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At AT&T, Human Contact Costs Extra
Even if you're an ID theft victim without a checking account? Classy.

As companies look to cut corners wherever possible, a growing trend is to require you pay extra if you want billing interaction with a human either by phone or in person. Comcast recently started charging customers $4 to pay their bill with a human by phone, and $2 to pay in person at a billing center. We mentioned in March that AT&T is prepped to start charging $5 in May if you want to talk to a live billing rep over the phone. MSNBC discovers the practice after an id theft victim (forced to close her checking account) was charged $2 for trying to pay AT&T in cash:

quote:
Payne objected to the "administrative charge" that was added to her bill but got no sympathy. Instead, she said, she was told she should consider herself lucky because the fee was about to go up to $5.
"We want our associates to spend their time helping customers as they are thinking about their wireless plans or looking at phones," AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel says. The concept of a human contact fee actually began at the National Bank of Chicago in 1995, when they started charging customers to speak to a live teller. It has since flourished in popularity as companies across industries seek to please investors by nickel and diming their customers wherever humanly possible.

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spewak
R.I.P Dadkins
Premium Member
join:2001-08-07
Elk Grove, CA

1 recommendation

spewak

Premium Member

What is going on?

Where are we going as Human beings? When is enough, enough?
jc10098
join:2002-04-10

jc10098

Member

Re: What is going on?

I guess if I can understand the person and the job stays in the U.S., its a small price. However, if the call center gets outsourced to Ali Baba in India where I can't understand a word, then I've got issues. With as many jobs as we see going overseas, we need to find ways to keep them here. At least the companies are being upfront about it, instead of working the cost into the bill automatically. Still, I wish things didn't have to come to that.
Skippy25
join:2000-09-13
Hazelwood, MO

Skippy25

Member

Re: What is going on?

You mean like the way they already worked the cost of every employee they employ to perform any service including the janitors into their current charges?

This is yet another cost of doing business they are working in below the line.
Expand your moderator at work

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102 to spewak

Member

to spewak
It will only be enough, when companies can charge you for merely existing. Oh wait.. its called taxes

james16
join:2001-02-26

james16

Member

Re: What is going on?

Well, some do already charge you to be a "member" and then charge you usage fees. Gyms for example.

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102

Member

Re: What is going on?

For an ISP, I'll soon come to expect:

a) Sign up fee
b) Modem fee (many already do this)
c) Email fee (blocked port 25 otherwise)
d) Overage fee (some already do this)
e) Unthrottling fee (i.e. premium service)
f) Peer connection fee
g) Local loop fee (cable or DSL)
h) Maintenance fee (indoor, outdoor, CO or Node)
i) Online support fee (ie. chat site)
j) Clean DNS fee ( no zone finder )
k) Regulatory surcharge fee (i.e. fee for keeping compliance issue)
l) Expansion fee
m) New technology R&D fee
n) Golden parachute for CEO fee
o) Investor profit fee

Basically any service that an ISP or other can or is making today (revenue stream) or expense comes will have to be assessed. If they're not 'allowed' to charge it directly, it will be hidden in some other fee.

TANSTAAFL = There Aint No Such Thing As A Free Lunch

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
Netgear WNDR3700v2
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KrK to spewak

Premium Member

to spewak
said by spewak:

Where are we going as Human beings? When is enough, enough?
It's greed. Companies these days want to take your money but they don't want to have to pay for employees. They want the sheer minimum number of employees possible, so they want to massively under-staff. Results are things like "You must use the automated system or pay us extra" .... OR long wait times on hold.

Wait till you get some real winners in customer service.... They have messages that say "We're experiencing high call volume.... Please use the automated system, or try your call again later." If you CAN'T use the automated system, (because they screwed up and you have to fix it) they hang up on you.

High call volume = We don't hire enough people to answer the phones, and we don't care because we don't have sufficient competition, and you're not going anywhere.... so suck it down, deal with the crappy service we give you....

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102

Member

Re: What is going on?

