Surprise bills

About 100 New York Kozmo-users who have accounts with the web-based service that guarantees delivery of entertainment and convenience items in under an hour were mysteriously charged random fees during the week between Christmas and New Years. "I was charged $57 on Dec. 26. And $77 on the the 29th. And I haven_t used Kozmo in weeks," said Michael Auerbach, a New York-based Kozmo customer who said he knew of two others in his office who were also bogusly billed. A spokeswoman for Kozmo said the random fees were a mistake. Alison Blume said the site sent out e-mails to customers who received false charges and also sent the overbilled New Yorkers 5,000 Kozmo points -- valued at $50 -- to remedy the situation. Founded in 1997 by ex-Wall Streeter Joseph Parks, Kozmo.com has since received a $28 million first round of funding and has expanded it_s delivery service to Seattle, Boston, San Francisco, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. The company has plans to add 30 new locations to the roster by the end of 2000.