Telecom to charge $1.50 for paper bills

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Telecom to charge $1.50 for paper bills

mattwnz

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#142426 12-Mar-2014 14:48

In todays news
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/9819249/Telecom-charge-for-old-school-bills

I hope they will be first contacting people and warning them about the change, before billing them, so they can then choose to elect to receive paper billing or not prior to this change going through. Otherwise they are going to get a lot of annoyed people.

Doesn't look like they are passing the cost savings onto the customer though

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#1004316 12-Mar-2014 14:58

Does that mean that you'll save a buck fifty by opting out of receiving paper bills? I doubt it.

Whatifthespacekeyhadneverbeeninvented?

MikeB4

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#1004318 12-Mar-2014 15:00

DarthKermit: Does that mean that you'll save a buck fifty by opting out of receiving paper bills? I doubt it.

Yes as you won't be charged the $1.50

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

scuwp

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#1004320 12-Mar-2014 15:02

DarthKermit: Does that mean that you'll save a buck fifty by opting out of receiving paper bills? I doubt it.

So as well as not being charged $1:50, you want a $1:50 discount? Doesn't that make a $3 benefit ? Steady on!!

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

mattwnz

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#1004328 12-Mar-2014 15:12

scuwp:
DarthKermit: Does that mean that you'll save a buck fifty by opting out of receiving paper bills? I doubt it.

So as well as not being charged $1:50, you want a $1:50 discount? Doesn't that make a $3 benefit ? Steady on!!

I guess that depends on if you are already getting paper bills or not. If you are, then opting not to get them will mean that you are losing out on that $1.50 of value you previously had as part of the fee, for no real benefit to you, as the amount you are paying doesn't decrease to reflect the cost saving. All the benefit is for telecom in cost savings. If you look at it another way, it is effectively a $1.50 fee increase on the same level of service, unless you opt out of mailings.
Guess it will also reduce the volume of mail for NZ post too, as I am sure that telecom isn't a insignificant cusomter for them. With falling mail volumes it likely means in the future we will need to pay more to post stuff, if the number of things being posted continues to fall.

rugrat

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#1004341 12-Mar-2014 15:29

Looks like I'll be changing Isp's then.

Snap looks like my best option.

They only send email bills, but don't think they charge for credit card payment just got to double check that.

nathan

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#1004348 12-Mar-2014 15:31

SNAP don't charge extra for using a CC

Dell

Shop now for Dell laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

MikeB4

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#1004361 12-Mar-2014 15:50

rugrat: Looks like I'll be changing Isp's then.

Snap looks like my best option.

They only send email bills, but don't think they charge for credit card payment just got to double check that.

You will change ISP over $1.50 that is easily avoided by electronic billing which is easier and better for the planet? wow

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

mattwnz

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#1004363 12-Mar-2014 15:53

Apparently if you only have a phone line, and have broadband with another provider, you will still get a paper bill.
I personally don't have a problem if they reduced their fee to reflect the change, so both parties win from it. I think 50-50 saving share would be fair. I recall my old provider did this when they moved to online billing.

myfullflavour

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#1004365 12-Mar-2014 15:57

mattwnz: In todays news
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/9819249/Telecom-charge-for-old-school-bills

I hope they will be first contacting people and warning them about the change, before billing them, so they can then choose to elect to receive paper billing or not prior to this change going through. Otherwise they are going to get a lot of annoyed people.

Doesn't look like they are passing the cost savings onto the customer though

Good job Telecom. Thumbs up.

rugrat

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#1004369 12-Mar-2014 16:00

Not the amount. It's the principle.

They're charging money for asking to be paid. If you pay them the wrong way, i.e. credit card they charge.

Two ways to avoid telecoms fees, do it the way they want or move to someone that let's me do it the way I want without charging extra.

Good luck to them, if enough people leave, it'll be a complete backfire.

tdgeek

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#1004373 12-Mar-2014 16:05

If you register for My Telecom, you get online bills, avoid the new fee, and have everything on your bill easily accessible online. This includes links to change services/plans, etc, and access to the last 18 months of bills. The online bill is identical to the paper bill. And you get an email to alert the bill has been processed.

The cost of a paper bill is significant to any company, and the desire to be green. This cost has been absorbed for a great deal of time. In today's connected world, I feel this is fair, it's the way of the future. This is my opinion, I do work for Telecom.

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wellygary

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#1004375 12-Mar-2014 16:08

Once again a corporate balls' this up, everybody know a corporate saves money when a customer moves from paper to e-billing, the postage cost alone is probably at least 50c,

For an established corporate to say " we are not doing this for the money" is pure PR spin, Money minght not be driving the change but the corporate will pocket all the savings,

So why not give the customer the choice, save the 50c/$1.50 a month by going with e-billing or suffer the same costs as they are incurring now (and make it clear that paper billing may increase that cost in the future),

Simply bunging an additional charge on for a means of payment that is currently included in their cost structure will simply annoy customers,

VF tried this a few years ago and backed down from it, It will be interesting to see whether T/com can pull it off.

tdgeek

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#1004376 12-Mar-2014 16:09

mattwnz: Apparently if you only have a phone line, and have broadband with another provider, you will still get a paper bill.
I personally don't have a problem if they reduced their fee to reflect the change, so both parties win from it. I think 50-50 saving share would be fair. I recall my old provider did this when they moved to online billing.

If you have an account, I.e not prepay, you can register to My Telecom, online bill, no problem

rugrat

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#1004381 12-Mar-2014 16:15

tdgeek: If you register for My Telecom, you get online bills, avoid the new fee, and have everything on your bill easily accessible online. This includes links to change services/plans, etc, and access to the last 18 months of bills. The online bill is identical to the paper bill. And you get an email to alert the bill has been processed.

The cost of a paper bill is significant to any company, and the desire to be green. This cost has been absorbed for a great deal of time. In today's connected world, I feel this is fair, it's the way of the future. This is my opinion, I do work for Telecom.

Yes, but then I have no bill to take to New Zealand Post to pay. If I pay eletronically I like it to be by credit card, as then I only have one payment each month for every service and goods brought in that month. Easier to manage, then money coming out all over the place, but telecom charge for that.

NonprayingMantis

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#1004382 12-Mar-2014 16:19

rugrat: Looks like I'll be changing Isp's then.

Snap looks like my best option.

They only send email bills, but don't think they charge for credit card payment just got to double check that.

Snap charge $5 for a paper bill.

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