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Calmuser
Calmuser
join:2011-10-27
Canada

Calmuser

Member

Is Bell really this hurting for more money? (paper bill fee)

I just got this email:

As part of our ongoing effort to be environmentally friendly and to improve the level of billing information you have access to, we are pleased to let you know that as of June 2012, Bell is moving to e-bill as our standard method of delivering invoices to our Bell Internet clients. And while you are currently receiving both e-bill and paper bills, we would like to invite you to choose e-bill only.
Remember, with e-bill, you can continue to enjoy benefits like:
• Reducing paper bill clutter – and your environmental footprint
• Accessing your bills and account information online anytime, 24/7
• Viewing your current bills as soon as they are ready – we’ll even notify you every month
• Receiving more billing detail as systems are upgraded
If you prefer, we are pleased to provide you the option of continuing to receive a paper bill. However, please note that starting with your June invoice, you will be charged a $2 monthly fee for paper bills.

To make the switch to e-bill, simply log in to MyBell and ensure that only the box that says “I want to receive an e-bill” is selected. If we don't hear from you by June 1, 2012, we will continue to deliver your paper bill and the $2 fee will apply.

--

So in summary, to get my paper bill I now have to pay an extra $2 a month??!!

Bell must be really desperate to try to find more ways to rip people off.

time to start printing my e-bill!

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues

Premium Member

This is yet another scam on the part of all companies, not just Bell, to rip off the customer.

You pay $x for an "account fee" which includes the cost of printing and mailing you a bill. Many companies are moving towards e-billing to make a little more profit from the "account fee".

This has ZERO to do with being "green" (since paper is recyclable) but saving Bell money.
RickStep
Premium Member
join:2002-11-25
Hamilton, ON

RickStep to Calmuser

Premium Member

to Calmuser
Don't print it; save it; its a pdf file. A bigger hard drive is cheaper than ink or toner and paper and clutter. Hard drive prices are coming back down or DVD re-writables at 4.7 GB are between $0.75 and $1.00.

My March bill is 7 pages is 435KB; Phone, 2 Cell phones, Internet and a bundle page.

A 4.7GB disk is 4,700,000 KB (don't get picky about the conversion). 4,700,000 / 435 = 10,805 months of Bell bills that can be written to a DVD.

I haven't received the email yet, but won't pay for paper and postage. Don't want to prop up Canada Post either.

Rick
kovy7
join:2009-03-26

kovy7 to Calmuser

Member

to Calmuser
Either way, I always throw it in the garbage afterwards... I find e-bill a great thing, just save the PDF file and voila... takes no space.
balur
join:2010-04-28

1 recommendation

balur to Calmuser

Member

to Calmuser
It takes what 55 cents for a stamp, say another 45 cents for envelope, paper, ink...

Then they have to pay for someones time to print it off, pack it in the envelope and put it in the mail.

They then have to spend money to field the calls from people complaining about Canada post, and in some of those cases resend out those bills.

Paper billing is incredibly expensive compared to the completely automated ebilling.

The company has a choice, either spread the cost of all this into the plans and raise prices a bit (causing the ebilling people to subsidies the cost of the paper billing people), or make it an add on and make those who are using it pay for it. Considering that they don't want to even deal with it anymore the make it an added cost to encourage people to switch.
Riplin
join:2002-05-13
canada

Riplin to Calmuser

Member

to Calmuser
So what you pay an extra $2 for paper or pay extra bw to dl it.

Either way its always a lose lose situation with bell. f-you bell. Dump that pos company.
kovy7
join:2009-03-26

kovy7

Member

said by Riplin:

So what you pay an extra $2 for paper or pay extra bw to dl it.

Either way its always a lose lose situation with bell. f-you bell. Dump that pos company.

Yeah, the file is at least 100Gb ... it's some high res scan raw format.
HeadSpinning
MNSi Internet
join:2005-05-29
Windsor, ON

HeadSpinning to Calmuser

Member

to Calmuser
The only fair thing for Bell to do is to credit people on eBilling $2.00/month instead of charging people on paper (a service they've always had) $2.00/month extra.

