in Texas about becoming a DPE...he was told that we have plenty. That's why it's taking me a month to get on someone's schedule and I have to fly 40 minutes to get there.
Gotta love the government...