Getting Billed to get your Bills

[Kornman00]

T-MOBILE USERS TO BE BILLED FOR BILLS (http://redtape.msnbc.com/2009/09/rob-connor-of-charleston-sc-watches-his-bills-carefully-so-hes-pretty-steamed-that-soon-hes-going-to-have-to-pay-for-th.html)

Basically, T-Mobile is making an agressive move to try and help the environment at the expense (literally) of users who don't or can't use the internet. While I think this is an awesome move by T-Mobile, I have to feel for those who can't get internet at home. Wether they be older or not able to pay for things such as a new computer along with another bill for an internet connection, there are sometimes legit reasons to not be up to speed with the rest of the world. Of course there are some people who are just bullshitting and will say that technology is the devil, but in this case they wouldn't be using a cell-phone but I digress.

Whats your stance in this situation? Do you agree that users should be charged a fairly small amount to receive paper bills compared to having free, emailed/electronic bills?

EDIT: In regards to the cell-phone thing: Don't most cell phone users get internet access on their phones with their service? True, some people may have old, out dated caveman phones (guilty)

[MetKiller Joe]

Honestly, if it was <$5 I don't think I'd be mad about it. More than that, and I'd start looking for a new provider; that's it.

I'll be green on my own time/money thank you.

[Kornman00]

I'll be green on my own time/money thank you.
This is a huge worldwide company trying to make a "green" change in their SOP. While I can understand how you would not want to "conform" and/or choose your own methods, the world and it's people don't get anywhere as a whole by being stubborn and unsupportive to changes such as these (environmentally friendly change)

Hope you don't think I'm trying to bash your philosophy, just sprouting my 2c

[Bodzilla]

my honest opinion is yoru an idiot if you think this has anything to do with the enviroment.

Same thing for the emissions trading scheme.
the output wont go down, all that will happen is we'll all be out of more money.

[Kornman00]

my honest opinion is yoru an idiot if you think this has anything to do with the enviroment.

Same thing for the emissions trading scheme.
the output wont go down, all that will happen is we'll all be out of more money.
You honestly didn't read what I said, or the article did you?

You can get bills sent to you. Electroniclly. For free. Free != money. Don't bring that "fight-the-machine" ignorance in here :|

This paper-tax isn't the only move cell-phone companies have made in their promotion of a change in operations. Verizon was giving out a chance to win a Toyota Prius to consumers who made the switch.

[ThePlague]

I think Cricket does the same thing. We just had them send the bills anyway, but we sometimes pay on-line incase we forget to send them.

[Timo]

Customers should get a discount for electronic bills instead of charged for paper ones. I guess that wouldn't make an money, though :x

[Rosco]

Good idea.

[Ganon]

get with the times tbh.

[jcap]

No.

T-Mobile is already billing you for your paper bills. The fee is included in your plan, just like those pussies pass on just about every other fee that's theirs to the customer. They're just making up yet another excuse to bill you DOUBLE. If you choose electronic billing, you should get a DISCOUNT of whatever they would charge for paper billing.

[=sw=warlord]

Me, i use pay as you go on my phone, i might top maybe £10 a month if that.
Thus no need to worry about paper bills.:iamafag:

[paladin]

No.

[Cojafoji]

poor people with your poor little phones. you should evolve and develop telepathy, like my species.

[MetKiller Joe]

This is a huge worldwide company trying to make a "green" change in their SOP. While I can understand how you would not want to "conform" and/or choose your own methods, the world and it's people don't get anywhere as a whole by being stubborn and unsupportive to changes such as these (environmentally friendly change).

That's fine. I'm just not going to use their service if it is charging a lot for billing. I could care less about their stance on 'X'. That's politics, and I'm paying them for cell phone service.

It is not conforming or not conforming; it is simply I don't want somebody thinking they know better than I about my actions impacting people around me.

But all of this irrelevant to me anyway because I use prepaid.

