T-Mobile charging for a bill

[Kevin]

If you're costing them more money than most other customers, why shouldn't you have to pay for the additional service? Receiving a paper bill now is not the only way or even arguably not the best way for you to receive a fair notification of the services you have used.

Obviously it costs for the company to send you a paper bill and deal with your paper check when it comes in the mail... so I guess the question is why does anyone think all of that should be free when a much easier and cheaper way (for both parties) is readily available?

[RaggedyAnn]

Originally Posted by Kevin

If you're costing them more money than most other customers, why shouldn't you have to pay for the additional service? Receiving a paper bill now is not the only way or even arguably not the best way for you to receive a fair notification of the services you have used.

Obviously it costs for the company to send you a paper bill and deal with your paper check when it comes in the mail... so I guess the question is why does anyone think all of that should be free when a much easier and cheaper way (for both parties) is readily available?

The cost isn't the point. They are already charging me for the service and if they want their money, I should be able to choose how I pay and not have to pay extra.

The things they aren't considering are some companies require a paper bill for reimbursement and the internet is expensive. I didn't sign up for the contract with the obligation to have internet to pay my bills. I'm just not comfortable with that yet. Also, if I didn't have the internet, it would be a twenty minute drive for me, since my town doesn't have a library. I have to pay to park to go to a T-Mobile store. And, it costs them loads of money to keep their website up and running-everything from air conditioning for their server room up to someone working 24/7 to make sure the system doesn't crash. This is all about accounting.

As far as being green, Andy and I are down to less than a trash bag a week and one bin of green and one bin of blue. If my town recycled more than 1 and 2 plastics, I'd recycle more. I'm conscious about buying products with too much packaging, have all catalogs canceled, only get the weekend paper and have myself on the list not to get junk mail. I'm even considering getting a worm farm...but I like my paper bills.

I guess I don't consider a bill a service.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by RaggedyAnn

The cost isn't the point. They are already charging me for the service and if they want their money, I should be able to choose how I pay and not have to pay extra.

I'm not being flippant here: Why should you be able to choose how you pay and not have to pay extra depending on how you pay? All kinds of service providers do that all the time -- require you to pay extra if you use a check or (especially) a credit card (or give you a discount if you pay cash). Almost every company I deal with charges extra if you pay from your checking account by phone -- there is an extra cost to the company that gets passed along to the customer.

If you don't like it, you take your business elsewhere.

Meanwhile, I'm with Munchkin -- the only paper bills I receive now are from the companies that don't give me the option of e-bills. If I need a paper copy, I can always print it off.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I'm not being flippant here: Why should you be able to choose how you pay and not have to pay extra depending on how you pay? All kinds of service providers do that all the time -- require you to pay extra if you use a check or (especially) a credit card (or give you a discount if you pay cash). Almost every company I deal with charges extra if you pay from your checking account by phone -- there is an extra cost to the company that gets passed along to the customer.

If you don't like it, you take your business elsewhere.

Meanwhile, I'm with Munchkin -- the only paper bills I receive now are from the companies that don't give me the option of e-bills. If I need a paper copy, I can always print it off.

Plus, companies really don't owe us that option as consumers. As a consumer, if you want to protest, you can take your business elsewhere (especially with something like a cell phone plan).

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Obviously it costs for the company to send you a paper bill and deal with your paper check when it comes in the mail... so I guess the question is why does anyone think all of that should be free when a much easier and cheaper way (for both parties) is readily available?

As RA said, it is NOT easier or cheaper for the recipient if they don't have the Internet. I personally am not at all comfortable with paying my bills online - and that's on my home computer, let alone the people who are forced to do it on library etc computers - and would dump any company that forced me to do so.

[KSigkid]

I really don't care about the environmental aspect (I don't care too much about environmental issues), but I don't see the big deal in this. My bank has done something like this for a while, same story with my credit card (i.e. charging a rate if you pay your bill or do your banking in a certain way). I just think it's going to have to be something people take into account when they sign up for the service, or when they decide whether to continue a service.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

I really don't care about the environmental aspect (I don't care too much about environmental issues), but I don't see the big deal in this. My bank has done something like this for a while, same story with my credit card (i.e. charging a rate if you pay your bill or do your banking in a certain way). I just think it's going to have to be something people take into account when they sign up for the service, or when they decide whether to continue a service.

Yeah, I don't see the big deal in this either, but I am pretty concerned with environmental issues. If you feel uncomfortable paying online, there's always the option of going to T-Mobile to pay it, paying the $1.50, or paying by phone. I'm sure they will make concessions for senior citizens or disabled persons on a case-by-case basis.

I don't receive paper bills for anything these days. My rent is automatically deducted from my bank account, and I do virtually all of my banking and bill-paying online. Part of it's my little way of reducing my carbon footprint, and part of it is just wanting to avoid all the paper. Ewww.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Yeah, I don't see the big deal in this either, but I am pretty concerned with environmental issues. If you feel uncomfortable paying online, there's always the option of going to T-Mobile to pay it, paying the $1.50, or paying by phone. I'm sure they will make concessions for senior citizens or disabled persons on a case-by-case basis.

I don't receive paper bills for anything these days. My rent is automatically deducted from my bank account, and I do virtually all of my banking and bill-paying online. Part of it's my little way of reducing my carbon footprint, and part of it is just wanting to avoid all the paper. Ewww.

I've started to get more into the online bill-paying as well. It's nice to get the confirmations sent to my email, and it makes for easy transitioning to my budgeting (which I do on Excel anyway). Plus, it gives my shredder a bit of a break.

Even my law school has stopped sending paper bills and is doing only e-billing.