Topic 'New "convenience" fee' in forum 'Qwest' - dslreports.com http://www.dslreports.com/forum/New-convenience-fee-23617922 en Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:56:27 EDT Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:56:27 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23941047 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23941047 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:12:59 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23852083 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23852083 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:39:51 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23851689 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23851689 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:54:40 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23850586 This latest “convenience fee” is nothing more than their way to get more money out of our pocket. It is Qwest’s way of saying “I know the economy is bad and you are having troubles paying rent and feeding your families and I feel for you but do you know how much it costs to heat our CEO’s 10 bedroom homes?”
The “Convenience Fee” is bogus, it costs Qwest much more to print and mail a bill, then to hire people to open and process a handwritten check. Not to mention all the bounced checks that on-line payments alleviate I say Qwest should drop my bill by a dollar instead of raising it for me making it easy or let’s say “Convenient” for Qwest to processes my payment.
I paid my Convenience Fee last month and then I changed to paper Bill. As I sit here writing a check to Qwest and putting a 45 cent stamp on the envelope I realize that this old school snail mail is pretty “Convenient” and it just saved me 65 cents.
I say we all call their bluff and all go to paper billing and see who it is more inconvenient for them or us!]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23850586 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:06:51 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23807776 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23807776 Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:48:11 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23780659 said by azzonie3:

Maybe then you should try turning Qwest in if you feel they are breaking a contract. I am sure the reason they are charging extra to accept credit is because it costs them less to process and accept it. I would certainly turn them in if you feel like Qwest is breaking a "Visa International" term of service. You might also contact Mastercard, Discover and American Express.

If you have success finding anyone that cares let me know. I would be interested.
I believe he was talking about you and your stated abuses of the system:

said by azzonie3:

I am a buisness owner, I do accept cards and I do charge a fee if the purchase is less then $5.00. Yes it is against the processors terms and no I do not care about the terms and neither does the person servicing my account.
I don't suppose that would be at you at "NetLans" eh?

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If you have success finding anyone that cares let me know. I would be interested. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23773480 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:04:58 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23773292 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23773292 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:34:43 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23754048 said by azzonie3:

If my processors drops me for charging a fee there is a line out the door waiting to take their place.
It's hard to get a merchant account once you've been involuntarily terminated.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23754048 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:50:38 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23746227
Also, the terms you are violating are that of "Visa International"... yes, I own a business, or two or three myself.. and, that line out your door you talk about... well, see what happens when they run your business information or social info and it comes back, from the next merchant bank, WHY you were terminated if you got caught.

Yes, there are businesses that do that (charging a fee) and to be honest, the gas station around the corner did that to me when I was topping off my tank before a trip. I didn't have cash and the purchase came to $15.00. When I went into the store they had a sign that they'd not accept cards for purchases under $20.00. Leaving me in a situation with no cash, and charging me $5.00 to make a $20.00 purchase, guess what the first thing I did when I got to a phone...

Needless to say, that merchant lost their processing ability.. it was pretty clear when there was a sign on their door stating "We do not accept Visa or Mastercard"... for about a year, that sign remained. I'm sure someone else in the business established a new account - guess what, ...? ... no more "minimum purchase required" sign.

And as the other poster stated, you're admitting to not living up to your contract... oh what a wonderful world we live in where people have no intention on being honest and moral.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23746227 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:01:26 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23746090 Yes it is against the processors terms and no I do not care about the terms and neither does the person servicing my account.

So you're admitting that you signed a contract and have no intention of living up to it.

Nice.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23746090 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:52:54 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23745840
I called and they said it was an auto-pay fee...to do direct payment from my checking account.

I don't totally get any of this logic but I assume it's going to show up as a fee or in the bill somehow. Basically we will be paying one way or another suck it up or leave..I have just given up.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23745840 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:35:02 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23745853
I am sure the reason they charge the fee is because it cost them less to accept credit cards then other forms of payment. That was sarcasem by the way. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23745853 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:32:08 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23744805
Merchants are NOT allowed to charge any "convenience fee" when taking credit cards.. if the banks find out about this, they risk loosing their merchant accounts for doing so as this is a direct violation of their agreement. To charge a "fee" to take a payment discourages the consumer from using their card over another form of payment.

They MAY, however, raise the price of ALL of their services and DISCOUNT cash, or non credit forms of payment, to apply a so-called "discount" if they want..

The term "convenience" is actually mis-applied here in this case.. it's more of a convenience for the COMPANY to accept cards as they often get their money faster than those who pay by cash and check.. not to mention, it costs the companies FAR less to take credit cards, when you remove the amount of the human element from processing cash and check payments..

So, in the end, it's a convenience and SAVINGS for businesses to take credit cards.

Also, large corporations such as Qwest don't pay 1.5% processing fees.. some of them pay a half a percent, or even less, depending of if it's a credit card or debit card.. Larger volume businesses pay FAR less in fees for taking cards due to the large volume they process.. they also take of many of the systems that do the processing so the merchant banks have less to take on themselves.. Small business, however on the other hand, will pay upwards to 2.25% to 2.75% based on the card, their account, and what they are selling... etc.