[Bodzilla]

No.

T-Mobile is already billing you for your paper bills. The fee is included in your plan, just like those pussies pass on just about every other fee that's theirs to the customer. They're just making up yet another excuse to bill you DOUBLE. If you choose electronic billing, you should get a DISCOUNT of whatever they would charge for paper billing.
B-i-n-g-o

[Corndogman]

Irrelevant, T-Mobile is shitty in the first place :downsdance:

[annihilation]

I know it's a discouraged, I put it in a spoiler so you don't have to see it.
YO DAWG! WE HERD YOU LIEK BILLS SO WE PUT A BILL IN YO BILL SO YOU CAN PAY WHILE YOU PAY

But serously, forcing people to be green by making them pay for paper bills is going a little too far.
Although instead of charging people for paper bills they should take a discount for paying online. (I know this was posted last page but I'm saying it again)

I'd drop Fee-Mobile if I had them.

[legionaire45]

I can't wait until Google takes over the telephony market with Google Voice ;D.

[Dwood]

Srs. If they wanted to go green they should use recycled Ink and Paper.

[Ganon]

I say we just go medieval and have 1 guy go around town collecting the king's taxes. 50 lashings to those who go bankrupt!

[Heathen]

great idea I think.

Its gonna make people leave though.

and bod, it kills 2 birds with one stone.

they get more money for nothing, and they help the environment.

[Warsaw]

Technology is the devil, look at how badass the world was in the first half of the 20th century and look how lame it's gotten. :downs:

I think it's a great idea, actually. Not only does it help the environment, but it's also one less piece of mail on the junk pile.

[Xetsuei]

great idea I think.

Its gonna make people leave though.

and bod, it kills 2 birds with one stone.

they get more money for nothing, and they help the environment.

1. They already charge you for it.
2. Have you ever seen a paper phone bill in your entire life? Sure doesn't seem like it, because that amount of paper costs nowhere near $5.

This isn't helping the environment. People will still use the paper and not recycle it. It just means T-Mobile will make bank and people will have to pay more. Can't quite comprehend that people would think this is a good idea, think it through more.

[Warsaw]

It is a good idea. The people who have internet and opt to keep using paper are fools and are throwing even more money out the window than they have to. It's just the one's who are using T-Mobile and haven't access to the internet that are losing out, and that is probably more than likely a minority of subscribers.

[paladin]

I can't wait until Google takes over the telephony market with Google Voice ;D.

Im using the beta and its pretty sweet, but it forwards to my tele anyways. :gonk:

[Xetsuei]

It is a good idea. The people who have internet and opt to keep using paper are fools and are throwing even more money out the window than they have to. It's just the one's who are using T-Mobile and haven't access to the internet that are losing out, and that is probably more than likely a minority of subscribers.

It is a good idea in theory, but really it's just a way for T-Mobile to just cash in more on shit that they should be paying for themselves. All you seem to see of this is it making people stop using paper bills and saving the environment and everything being great, quit being so damn ignorant.

And it's already been said, but they're already charging people for this.

[Bodzilla]

great idea I think.

Its gonna make people leave though.

and bod, it kills 2 birds with one stone.

they get more money for nothing, and they help the environment.
they only help the environment if output goes down

which wont happen.

[Kornman00]

I have to agree, the $3.50 a month additive to your bill just to get paper bills is high for what it's worth (literally). However, the idea of putting a "tax" on a service which is both slow and becoming out dated when there is a free alternative which is actually faster and easier to archive and sometimes even track, isn't such a "monster" of an idea that some of you seem to want to make it. Unless again, you're being charged an extra 3.50 for a couple papers.

Actually it also cost them money to send postage to you, where as they can just use their already existing hosting and email system to email bills and alerts in a instant. Pretty soon the only thing the postal system will be needed for are hard copies of documents and e-bay items. Until someone invents teleportation, then they're pretty much fucked.