This is one of the reasons companies prefer to do autopay (credit card to check). Less staff, lower cost. Benefit to the consumer... nothing really - having to deal with a 3rd party billing system (ie. credit card company) to handle screw ups.
Customer service has been offshored where it still exists to a certain extent (scripted service).

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
Netgear WNDR3700v2
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KrK

Premium Member

Re: What is going on?

Personally, I find them handy and like automated systems, for what they are. They are useful and quick... beats the long hold times.... And I also understand the business saving money too... it's a win/win all around.... AS LONG AS when I really *DO* need a customer service Rep, THEY ARE THERE.

IE if you can't use the automated system due to some problem, and need to speak to a rep, if they are there, then that's what I call good service. Even a few minutes hold is ok... but being told to call later, or huge wait times, or FEES for talking to the Rep... No way. That's really crappy customer service.

CConverse
join:2006-01-31
Syracuse, NY

1 edit

CConverse to KrK

Member

to KrK

When you go to the grocery store....

Let's think... A grocery store checkout is a good "reality" version of a checkout. People wait in lines (or a "queue") to be serviced.

Do you haggle with the checkout lady over the price of a gallon of milk, or a pound of beef? Do you insist that she should sell it to you for $1 instead of $2.99, repeatedly despite the fact that she has no way of changing it? Do you take 5 minutes of her time (and everyone else behind you in line) to complain to her that you waited 10 minutes to be rung out, and that you're so disgusted with the customer service that you're going to shop elsewhere? Do you stop to tell her the names and rep id's of everyone that checked you out before her because you want to complain to someone about what a crappy job they did? Do you take the time to do all this even though that rep is powerless to do anything about it? Do you do this even after you watched the person in front of you waste your time doing all the same things? Because this is the kind of time-wasting things that customer service reps put up with every day.

I work for AT&T (please don't hate me) as a customer service rep. My average call is 8-9 minutes long. Usually it only takes about 2 minutes to do what I need to do with the customer's account, if I do all the talking. So guess how much time of that call goes to "letting the customer vent"? You got it...

So when you get that message that "we're experiencing heavy call volume" message and you're told the wait will be 20+ minutes, it's probably more likely due to the fact that everyone in front of you in line is taking your precious time with all their useless complaining, and not even letting the agents do their jobs.

Edit: finished an unfinished sentence

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
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Tulsa, OK
Netgear WNDR3700v2
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KrK

Premium Member

Re: When you go to the grocery store....

said by CConverse:

So when you get that message that "we're experiencing heavy call volume" message and you're told the wait will be 20+ minutes, it's probably more likely due to the fact that everyone in front of you in line is taking your precious time with all their useless complaining, and not even letting the agents do their jobs.
Then they need to hire more agents... Also, 6 minutes of venting? Sounds like AT&T really must piss a lot of people off. Unfortunately, the only time people usually need to speak to someone is when something is wrong, so I imagine most of the time you've got people who are upset about something calling in.... but not always.

Even so, for companies to leave messages saying "Use the automated system or call later" and then hangup is really crappy customer service.

CConverse
join:2006-01-31
Syracuse, NY

CConverse

Member

Re: When you go to the grocery store....

Our department's hold times average under 60 seconds, it's not a matter of staffing. We have to staff like we're therapists. Usually I can fix whatever's wrong, but I'm not supposed to interrupt people so I have to listen to them vent before I even get a chance to do anything.

My point is that we're service people. We're no more important to at&t than a cashier is at a grocery store. Imagine if everyone acted toward cashiers in person like they do to service people on the phone. My position on the floor is to be flexible. I am management when they need me to be management, I am service person when they need an extra agent or two to help clear the queue. I am also a customer. I see it from the top down and also from the ground up.