And like I said, too, those businesses that take checks and cash as payments tend to wait longer to get their money, wind up with more collections activities, returned checks to deal with, etc. ... so credit cards are actually a benefit to the business to accept them in the first place.. man of them, however, just don't want to have reps on the phone taking credit card payments all day long - they're rather people go to their site and do them on line or by automated response phone systems; again, no human power involved.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23744805 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:47:33 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23738633
Leave it to a phone company to take something convenient like online payments and screw up the experience.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23738633 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:26:03 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee w/Qwest http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-wQwest-23737566 Qwest will take the money before I see my bill.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-wQwest-23737566 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:38:24 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23729949
said by soitgoes2:

It costs Qwest money to accept a check, too. They have to pay their lockbox company to process those payments. They also have to deal with bounced checks. If they could, they'd probably like to charge a fee for checks received by mail--however I don't think the regulators would let them do that.

Qwest would probably most prefer to get your payment each month by do automatic checking account debit. That's likely the option with the lowest cost to Qwest.
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23729949 Sat, 30 Jan 2010 21:57:19 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23726935 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23726935 Sat, 30 Jan 2010 04:18:31 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23725839 said by caffeinator:

Hmm. I just checked the paper bill I get every month and there is no 1.00 fee per payment. Just the usual taxes and such. It doesn't appear on the Qwest paper bill. The paper bill remains the same. It's when you go to the Qwest website to pay is the $1.00 "convenience" fee tact onto the bill with a required authorization/acknowledge to allow Qwest to do so.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23725839 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:27:08 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23725578 said by MrQwest :

Payments over the phone will be charged a $4.00 fee per payment.
Payments made online will be charged a $1.00 fee per payment.
Hmm. I just checked the paper bill I get every month and there is no 1.00 fee per payment. Just the usual taxes and such.

I'm still using my BoA BillPayer to pay them...it doesn't cost anything extra from the bank either. I checked THAT paper account statement too.

I don't have LD or anything except POTS and DSL on the phone side, and no debit, CC or other things on the bank side.

I'm a simple kinda guy living on a fixed income and expenses.

As long as my checking account has my funds direct-deposited every month, the account is free. The only fee's are IF I choose to use a non-menber ATM.
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Lately I haven't been that happy with my service, both Internet and just recently switched to their broadband phone service (which works ok if you have no other traffic going on at the time), and am shopping around for a different provider.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23713071 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:50:51 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23709777 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23709777 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:58:10 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23709714
Just got my new bill. Let's see what happens this month.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23709714 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:01:46 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23703296
This authorization includes a $xx.xx payment that will be credited to your Qwest telephone account, and a $0.00 convenience fee.


But the convenience fee has always been zero since they changed the wording.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23703296 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:33:14 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23695969
Qwest would probably most prefer to get your payment each month by do automatic checking account debit. That's likely the option with the lowest cost to Qwest.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23695969 Sun, 24 Jan 2010 19:12:25 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23670859
Next, how many companies actually charge more for processing a credit card payment these days? Gas stations used to give discounts for cash (which is really the same thing), but I haven't even seen that in years.

And finally, it looks like you really have it in for banks. The banks are not evil. They just seem that way if you don't know what you're doing and get yourself in trouble. When used responsibly (and that's important) credit of any kind can be a useful and even profitable tool.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23670859 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:18:19 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23668223 said by azzonie3:

Then you are well aware of the extra cost incured by accepting credit cards. There are cost associated with collecting payments but as a buisness owner myself I know that the charge card is costing considerable more then any other form of payment. Someone is going to have to pay those extra fees. Why should people not paying with a charge card help pay your fees? They should charge you extra, and I also charge extra if people are making a small purchase. The soluton if you do not want to pay those fees is very simple, stop using the card, your just feeding the evil banking industry.
Isn't that the cost of doing business? Who is paying for Customer Representatives and the Call Centers? There are some that haven't called Tech Support in years. Why should they pay for that added support they don't need? When some ISPs raise rates, such as my local cable company, they stated rising fuel costs as one reason. What part of the service is provided by fuel costs? Tech Support? When is the last time some people required tech support?

The point is, this is cost of doing business. There are several examples that could be considered the same (above), but who is paying for that? It's all billed as doing business - as this should be.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23668223 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:39:00 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23668080 said by colorbars:

Azzonie, I work for a major credit card company. I'm quite familiar with merchant fees. As I pointed out in the original post, there are costs associated with every method of collecting payments. That's the cost of doing business. Besides that, for as large a business as Qwest is they can get a lower percentage transaction fee than the 1-1.5% quoted. Even if that wasn't true, $1 is still way over what they'd be charged for processing my transaction.