But when has Bell ever been about doing the right thing?
Calmuser
Calmuser
join:2011-10-27
Canada

Calmuser

Member

The biggest problem with the e-bill, is the Bell site mysteriously goes down and stops working when the Bill comes out!

Same thing as the Bandwidth usage meter, it mysteriously stops loading when your near the end of your billing cycle. Then after your billing cycle has renewed, POOF its working again.

It like they want you to go over the low usage limit!

I can get a copy of the PDF, but I always like to have a Hard copy just in case for my records.

which is why I opt to keep getting the paper bill, but now with an extra $2, I will print it myself.

Night Owl
join:2008-10-23
St Thomas, ON

1 recommendation

Night Owl to HeadSpinning

Member

to HeadSpinning
said by HeadSpinning:

The only fair thing for Bell to do is to credit people on eBilling $2.00/month instead of charging people on paper (a service they've always had) $2.00/month extra.

But when has Bell ever been about doing the right thing?

Totally agree with this. How do they come up with the magical $2.00 amount. Primus credits you $0.50 if you do e-billing.

What happens to those people who do not happen to own, have access to or may not even know how to use a computer?

My father is one of those people; at 84 he prefers the old fashioned way of doing things as I think most of his generation do. So now he needs to pay for the privilege of finding out how much Bell will be extorting from him every month.

If Bell wants to cut costs they should stop sending out those totally useless mailings to former customers who willing left their company for basically these types of shenanigans.
vintagewino
join:2003-07-22
Grimsby, ON

1 edit

1 recommendation

vintagewino

Member

Indeed, how DO they come up with this $2 charge?

The interesting part, many businesses are going or have gone to this $2 charge to send a paper invoice.

Postage = 61 cents
Envelope = 10 cents
3 sheets of paper w/printing both sides = 30 cents.
Collating paperwork into envelopes = 29 cents
Raping & Gouging the customer = 60 cents. (aka profit)

All these prices are on the onsie-twosie quantities we are used to doing things at home.

More reasonable prices paid due to bulk (10,000 units/mailing):
38 cents Addressed Admail (source: Canada Post)
2 cents / envelope
8 cents / 3 sheet invoice w/printing
15 cents collating & envelope stuffing
$1.37 to Rape and Gouge the customer (aka profit)

Gets even more lucrative after that

As NightOwl noted, Primus credits you 50 cents off your bill for going paperless, which you can be well assured, they keep some back for profit, as well. That tends to support my estimates in the bulk cost breakdown.

Any company, no matter what size, charging a customer $2 for a lousy paper invoice is strictly raping their customer - - - BECAUSE THEY CAN!!

Going "green" - they don't give a rat's fuzzy behind about the environment. The "green" is strictly for the greedy profit margin.
HeadSpinning
MNSi Internet
join:2005-05-29
Windsor, ON

HeadSpinning

Member

Of course, they never lose the opportunity to insert advertising bill stuffers in the envelope.

Once they start charging for paper bills, they should be prohibited from inserting advertising.
balur
join:2010-04-28

balur to HeadSpinning

Member

to HeadSpinning
said by HeadSpinning:

The only fair thing for Bell to do is to credit people on eBilling $2.00/month instead of charging people on paper (a service they've always had) $2.00/month extra.

But when has Bell ever been about doing the right thing?

You realize of course if they did that theyd just raise all prices by $2
HeadSpinning
MNSi Internet
join:2005-05-29
Windsor, ON

HeadSpinning

Member

said by balur:

You realize of course if they did that theyd just raise all prices by $2

What makes you think they won't do that regardless of their paper billing charges?
kovy7
join:2009-03-26

kovy7 to Calmuser

Member

to Calmuser
I'm pretty sure retention department can do something if you complain... lol.