And it's not just at&t pissing people off. Imagine if everyone acted toward cashiers in person like they do to service people on the phone. People vent to me about gas prices, the cable company, their financial situation, their brother or cousin or ex who ran up their Dish bill by ordering porno flicks, that they only will have $.83 for groceries for the month (personally I'd take food over internet but I guess that's just me), how they are handicapped or elderly or a Vietnam Veteran or a single mom or someone who just got out of jail or an important businessperson who lost millions because your residential internet service was down... people will go on all day with their problems if we let them. Many, many people.

People complain sometimes that we apologize too much. Agents are trained to "express empathy" whenever a customer is upset about something and we can do nothing about it. Even if it has nothing to do with at&t. Ironically enough, what agents are supposed to do if you're complaining that we apologize too much, is to say "I'm sorry." So instead of complaining about it, it would be far much more productive to just to let us know what it is you need done, or ask what you would like to know.

I do agree about the hangups. It should simply inform them at the beginning that it may be 1/2 hour to an hour hold time.

Buttset
join:2001-11-12
Ladson, SC

Buttset to spewak

Member

to spewak
Here's my plan...

Next time I get a "sales call" on my phone, I will advise the salesperson on the other end that I will have to have $2.00 deposited electronically into my Pay Pal account before I'll be able to respond to any questions. I'll check my account every few hours. When the money has been deposited, I'll answer one question.

The next question will cost double ($4.00), the next question, $8.00 and so on.

If we all DEMANDED payment for a "real" person...

Comm Tech2
Reaper
Premium Member
join:2005-06-28
White Lake, MI

Comm Tech2

Premium Member

Re: What is going on?

said by Buttset:

Here's my plan...

Next time I get a "sales call" on my phone, I will advise the salesperson on the other end that I will have to have $2.00 deposited electronically into my Pay Pal account before I'll be able to respond to any questions. I'll check my account every few hours. When the money has been deposited, I'll answer one question.

The next question will cost double ($4.00), the next question, $8.00 and so on.

If we all DEMANDED payment for a "real" person...
Comm Tech2

Comm Tech2 to Buttset

Premium Member

to Buttset
said by Buttset:

Here's my plan...

Next time I get a "sales call" on my phone, I will advise the salesperson on the other end that I will have to have $2.00 deposited electronically into my Pay Pal account before I'll be able to respond to any questions. I'll check my account every few hours. When the money has been deposited, I'll answer one question.

The next question will cost double ($4.00), the next question, $8.00 and so on.

If we all DEMANDED payment for a "real" person...
I like your idea.

GlenQuagmire
Giggidy Giggidy Giggidy Goo
Premium Member
join:2004-02-16
Grand Rapids, MI

GlenQuagmire

Premium Member

Suck at Life

You must really suck at life if you have no bank account and have to pay in person with cash. Even if you don't have a computer you can go to the local library use one of their computer and have your bills paid in 5 minutes.

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

1 recommendation

Karl Bode

News Guy

Re: Suck at Life

sigh

Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium Member
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1

1 edit

Anonymous_

Premium Member

Re: Suck at Life

TWC charges $2.99 to downgrade your TV , internet or phone
put it in the news too

BAF
Baffles
Premium Member
join:2004-02-22
Gansevoort, NY

BAF

Premium Member

Re: Suck at Life

We transferred our digital cable + internet from the old house to the new house this past week when we moved, and they wanted to charge us $30 per box plus $25 (we have 4 boxes). We basically laughed at them, they "agreed" to lower it to $12 per box after we argued that they only had to connect the cable, we could handle all the inside work.

And the tech still showed up with a work order to install 4 services inside.

adisor19
join:2004-10-11

adisor19 to Karl Bode

Member

to Karl Bode
said by Karl Bode:

sigh
Some people don't even bother reading the article..