I don't buy it for a second. It's just another attempt to add a below the line fee. The cell phone companies have been doing it and getting away with it, so why not a landline company?
Then you are well aware of the extra cost incured by accepting credit cards. There are cost associated with collecting payments but as a buisness owner myself I know that the charge card is costing considerable more then any other form of payment. Someone is going to have to pay those extra fees. Why should people not paying with a charge card help pay your fees? They should charge you extra, and I also charge extra if people are making a small purchase. The soluton if you do not want to pay those fees is very simple, stop using the card, your just feeding the evil banking industry. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23668080 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:13:41 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23664468
I don't buy it for a second. It's just another attempt to add a below the line fee. The cell phone companies have been doing it and getting away with it, so why not a landline company?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23664468 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 22:13:05 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23664341 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23664341 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:44:51 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23662677 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23662677 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:06:39 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23660618 --
To paraphrase a Tina Turner tune for Climategate, "What've objectivity, empiricism, honest debate, and skepticism in the face of blatant skulduggery got to do with it?"]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23660618 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:06:52 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23653044 said by colorbars:

Paying directly out of a checking account is also a bad idea for the same reason that I don't want to do Auto Pay. Too much of an opportunity to screw up leaving me to clean the mess. Good luck trying to get a company to put money back if they took it out in error. It sounds like you may be confusing the two types of electronic billpay. The "bad" type is where you give the company you are paying your account number and they pull the funds out out your checking account. You are right to be concerned about this type of arrangement.

The "good" type is the push type where you tell your bank who to pay, how much and when. The bank then either cuts a check or transmits the funds electronically. This isn't any different than writing a check by hand, except that you don't have pay for check stock and postage.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23653044 Sat, 16 Jan 2010 11:27:38 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23648024 said by QwestUser :

Colorbars, it is my experience that when you instruct Qwest to charge your monthly fee to a credit card (or when you update the expiration date of an existing credit card used for billing), then Qwest charges your credit card $1.00 as part of the billing setup process. This one-time fee appearing on your credit card statement should show as a credit on your next Qwest bill -- i.e., you do not lose the $1.00.

Is this what occurred?
That has not been my case. It is charged $1/month. I recall Qwest posted a notice of this change in December while paying that it would be a $1/month in the future.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23648024 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 11:11:34 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23647604
Is this what occurred?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23647604 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:09:51 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23646557 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23646557 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 01:43:15 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23642693 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23642693 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:05:21 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23642658
Just the number and the expiration date. Worked for me today.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23642658 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:02:41 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23641954 said by colorbars:

Sorry, ain't playing that autopay game.
I noticed this as well. It was one more nail in the coffin that made me decide to port my number out to VOIP and switch from DSL to my local municipal broadband provider, the one where I know all the techs on a first name basis. I'm sick of Qwest's bullshit.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23641954 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:16:06 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23640318 I rack up perhaps $8/mo in ATM fees, that's it.

Nearly $100/yr in ATM fees? Yoikes! :o]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23640318 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:55:24 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23636346 said by colorbars:

Paying directly out of a checking account is also a bad idea for the same reason that I don't want to do Auto Pay. Too much of an opportunity to screw up leaving me to clean the mess. Good luck trying to get a company to put money back if they took it out in error.
I auto pay off my credit card not my bank for just that reason.
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To paraphrase a Tina Turner tune for Climategate, "What've objectivity, empiricism, honest debate, and skepticism in the face of blatant skulduggery got to do with it?"]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23636346 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:56:10 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23634090 said by colorbars:

Paying directly out of a checking account is also a bad idea for the same reason that I don't want to do Auto Pay. Too much of an opportunity to screw up leaving me to clean the mess. Good luck trying to get a company to put money back if they took it out in error.As with everything in life: it's your choice. I suppose that I've just been lucky for the last year and half that I've been paying this way. My bank has quite a number of protections put in place to cover its members in cases of abusive companies (from what I've experienced so far, anyway). My local water/sewage bill can either be paid by check or by credit card -- but credit card payments require a convenience fee of more than $1 so they get a check from me. It's all about what your level of risk aversion is combined with your tolerance of fees, if there are any, that will determine if you stay with paper checks or use electronic payment methods.

Good luck, no matter what you choose.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23634090 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 01:31:57 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23634084
The "convenience fee" I got charged is $1. Not a lot by itself, but multiply that by 12 months in a year and who knows how many millions of customers who pay manually each month and you can see where it adds up quick. Oh, and it's an end-run around the state utility commissions for good measure.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23634084 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 01:26:20 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23633818 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23633818 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:48:52 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23630041
(Though I'm not endorsing the practice of charging this fee.)]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23630041 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:10:04 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23628375 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23628375 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:34:21 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23626920 http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23626920 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:04:54 EDT Re: New "convenience" fee http://www.dslreports.com/forum/Re-New-convenience-fee-23621174 said by travelguy:

Many banks offer "push" billpay at no charge. This allows you to control the payment, execute it electronically and avoid the Qwest charge.
+1 on that.

I've been paying both Qwest and my local ISP that way for years and have never had a problem.

It's nice when the bills are paid before I can get my grubby hands on da loot and possibly screw it up manually. ;)
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