EDIT: anyone else find the order of the colors and how they matched to the poll options funny?

[Bodzilla]

but where is this so called Tax going?

oh thats right, no conflict of interest here fellas.
KM my dear beloved bouquet, it's a sham.

[Kornman00]

Um, on the fact that the it's an unnecessary mode of information which actually partakes in the destruction in an environmental factor which we need. You know how trees actually use CO2 to "breathe". There still stands a free mode of information travel, which doesn't take unnecessary resources out of our environment.

[neuro]

i dont see the problem, here in holland we've always had to pay for our bills in paper-format (not much, like 5 euros per year or something)

they just made the option of NOT-receiving it in paper form, free.

what's the hassle about, it's not like you're all going to have to face massive losses because they're going to charge you 5 dollars per YEAR (chances are, youll find 5 dollars on the street each year too)

people making a drama over this need to get the hell over it.

whiners.

edit: 3.50 dollars per month.

wooooo we're all going to the poor-house.
if you need to save the money, then just once per month, DONT stuff your face with icecream, problem solved.

[annihilation]

And what about people living paycheck to paycheck?
Those people that barley have any money to feed themselves.
Those people that struggle to make a living.
Those people working minimum wage trying to do the best they can.
Those people on foodstamps and welfare.
Those people who can't afford nice things.

Don't tell me it doesn't make a difference because it does.

[Bodzilla]

Um, on the fact that the it's an unnecessary mode of information which actually partakes in the destruction in an environmental factor which we need. You know how trees actually use CO2 to "breathe". There still stands a free mode of information travel, which doesn't take unnecessary resources out of our environment.
thats all well and dandy but it's not the reason they are implementing this mate.

lets compare it to the emissions trading scheme in australia (it's basically teh same thing except the tax is being imposed by the company itself with all profits going directly to the company).
Basically they're trying to implement a tax that Tax's a comapny based on the amount of emmisions they give off on a yearly basis, the more C02 they pumo out the more money they have to cough up.

sounds like a good idea right?


NO.

now theres no way in hell these companys are going to take the loss in profit, so what do they do? they increase the price to match or better the loss in Tax.
The tax goes to the government where it goes to anywhere but renewable energy resources, and the price increase.... well it goes to consumers.
our wages wont increase to cover the difference, we pay more for the same thing and ultimately EMMISIONS STAY EXACTLY THE SAME.

so at the end of the day, what have we accomplished?
nothing but a loss in revenue, but the worst part is we supported it because where being ignornat of the bigger picture.

The exact same things going on here KM only this Tax is GOING STRAIGHT TO THE COMPANY.

if they set up a fund where 100% of all profits gained from this tax went to the investment and research of new re-newable sources of energy then it's nothing but a fucking price hike with a pretty label.

now do you see what i'm getting at >________>

[Kornman00]

lets compare it to the emissions trading scheme in australia (it's basically teh same thing except the tax is being imposed by the company itself with all profits going directly to the company)

now do you see what i'm getting at >________>
Lets not and say we did because it still doesn't compare to the fact that there is A FREE AVENUE OF APPROACH (thus an alternative) in getting the bills you have to pay. There is no gov't sanction taxing companies on how much paper they're using, this is something they're doing on their own, how the hell do you get off comparing this to your emissions trading scheme?

I would ask if you see what I'm getting at, but you obviously don't.

[Bodzilla]

because the arguments there sporting FOR this are in direct contrast to the money they stand to gain from implementing it >____<.

seriously the profits they make from this need to be put to environmental cause's or it's just a smoke screen for an extra fee >_<


E: dont do this to Km i wub ou :phonegonk:

[Kornman00]

And whose to say none or a portion of the proceeds any of these phone companies are collecting AREN'T going to an environmental organization or cause? Just the fact that they're doing it is a deterrent on people to use the paper mechanism.

Phone services aren't a mandatory life style. You can always go prepaid, switch or say fuck-it and not use one at all. The world could use less chatter anyway. If you really want to "stick it to the man" just don't use cell phones at all.