*sigh* indeed Karl.. :S

Adi

DaveDude
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey

1 edit

DaveDude to GlenQuagmire

Member

to GlenQuagmire
said by GlenQuagmire:

You must really suck at life if you have no bank account and have to pay in person with cash. Even if you don't have a computer you can go to the local library use one of their computer and have your bills paid in 5 minutes.
The article did mention id theft, which could prevent you from using your bank account. This is uncalled for, ATT should go out of its way to help customers like this.
alalper
Premium Member
join:2000-08-20
Philadelphia, PA

alalper

Premium Member

Re: Suck at Life

said by DaveDude:

The article did mention id theft, which could prevent you from using your bank account. This is uncalled for, ATT should go out of its way to help customers like this.
".... an id theft victim (forced to close her checking account) was charged $2 for trying to pay AT&T in cash:"

While I'm not a Comcast fanboy, your statement is a little unfair as the news item says it was ATT.

GlenQuagmire
Giggidy Giggidy Giggidy Goo
Premium Member
join:2004-02-16
Grand Rapids, MI

1 edit

GlenQuagmire

Premium Member

Re: Suck at Life

What does this have to do with Comcast? Their are a lot of reasons why ATT sucks but I just don't see this as one of them. I have also had my problems with Comcast too but paying in person does not seem to be a problem.
alalper
Premium Member
join:2000-08-20
Philadelphia, PA

alalper

Premium Member

Re: Suck at Life

said by GlenQuagmire:

What does this have to do with Comcast? Their are a lot of reasons why ATT sucks but I just don't see this as one of them. I have also had my problems with Comcast too but paying in person does not seem to be a problem.
At the time I posted my reply, the post I replied to said Comcast. It has since been changed to say ATT. Apparently, that change also made it into my quote.

DaveDude
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey

DaveDude

Member

Re: Suck at Life

said by alalper:
said by GlenQuagmire:

What does this have to do with Comcast? Their are a lot of reasons why ATT sucks but I just don't see this as one of them. I have also had my problems with Comcast too but paying in person does not seem to be a problem.
At the time I posted my reply, the post I replied to said Comcast. It has since been changed to say ATT. Apparently, that change also made it into my quote.
Network Latency strikes again I was kinda surprised, that it grabbed the refresh, rather then the original.
DaveDude

DaveDude to alalper

Member

to alalper
said by alalper:
said by DaveDude:

The article did mention id theft, which could prevent you from using your bank account. This is uncalled for, ATT should go out of its way to help customers like this.
".... an id theft victim (forced to close her checking account) was charged $2 for trying to pay AT&T in cash:"

While I'm not a Comcast fanboy, your statement is a little unfair as the news item says it was ATT.
Well sometimes i dont hit " Im feeling Lucky" fast enough! a lot of latency in the network It was corrected
alalper
Premium Member
join:2000-08-20
Philadelphia, PA

alalper

Premium Member

Re: Suck at Life

said by DaveDude See Profile

Well sometimes i dont hit " Im feeling Lucky" fast enough! a lot of latency in the network It was corrected
[/BQUOTE :


Your correction also carried over into my reply.

S_engineer
Premium Member
join:2007-05-16
Chicago, IL

S_engineer to GlenQuagmire

Premium Member

to GlenQuagmire
said by GlenQuagmire:

You must really suck at life if you have no bank account and have to pay in person with cash. Even if you don't have a computer you can go to the local library use one of their computer and have your bills paid in 5 minutes.
Unfortunatly, there are more people in this predictament than you'd know. This is a major reason for currency exchanges in the inner city....
On the other hand, the way banks are running these days it might be atually cheaper!
Corydon
Cultivant son jardin
Premium Member
join:2008-02-18
Denver, CO

Corydon

Premium Member

Re: Suck at Life

It's not really all that hard to sign up for a checking account these days.

WaMu offers a free checking account that gives you unlimited free paper checks, a debit card and free online bill pay. You don't even need direct deposit. Just walk into a branch and set up the account. You don't get any interest, but that's not the point of a checking account anyway.

Most credit unions offer really inexpensive plans as well.

The last time I actually paid a fee to a bank was when I had some money wired to me from Canada.

