Being charged for bills and statements

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
I noticed I have an added charge to my electric bill - for receiving a paper bill. This just started. When I called I was told that it costs money to prepare, print and mail the monthly statement and I should just print it out from the company's website. I said I don't have a printer. The reply - then you'll have to pay for a paper bill.

Similarly, my investment company notified me that to get my 1099 form, I'd have to go to their web site, open my account (or create one if I don't have one) and print it. A call informed me that they could send me a paper statement for a $5 fee.

Sheeesh....
 

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debodun said:
I noticed I have an added charge to my electric bill - for receiving a paper bill. This just started. When I called I was told that it costs money to prepare, print and mail the monthly statement
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You went to direct deposit
Sent an application for direct deposit | Senior Forums

Now take that leap forward and set up auto withdrawal

Like the old commercial 'You'll be glad you did'
 

Gary O' said:
You went to direct deposit
Sent an application for direct deposit | Senior Forums

Now take that leap forward and set up auto withdrawal

Like the old commercial 'You'll be glad you did'
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Or at least pay it online.I don`t do auto withdrawals after a friend paid their $140.00 electric bill and it was read as $1,400.00 instead.It took her weeks to get reimbursed,during which time the company kept trying to get her to just use it as a credit towards her future bills.....(n)
 
At least they're still sending them to you. I did my tax return on paper and mailed it in. Then I waited several months to receive the assessment (official summary), which I needed.

Finally I phoned. They said my assessment had been "available online" for months! Unbelievable.
 
What a difference. I get an email with the monthly electric bill amount. I use the bill pay feature of my checking account to pay it. Documentation for both if I want to print it. Back in the stone ages when checks were used keeping a record of each check was the way it was done.

Electronic works so well I efiled our 2022 taxes & expect our refund in about two weeks.
 
debodun said:
I noticed I have an added charge to my electric bill - for receiving a paper bill. This just started. When I called I was told that it costs money to prepare, print and mail the monthly statement and I should just print it out from the company's website. I said I don't have a printer. The reply - then you'll have to pay for a paper bill.

Similarly, my investment company notified me that to get my 1099 form, I'd have to go to their web site, open my account (or create one if I don't have one) and print it. A call informed me that they could send me a paper bill for a $5 fee.

Sheeesh....
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Can`t you just set up a direct debit, will get the account via email (If want to) so can see the charges, etc, no need to print it.
 
I've had all that stuff on 'auto pay' for many years. I don't get any bills or statements in the mail at all. If I want to see my electric bill I just go online and visit my account with our utility, in this case Southern California Edison. And the same is true with tax forms. Since we use Turbo Tax Premier, the stuff is just downloaded from our brokerage accounts into the tax program directly. Of course I can and typically do print out these forms to keep a year by year physical archive in case we are audited. The world is rapidly passing the day when we need paper records for pretty much anything. I can definitely see why they are charging you money for sending a paper statement or bill. Its a not so subtle message to customers, "Get with the program! And save trees bedsides! Otherwise we will ding you!"
 
debodun said:
I noticed I have an added charge to my electric bill - for receiving a paper bill. This just started. When I called I was told that it costs money to prepare, print and mail the monthly statement and I should just print it out from the company's website. I said I don't have a printer. The reply - then you'll have to pay for a paper bill.

Similarly, my investment company notified me that to get my 1099 form, I'd have to go to their web site, open my account (or create one if I don't have one) and print it. A call informed me that they could send me a paper bill for a $5 fee.

Sheeesh....
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At least you have the choice, so I wouldn't complain too much, after all this is 2023,

I've been paying extra for my bank statements for years, just because I prefer to get a hard copy in the mail. My cable TV company went to auto payments only, I set it up to take my monthly payments out of one of my credit cards. I've had no issues with that, and will get emails notifying me that my payment will soon be taken out, and an email thanking me for my payment.

It really is easier for all involved, even though I get what I can still by regular mail. When the time comes to pay those online via credit card, I will do it. These companies no longer want to bother with unnecessary paperwork and expenses, when they can get paid automatically.

These past couple of months my phone bill has been coming with no return envelope for payment, I have old unused envelopes I can use for this. My husband jokingly said they're sending a message, and they are. I'll make the change when I have to. Things are always changing whether we like it or not, best to go with the flow and not get upset by trying to fight the new technology. Personally, I do not use my bank account for these things, I find a credit card to be the wiser way to go. I do not have or have ever used debit cards.
 
