Latest Breaking News

Swede Atlanta

(3,596 posts)

17. This should be subject to regulation.......

Thu Dec 29, 2011, 05:50 PM

Dec 2011

I have Verizon and receive my bill electronically, mostly to save the environment and the amount of junk that comes in my mailbox every day. I have used their online bill pay a few times for convenience but usually pay by check and mail it in.

They should not be able to charge you to pay your bill. Pretty soon they will charge a fee for processing a paper check...I mean which is easier and cheaper for them? I assume auto-pay is cheapest followed by online bill pay and then checks or pay by phone where they have to pay someone to either open the envelope, verify the payment, scan and/or enter the payment information into their system and then process the check OR pay someone to answer the phone and key in the payment information.

They should not be able to limit your options, at no additional charge, on how you pay your bill. Auto-pay is giving them authorization to access your account on their terms. I NEVER, NEVER, EVER give anyone auto -pay or auto deduct authorization.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

75 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Verizon to charge customers $2 when they pay bills online or by phone [View all] onehandle Dec 2011 OP

Makes me glad I dumped them. nt bemildred Dec 2011 #1

I'm staying with Verizon for now DissedByBush Dec 2011 #20

I am staying ATT for now as I am grandfathered into a true unlimited for $80, ..but crazy homeless guy Dec 2011 #47

$80 total? DissedByBush Dec 2011 #59

I would think in this situation that you don't allow them LiberalFighter Dec 2011 #2

You can tell when the punks are in charge: More fees in a recession. nt SteveW Dec 2011 #3

Click on the link and read before you decide your head needs to explode. RC Dec 2011 #4

Most of which involve a fee paid to someone else. Fees which all "trickle up"... TheMadMonk Dec 2011 #61

I do not pay a fee to pay my Verizon bill and I pay it electronically. RC Dec 2011 #65

They are called junk fees Kelvin Mace Dec 2011 #5

It's the new form of competition Turbineguy Dec 2011 #6

This is why I was against the AT&T buy of T-Mobile DissedByBush Dec 2011 #22

I doubt they're promoting the postal service. I pay everything I can by mail, but that's just me. freshwest Dec 2011 #7

so do I but I really don't understand this. It has GOT to cost them more $ to open a paper CTyankee Dec 2011 #66

They may already have a charge for that. Some of my bills do. It's worth it to me, freshwest Dec 2011 #68

Then I'll have to subtract my $4 FYATHYRIO fee Ezlivin Dec 2011 #8

LMAO Aerows Dec 2011 #25

Why do I hate big corporations? Let me count the ways. gtar100 Dec 2011 #9

I suspect point 8 is only partially correct. More often, it's to make senior executives money. RickFromMN Dec 2011 #58

Looks like I'm going to dust off the old checkbook. annabanana Dec 2011 #10

What's weird is that it probably costs them more to process a check. onehandle Dec 2011 #12

I'm sure it costs more for a check. MaineDem Dec 2011 #29

Probably not - Credit cards charge a fee to merchants for each tx Ms. Toad Dec 2011 #37

me too ThomThom Dec 2011 #16

They might want to contact BofA before being stupid(er). n/t Fearless Dec 2011 #11

land line sorefeet Dec 2011 #13

I quite a cell phone for years DissedByBush Dec 2011 #26

My gas company does the same damn thing... Javaman Dec 2011 #14

"keep a postal employee employed"---maybe this is a scheme to keep the USPS in business wordpix Dec 2011 #64

companies don't want mailed checks anymore, now they don't want online. they just Liberal_in_LA Dec 2011 #15

This should be subject to regulation....... Swede Atlanta Dec 2011 #17

Yes, autopay is dangerous, unless you have a lot of extra money in your account. dotymed Dec 2011 #57

Verizon is slick. More autopay=more bounced checks and more late fees Weisbergkevin Dec 2011 #18

Exactly Aerows Dec 2011 #23

oh and let's not forget what they do with that info NJCher Dec 2011 #44

auto pay on cell phones is a bit dodgy, if they mess up and bill you for too much Demonaut Dec 2011 #19

Beyond dodgy quakerboy Dec 2011 #53

And using AutoPay Aerows Dec 2011 #21

My phone bill never varies DissedByBush Dec 2011 #27

I'll pay by check or take payment to the store - TBF Dec 2011 #24

Not the same part DissedByBush Dec 2011 #30

A lot of businesses do that. What does it cost them to take the money? In other words what jwirr Dec 2011 #28

How ironic, they now charge you to pay your bills. What a racket! Dont call me Shirley Dec 2011 #31

I called and got clarification... TroglodyteScholar Dec 2011 #32

Now lookie here, TroglodyteScholar. Facts haz nothin' to do with this! NYC_SKP Dec 2011 #35

Looks like they'll be getting a check The Wizard Dec 2011 #33

I like that. MaineDem Dec 2011 #34

This is every bit as bad as Skank of America's $5 proposed and dropped cat food fee. Utopian Leftist Dec 2011 #36

Right on. sarcasmo Dec 2011 #43

I'm gonna start paying them in cash... RoccoR5955 Dec 2011 #38

I dumped verizon three years ago and have no regrets. unapatriciated Dec 2011 #39

Looks like they are Sprint resellers. crazy homeless guy Dec 2011 #48

Sprint is the network provider-I guess you could say Credo is a sub contractor. :) unapatriciated Dec 2011 #51

They all still do it. Fuddnik Dec 2011 #60

I was curious quakerboy Dec 2011 #54

I have not had any problems with coverage except for the usual that you find with most companies. unapatriciated Dec 2011 #73

I will keep that in mind quakerboy Dec 2011 #74

If they are changing the terms of the existing contracts, Ilsa Dec 2011 #40

Contracts universally have a line about being subject to rate changes and additional fees. onehandle Dec 2011 #41

Gald we are month to month, time to close another account. sarcasmo Dec 2011 #42

Send this guy an email RockyMtnGuy Dec 2011 #45

Out of office response. This guy is gonna have a fun first day back from vacation. sarcasmo Dec 2011 #62

Jerks jimlup Dec 2011 #46

You can pay from your own bank/credit union website without incurring the $2 fee. diane in sf Dec 2011 #49

Google entertained buying wireless spectrum but never pulled the trigger. crazy homeless guy Dec 2011 #50

Take it up with the credit card processors Sen. Walter Sobchak Dec 2011 #52

Jeez, I just got a Verizon cell phone yesterday! mwb970 Dec 2011 #55

I'm going to start billing potential employers for responding to their help wanted ads. n/t bluedigger Dec 2011 #56

And all of my accounts practically beg and threaten for me to change to online billing and payment.. 1monster Dec 2011 #63

Things like this make me happy that I am one of the few people in the world who doesn't even have a totodeinhere Dec 2011 #67

I'm on autopay, but this is still pretty dumb DaveJ Dec 2011 #69

Is this an attempt to force us to use th US Postal service Islandlife Dec 2011 #70

Let me advance a conspiracy theory. We know that the Postal Service will be cutting back. totodeinhere Dec 2011 #71

The USPS is always an option if you plan ahead. Verizon can do anything it wants. Islandlife Dec 2011 #75

Verizon Bows to Critics, Drops Plans for $2 'Convenience' Charge Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/ MaineDem Dec 2011 #72