There are a lot of people who don't trust banks and would rather keep their money as cash stuffed in their mattress, but that's more a matter of financial education.

danawhitaker
Space...The Final Frontier
Premium Member
join:2002-03-02
Thorndale, ON

1 recommendation

danawhitaker

Premium Member

Re: Suck at Life

"WaMu offers a free checking account that gives you unlimited free paper checks, a debit card and free online bill pay. You don't even need direct deposit. Just walk into a branch and set up the account. You don't get any interest, but that's not the point of a checking account anyway."

Unless you recently filed for bankruptcy like a woman I know, who has had much difficulty opening a checking account, even after attending the proper financial responsibility courses and getting the required certificates. There are many people in these types of predicaments, and policies like these only hurt people who already have financial problems. That's what galls me so much about these policies. They don't inconvenience rich people, they take money from the poor or struggling lower-middle class people who need every dollar they get just to stay afloat. Does anyone think that any of these problems are magically going to get better with the housing crisis still looming over our heads? And frankly, with the way banks treat customers - I've been ordered out as an account holder before with a jar of change because they were too lazy to use the machine to even count it up - I'd *rather* not have an account and pay in cash for as much stuff as I can. And don't even get me started on the fact that they discourage people from even opening saving accounts at most of the local banks around here by not allowing the initial deposit to be touched for a full three months. Good luck if you have an emergency. The piddle-diddle amount of interest earned isn't worth that risk. And we wonder why this country is going down the proverbial craphole.

Thank god for Walmart being willing to cash paychecks, or these people would be doubly-raped by the local grocery stores charging $20 to cash an $900 check instead of the $3 that Walmart charges for the same frakking service.

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

Karl Bode

News Guy

Re: Suck at Life

quote:
That's what galls me so much about these policies. They don't inconvenience rich people, they take money from the poor or struggling lower-middle class people who need every dollar they get just to stay afloat.
Milton Friedman and friends simply don't care.

Their entire existence and philosophical makeup is based upon profit at any at all cost. There is no negotiation or apathy.
viperlmw
Premium Member
join:2005-01-25

viperlmw

Premium Member

Re: Suck at Life

said by Karl Bode:

quote:
That's what galls me so much about these policies. They don't inconvenience rich people, they take money from the poor or struggling lower-middle class people who need every dollar they get just to stay afloat.
Milton Friedman and friends simply don't care.

Their entire existence and philosophical makeup is based upon profit at any at all cost. There is no negotiation or empathy.
Fixed it for you. Apathy to empathy.

DOStradamus
MVM
join:2003-11-04
Santa Rosa, CA

DOStradamus to Corydon

MVM

to Corydon
said by Corydon:

There are a lot of people who don't trust banks and would rather keep their money as cash stuffed in their mattress, but that's more a matter of financial education.
What tops that, are those seemingly allergic to cash - Do they realize as they go about their day, the MASSIVE paper trail they leave in their wake? The "gift" of the profile ("gold!") that could be mined from a week's worth of petty purchases they give the issuer of their favorite "plastic" -- not just to be usurped in-house for targeted adverticing, but dangling out there for anyone with a subpeona (or a Federal "badge")?

The privacy that cash provides is something even cash itself can't buy.

-NK
cooperaaaron
join:2004-04-10
Joliet, IL

cooperaaaron to S_engineer

Member

to S_engineer
I have gone to only a debt card and cash, for me, I like it. But the Wal-Mart card would be better if only because most are open 24 hrs a day, while most ( depends on where you are ) currency exchanges are open during the day, like most of the Western Unions.
Expand your moderator at work
caco
Premium Member
join:2005-03-10
Whittier, AK

caco to GlenQuagmire

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to GlenQuagmire
said by GlenQuagmire:

You must really suck at life if you have no bank account and have to pay in person with cash. Even if you don't have a computer you can go to the local library use one of their computer and have your bills paid in 5 minutes.
You didn't read the article did you?

odreian615
join:2006-01-18
Chicago, IL

odreian615 to GlenQuagmire

Member

to GlenQuagmire
Instead of a bank account why not just get one of those Walmart or Walgreens refillable debit cards