Take some of the money you save from not paying for paper bills and such and buy a Brother Laser printer. They run about $100. Join the 21st century. I had to.
 
My wife likes to write out checks for the monthly bills, some still send statements through the mail, others I download and print for her. I see a time coming where we may need to go completely paperless, she's forgetting and misplacing more items that need taken care of.
 
debodun said:
I noticed I have an added charge to my electric bill - for receiving a paper bill. This just started. When I called I was told that it costs money to prepare, print and mail the monthly statement and I should just print it out from the company's website. I said I don't have a printer. The reply - then you'll have to pay for a paper bill.

Similarly, my investment company notified me that to get my 1099 form, I'd have to go to their web site, open my account (or create one if I don't have one) and print it. A call informed me that they could send me a paper bill for a $5 fee.

Sheeesh....
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And I had people sneering at me for complaining about being charged $50 to withdraw money. Sheesh.
 
Nathan said:
My wife likes to write out checks for the monthly bills, some still send statements through the mail, others I download and print for her. I see a time coming where we may need to go completely paperless, she's forgetting and misplacing more items that need taken care of.
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I still pay a lot of bills with checks, have for many years and am used to it. So far I've been able to keep on top of things and don't have any issues with misplacing or forgetting to pay something. But, that day may come. If your wife is having trouble staying organized with the paper billing, then it's nice that you have the option of paperless. Hugs to your wife, I know what it's like to prefer to have things in your hand and take care of them personally. 💙
 
Nathan said:
My wife likes to write out checks for the monthly bills, some still send statements through the mail, others I download and print for her. I see a time coming where we may need to go completely paperless, she's forgetting and misplacing more items that need taken care of.
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I have also noticed that the mail is taking a lot longer to get to the destination, (any destination, which the billing offices are now often across the country, even for local bills)

and then, the paper checks are also taking longer to be processed by anyone at the destination, so they might run up against the due dates, and incur penalty fees, more readily,

so there are multiple forces coming to bear, with increasing pressure for all of us to pay bills by other means, than the ones we were used to in the past, and that some of us would still prefer, if they worked as well as they once did.
ANd oh yes, as you mentioned,
if our minds worked as well as they used to, in addition. :rolleyes:
 
They'll get money out of you any way they can. I used to have a free safety deposit box at the bank due to my savings amount. I qualified to get it free. Now they are charging 70 dollars a year no matter what. But I want to keep it for now.
 
I have gotten to the point of hating to pay bills by check and mail. It seems such a laborious process to write the check, enter it in the checkbook, address an envelope, put on the return address sticker, add the stamp.

Did I mention I’m getting very lazy?

Seriously, I prefer the online process. I do sometimes think about security but so far, so good.
 
debodun said:
I noticed I have an added charge to my electric bill - for receiving a paper bill. This just started. When I called I was told that it costs money to prepare, print and mail the monthly statement and I should just print it out from the company's website. I said I don't have a printer. The reply - then you'll have to pay for a paper bill.

Similarly, my investment company notified me that to get my 1099 form, I'd have to go to their web site, open my account (or create one if I don't have one) and print it. A call informed me that they could send me a paper bill for a $5 fee.

Sheeesh....
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Yap! You are dealing with an awful cheapskate company. They are "nickel and dimming you " just to save a little money. An electric company is a big company. They have a lot of employees and they have a pretty big payroll.

The trouble here is that the CEO that runs companies like this are terrible "fat cats" that rake in really big wages, bonus and a lot of fringe benefits. It's the same old story. The fat cats get fatter and they look at you like you were one of the "unwashed masses" who has to pay and pay and pay. Not fair; if you ask me!
 

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The only bill I still pay by check is my electric bill, and that is because they charge an extra $5 if I use my credit card.

I avoid any automatic payments from my checking or savings account, just my way of trying to protect myself. I use a credit card from a different bank so there is no direct pipeline to any of my accounts, except for that credit card payment.
 
debodun said:
I noticed I have an added charge to my electric bill - for receiving a paper bill. This just started. When I called I was told that it costs money to prepare, print and mail the monthly statement and I should just print it out from the company's website. I said I don't have a printer. The reply - then you'll have to pay for a paper bill.
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Printers are *inexpensive. It’ll pay for itself when you print them out yourself.

*don’t go too cheap; it may use more ink in the long run.
 

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