Steveoooo
@bell.ca

Steveoooo to Calmuser

Anon

to Calmuser
It is another way for bell to make more money. Yes it reduces wastage but it also cuts jobs and just puts money in Bell's pocket. If they really cared they'd reduce their fees by 2$ for those who want to switch to ebilling and leave regular paper bills as is. Instead they save money with all those who will switch to ebilling and get another 2$ from those who forget to switch or still want to receive a paper bill.

icemasta
@teksavvy.com

icemasta to HeadSpinning

Anon

to HeadSpinning
said by HeadSpinning:

Of course, they never lose the opportunity to insert advertising bill stuffers in the envelope.

Once they start charging for paper bills, they should be prohibited from inserting advertising.

This + infinity.

Maybe Bell should pay me for the work to pick the excessive Bell junk mail and throw them in the recycling.

I guess my issue that our current rates already factored in the cost of paper billing and to now pay the same amount yet "receive" less is 100% gouging and keeping money in their pockets. Give us a credit for going paperless.
RickStep
Premium Member
join:2002-11-25
Hamilton, ON

RickStep to HeadSpinning

Premium Member

to HeadSpinning
said by HeadSpinning:

Of course, they never lose the opportunity to insert advertising bill stuffers in the envelope.

I have NEVER seen advertising in a Bell bill or a Cogeco bill.

Horizon Utilities (formally) Hamilton Hydro & Union Gas & Reliance Home Comfort (formally Union Energy) always add inserts, BUT, I don't recall advertising.

The inserts are usually about approved rate changes, mostly up some down (usually Union Gas) energy saving tips, warnings about the miscreants that show up at the door, lying about the new water heater regulations.

What did I miss.

Rick

koira
Hey Siri Walk Me
Premium Member
join:2004-02-16

koira

Premium Member

said by RickStep:

said by HeadSpinning:

Of course, they never lose the opportunity to insert advertising bill stuffers in the envelope.

I have NEVER seen advertising in a Bell bill or a Cogeco bill.

Horizon Utilities (formally) Hamilton Hydro & Union Gas & Reliance Home Comfort (formally Union Energy) always add inserts, BUT, I don't recall advertising.

The inserts are usually about approved rate changes, mostly up some down (usually Union Gas) energy saving tips, warnings about the miscreants that show up at the door, lying about the new water heater regulations.

What did I miss.

Rick

missed the scratch and sniff this is what gas smells like
AsherN
Premium Member
join:2010-08-23
Thornhill, ON

AsherN to vintagewino

Premium Member

to vintagewino
The bill cannot be considered admail, addressed or not.
lawrenson
join:2012-02-22

lawrenson to vintagewino

Member

to vintagewino
said by vintagewino:

As NightOwl noted, Primus credits you 50 cents off your bill for going paperless, which you can be well assured, they keep some back for profit, as well. That tends to support my estimates in the bulk cost breakdown.

Primus makes monthly contributions to Evergreen and any profit they make probably helps to go towards that.

If Bell started making large donations to a similar charity instead of just pocketing all of the profit, I'd support the idea a little more, even if $2 is a little excessive.

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues to Calmuser

Premium Member

to Calmuser
Ellen Roseman has written about this today, doesn't say much in the way of direct commentary, but read between the lines.

»www.moneyville.ca/articl ··· the-mail
sas
join:2011-01-28

sas to Calmuser

Member

to Calmuser
I have always supported electronic bills. I find them easy for me to archive, catalogue, and retrieve. They also to save space in my tiny apartment. Sure it's has a touch of green to the environment. I have used electronics bills and statements since they first came out, about a decade ago. It has always been an option in addition to or to either paper bills/statements.

Having said that, when corporate greed gets in the way it abuses the green initiative. Companies trim their operating costs by cutting out the papers, they should share the savings with the customers by giving their customers rebates, just like some one mentioned about Primus. Charging customers $2 (Bell is not the only one), for a paper bill is wrong. The savings will only funnel in the big fat bonuses to the CEOs and executives.
AsherN
Premium Member
join:2010-08-23
Thornhill, ON

AsherN

Premium Member

said by sas:

I have always supported electronic bills. I find them easy for me to archive, catalogue, and retrieve. They also to save space in my tiny apartment. Sure it's has a touch of green to the environment. I have used electronics bills and statements since they first came out, about a decade ago. It has always been an option in addition to or to either paper bills/statements.