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
Netgear WNDR3700v2
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KrK to GlenQuagmire

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to GlenQuagmire
said by GlenQuagmire:

You must really suck at life if you have no bank account and have to pay in person with cash. Even if you don't have a computer you can go to the local library use one of their computer and have your bills paid in 5 minutes.
Ok, explain to me how an identify theft victim, with their accounts locked down/closed, is going to pay bills online at the local library. They got some bill feeders hooked to their PC's there where U can feed in cash?
moonpuppy (banned)
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD

moonpuppy (banned) to GlenQuagmire

Member

to GlenQuagmire
said by GlenQuagmire:

You must really suck at life if you have no bank account and have to pay in person with cash. Even if you don't have a computer you can go to the local library use one of their computer and have your bills paid in 5 minutes.
Maybe if you read the article, there was a reason this woman did not have a checking account at the time.

ReformCRTC
Support Your Independent ISP
join:2004-03-07
Canada

ReformCRTC

Member

Re: Suck at Life

Yeah, it's called a bad credit rating.
moonpuppy (banned)
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD

moonpuppy (banned)

Member

Re: Suck at Life

said by ReformCRTC:

Yeah, it's called a bad credit rating.
Read the article then get back to me when you can make an intelligent replay.
Ulmo
join:2005-09-22
Aptos, CA

Ulmo to GlenQuagmire

Member

to GlenQuagmire
said by GlenQuagmire:

You must really suck at life if you have no bank account and have to pay in person with cash. Even if you don't have a computer you can go to the local library use one of their computer and have your bills paid in 5 minutes.
I'm perfectly willing to go open bank accounts, provided that corporations don't misbill me and auto-deduct those misbilled amounts from my checking accounts without my permission, which is how my last three checking accounts were closed (and which cascaded failures to three others). Now I only have one far-away bank account. I cannot open new accounts at this time despite many tries. Why? Because of corporations like AT&T, Sonic.net, iTunes (the first time I ever tried that, and the last), et al.

Not at all my fault, so why blame me for not having bank accounts?
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd to GlenQuagmire

Premium Member

to GlenQuagmire
and sadly if you refused to pay the "handling fee" for cash you would just see it on the next bill most likely with a large late fee.

ptrowski
Got Helix?
Premium Member
join:2005-03-14
Woodstock, CT

ptrowski

Premium Member

Just wrong.....

This is supremely wrong.

att sucks
@qwest.net

1 recommendation

att sucks

Anon

No time for the existing customers?

"We want our associates to spend their time helping customers as they are thinking about their wireless plans or looking at phones,"

In other words "Our employees are here to sell you stuff, after you buy we want nothing to do with you!"

•••••••••••••••••

Nick
Purveyor of common sense
MVM
join:2000-10-29
Smithtown, NY

Nick

MVM

Nickels and dimes

Anyone else find this statement particularly interesting
quote:
The concept of a human contact fee actually began at the National Bank of Chicago in 1995, when they started charging customers to speak to a live teller.
That's why there's a 2$ fee to take your cash out of an ATM at a (non-affiliated) bank. WHY?

Soon it will be
5$ to talk to a real person
2$ to pay by phone
1$ to pay by internet

Then they will tack on a 5% convenience charge like ticketmaster.
ISurfTooMuch
join:2007-04-23
Tuscaloosa, AL

ISurfTooMuch

Member

Re: Nickels and dimes

said by Nick:

That's why there's a 2$ fee to take your cash out of an ATM at a (non-affiliated) bank. WHY?
Because they can. ATM's have been identified as profit centers, so the banks are going to charge whatever they can to maximize that profit. You may recall that, when ATM's first appeared, many banks charged you a fee to use their own machines. That fee is pretty much gone now, but I think that's just because there was too much competition for them to keep charging it. Some bank somewhere dropped the fee, and so its competitors had to do the same or risk losing customers. The same holds true with credit card annual fees. You used to have to pay around $20/year just to carry a Visa or Mastercard.

It's all about what the market will bear, or, to put it more simply, what people are willing to pay. If companies can get people to pay these fees, they will charge them. Otherwise, they won't.
nanoflower
join:2002-07-14
30876

nanoflower to Nick

Member

to Nick
Try something more like $4-5 to pay by the internet. At least the last time I looked into paying a couple of my bills by the internet like my electricity bill it was about $4 to complete the transaction.

hitachi369
Embrace Your Rights
Premium Member
join:2001-10-03
Cincinnati, OH

1 recommendation

hitachi369

Premium Member

Why not just get a Money Order

Why not just stop any get a money order at a local grocery store. It will only cost you 50c and you will have proof you paid.

••••••••••••••

uneverknow
@sbc.com

uneverknow

Anon

silly me

never ever ever tick off customers trying to pay you

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
Netgear WNDR3700v2
Zoom 5341J

KrK

Premium Member

This is typical.... Use our Automated system or pay extra

... Problem is, THEY screw up (billing error, for example) and you CAN'T use the automated system, it *requires* a customer service rep to fix..... The second they start charging me to fix their screwups .... It's already a huge waste of our time. How come we can't charge THEM for wasting our time?
hottboiinnc4
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

hottboiinnc4

Member

Sprint PCS charged $2

Back in the day when Sprint was known as Sprint PCS they charged $2 to speak with a CSR for anything. Only because Clair could do just about anything they could except bill credits. That didnt last too long with them as they decided to scrap the fee about a year later after it was announced. That was back in Early 2000

weedahoe1
@pg.com

weedahoe1

Anon

HSBC charges...............

and has been doing it for as long as I was a member but I finally got away from them when I refinanced.
hottboiinnc4
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

hottboiinnc4

Member

Re: HSBC charges...............

yah with them its called a fee for doing business with HK (yes HSBC is based there and the world's largest bank)

fireflier
Coffee. . .Need Coffee
Premium Member
join:2001-05-25
Limbo

1 recommendation

fireflier

Premium Member

Fair is fair

Alrighty then. I guess the next time I call AT&T to change a plan option, inquire about something related to my plan, etc. and they start into their script to try to sign me up for DSL or long distance or some other services, I'll just say:

"I'm sorry but the purposes for placing this call have been addressed and I have no further business I need to conduct with you at this time. Recognizing that my time is valuable too, you can discuss additional plan features with me, but to do so, you will be required to credit my next AT&T billing statement $4. Do I have your agreement at this time to discuss additional plan features in exchange for a the required $4 credit?"

I'm pretty sure I know how that would be answered. . .
ISurfTooMuch
join:2007-04-23
Tuscaloosa, AL

1 recommendation

ISurfTooMuch

Member

Re: Fair is fair

Or how about charging them a fee for the time you have to spend on hold waiting for them to fix an error they caused? If taking their time costs me money, then taking my time should cost them money.

jimbo48
join:2000-11-17
Asheville, NC

jimbo48

Member

Re: Fair is fair

amen- My time is just as valuable to me as their time is to them.

karlmarx
join:2006-09-18
Moscow, ID

karlmarx

Member

Has anyone actually LOOKED at Money?

If you look at a $1.00 bill, you will notice the following words...

"This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private".

That means very simply, if you HAVE a BILL for $1.00, then you have every LEGAL RIGHT to pay that bill with a $1.00 bill.

The problem here is that the BILL is for a certain amount, but they are attempting to charge you MORE than that, by adding on a 'service charge'. That should be ILLEGAL. Your BILL is your BILL.

Look at it this way, how will you feel when they start charging a $3.00 fee to pay by check. Don't think they won't, and it would be LEGAL, because a CHECK is not legal tender. What if they charged you %10 to use a credit card, again, not a problem, because a credit card is not legal tender. The US dollar is the ultimate legal tender, and can be used to settle ANY debt in US dollars (which is what your bill is)

I for one would like to see a state attorney general take on this ILLEGAL practice. If the BILL is $10.00, the a $10.00 dollar bill can LEGALLY satisfy that debt. If the BILL was $12.00, then they could charge $12.00, but that's not the case here. The BILL CAN BE PAID IN CASH. PERIOD. NO SURCHARGE, NO EXTRA FEES. You are settling a debt, and the US dollar is legal tender to settle that debt. Charging extra is STEALING from the person.