Having said that, when corporate greed gets in the way it abuses the green initiative. Companies trim their operating costs by cutting out the papers, they should share the savings with the customers by giving their customers rebates, just like some one mentioned about Primus. Charging customers $2 (Bell is not the only one), for a paper bill is wrong. The savings will only funnel in the big fat bonuses to the CEOs and executives.

Human nature being what it is, negative re-enforcement works best. Many people like the paper, would still print the electronic version. Giving me a rebate is not as much an incentive as adding a fee. It also changes the message.

A rebate implies that paper billing is still the default position of the company. Charging a fee now says the company does not want to send paper bills, but if you want them, you pay for them.
camelot
join:2008-04-12
Whitby, ON

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Member

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This doesn't really bother me all that much. Bell isn't the first, nor will it be the last to do so. PC Financial/Mobile has been operating this way for years.

As soon as I get other paper bills, I pay it and shred it. Why keep old bills when the records are easily available online.

A case can be made to waive the fee for disabilities, or seniors in most cases.

A lot of people like to bash Bell for EVERYTHING they do, but a lot of what they do is typical of every other business nowadays.

dfgdfgdf5
@teksavvy.com

dfgdfgdf5 to Calmuser

Anon

to Calmuser
ya they just reported an almost $5billion
BILLION with B profit

anonymousley
@bell.ca

anonymousley to Calmuser

Anon

to Calmuser
Did anyone see Marketplace Busted Edition?

We are all still paying for Touch Tone Access!

Hmmm think I'll request an ld fashioned rotary phone!

Fucn CROOKS!

Does anyone from Bell ever read these posts?
vintagewino
join:2003-07-22
Grimsby, ON

vintagewino to Calmuser

Member

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People, have you noticed how corporations have jumped on the GREEN bandwagon to shaft your wallet royally?

eBilling will save the universe !!! BULLSH!TE !!!

Corporations like Bhell don't give a rat's fuzzy behind if their customers are happy or not. In fact they see nothing wrong with giving them the BIG GREEN SHAFT !!!

Please tell me why I should deal with this company when, rather than employing Canadians, they give their customer service pay OFF SHORE, and toss more Canadians out of work.

Finally what about people who do not have a computer or internet access? Many elderly people don't have a computer, or live in an area where DIAL-UP is their only option, other than the severely overpriced Blue or Red stick shaft.

Bell: do more for the "green environment movement" - put your flaming ads for your services ON-LINE rather than IN MY MAILBOX. Those go directly into recycling without being opened here.

Use that money saved to print & send me my bill. Better yet, e-mail me my f'ing bill and give me that $2 (+HST) discount off my bill.

Oh - it doesn't cost you $2 to send the bill? Why the hell are you overcharging me then, for???

Bloody thieves.
vintagewino

vintagewino to anonymousley

Member

to anonymousley
said by anonymousley :

Did anyone see Marketplace Busted Edition?

We are all still paying for Touch Tone Access!

Hmmm think I'll request an ld fashioned rotary phone!

Fucn CROOKS!

Does anyone from Bell ever read these posts?


Oddly enough, I know of ONE person in the Toronto area that does not pay the $2.80. When they tried to ding him with that many years ago, he said the only phone he has is rotary dial, no touch-tone, and get that charge off. They complied, and to this day, he doesn't pay that crazy fee. He still does all his calling on the rotary phone. (Also has DSL, but that's another story).
vintagewino

vintagewino to dfgdfgdf5

Member

to dfgdfgdf5
said by dfgdfgdf5 :

ya they just reported an almost $5billion
BILLION with B profit


Yeah, your point? They have to scrimp up that cash somehow to pay for Astral Media.