•••••••••••

mod_wastrel
anonome
join:2008-03-28

mod_wastrel

Member

First comes the bill,

then comes the fee in order to pay the bill.

Hmmm, what's next? (I'm sure they'll come up with something.)

C0deZer0
Oc'D To Rhythm And Police
Premium Member
join:2001-10-03
Tempe, AZ

C0deZer0

Premium Member

Here's an idea

Why don't we offshore the numbnuts that thought this was a good idea in the first place? By that meaning, the accountants.

Who the fuck needs an accountant anymore? They don't really speak to anyone, they never have any good news to tell anyone, and what is supposed to be their primary job (crunching numbers) has been effectively replaced decades ago with the advent of calculators and spreadsheet software.

I will definitely wager that all these companies complaining about the high cost of hiring/maintaining quality personnel, have never bothered to account that their accountants cost more. And rather than having a fleet of accountants who then take a full fiscal quarter to find out and tell the board of directors that they went from having a surplus of income to being billions of dollars in debt (which is what prompts such crazy, panicky decision making), to using some spreadsheet scripting to give them daily (if not real-time) summary reports of economic performance?

I don't care if the accounts are crunched by an english speaking person or a Phillippino or a Hindu person - they're not the ones speaking to me, and math is a universal language. The people that actually interface with the client/customer/guest? Of course I want them to be speaking the same language(s).

Haven't we learned a damned thing from Enron? Accountants are worse than the damned board of directors for screwing over a company.

Chaoswar
Premium Member
join:2002-09-23
Northlake IL

Chaoswar

Premium Member

also does a few other things...

What if there is an error on your bill is under $5.00? Does that mean because it's cheaper to let it slide than calling to get it fixed, we'll be forced to let it slide?

TacoStand
@kbb.com

TacoStand

Anon

Charging companies to hear their marketing calls

Hey, I am in the business of living.

So, next time a telemarketer from AT&T calls, I will tell them that it'll cost them $5 for me to hear their sales pitch.
Unreasonable
join:2007-10-15
Portland, OR

Unreasonable

Member

tax on the incompetent

while I disagree with fees to pay bills, I do think any customer service rep should be empowered to impose a penalty charge for grievous stupidity.

Maybe that's what they're doing here.

Charge the fee, then waive it for anyone smart enough to dispute it.

I know when people would call in and ask "what's this $.45/minute charge for using 100 more minutes than I had in my plan..." I desperately wanted to choke them to death.

The charge sucked - but it wasn't remotely complicated.

People who try to get over by playing stupid need to be drowned in a gunny sack.

goalieskates
Premium Member
join:2004-09-12
land of big

goalieskates

Premium Member

No customer service, no purchase

If AT&T wants to save money, they should quit sending cr*p to the house asking us to come back. After reading this, it'll be a cold day you-know-where.
Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL

Mr Matt

Member

More Wireless Bologni or an Opportunity to dump AT&T?

Looks like a material change to AT&T's Rates which would allow a subscriber to cancel service. What an excellent opportunity for a dissatisfied subscriber to give AT&T their walking papers. Any lawyers out there have an opinion?
chgocolt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-10
Chicago, IL

chgocolt

Premium Member

Fees for electronic but not for paper.

Lets see... It cost $5 to talk to a billing agent to pay by phone.

There's a $2 "convenience fee" to pay by credit card instead of direct deduction from your checking.

But when I set them up for electronic bill presentation and electronic payment I don't get a discount.

I'm going to force them to go back to paper bill and me sending a paper check. It will cost them more to print, mail a bill and accept paper payment. If everyone did that maybe they'd see the light.
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