[=sw=warlord]

If it's really that much of a issue, stop using phones and just use a PDA to send email.
Costs about the same for the device but E-Mail is free.
Those who are on such a low amount of income wouldnt be using contracts anyway, they would be more than likely to use prepaid talk time same as i do.
E: FFFFFUUUU KM.
>_>

[Bodzilla]

I'm not trying to stick it to the man KM D:

i just dont believe this

Just the fact that they're doing it is a deterrent on people to use the paper mechanism.


And if i was a company that did that for the environment and showed all the excess money was going to environmental cause's i'd be singing from the rooftops for publicity on what a great company i was producing documents and transparency showing exactly how mindful and awesome i was to the environment.
i'm just not seeing that mate. i'm just seeing a conflict of interest.

i think i've said all i could on the matter so i must a tout le monde to you on this issue.





<3 KM <3?

[Kornman00]

I think you may be mistaken warlord. The issue isn't about emailing via a cell phone. It's about some cell phone companies including extra cost in your bill in order to get paper copies sent via snail-mail, when you get get the same bill, for free, via email.

EDIT: Maybe because they're not trying to sound full of themselves? You're not seeing them "producing docments and transparencies"? So whats the problem?

[=sw=warlord]

I think you may be mistaken warlord. The issue isn't about emailing via a cell phone. It's about some cell phone companies including extra cost in your bill in order to get paper copies sent via snail-mail, when you get get the same bill, for free, via email.
I realise this but everyone seems to be making a large fuss saying think of those who are on low income well my point was if their on low income their not going to be spending large sums of money on contract telephone.

[Bodzilla]

i havnt mistaken him
i'm just looking at snail mail and seeing where the money's going and the reasons behind it's supposed existence and to me it's not matching up.

i'm smelling fish KM

ENOUGH GAOHKLGSLKHGLKHASG

<333???

:cry:

[Kornman00]

I was talking to warlord lol


I realise this but everyone seems to be making a large fuss saying think of those who are on low income well my point was if their on low income their not going to be spending large sums of money on contract telephone.
nvm then, sounded like you thought this was just about emailing via cell phones

[Bodzilla]

it appears that i have.

act ta foo.
http://www.modacity.net/forums/styles/smilies/emot-caruso.gif

[Warsaw]

It is a good idea in theory, but really it's just a way for T-Mobile to just cash in more on shit that they should be paying for themselves. All you seem to see of this is it making people stop using paper bills and saving the environment and everything being great, quit being so damn ignorant.

And it's already been said, but they're already charging people for this.

I couldn't care less about the einvironment, tbqh. Nothing except a complete move away from fossil fuels is going to do jack squat. So T-Mobile came up with a way to make more money, yes, it doesn't take a genius of your caliber to reach that conclusion. Please, tell me more, oh wise one! :allears:

Chances are, if you can afford a contract for a cell phone, you can probably afford a measly $20 per month for a 768k connection too, which is more than sufficient for browsing the web. I think it's a great idea because I'm online quite often, and would pay bills that way too if I personally had to pay them. It's more convenient for me; yeah, it didn't cost anything extra before, but now there's more incentive to do it this way. It's an example of Darwinism: the idiots will throw out more money than necessary, while the better part will use the online billing. The only ones skewing this are those without net access, which is highly unlikely for the above reason. Now, because my statement was based on how this T-Mobile thing applies to me, which is all that really matters as far as I am concerned, I am now ignorant? Yeah, you're a bright cookie, you are. :downs:

[paladin]

The only problem with paying bills online is that most of the time (at least for me) the charge is automatic. That means when I get paid, they can take my monies before I can touch it :gonk:

[Dwood]

What if i dont want to use a credit card? or attach them to my bank acct? i would have to pay more b/c i dont trust them?

[=sw=warlord]

What if i dont want to use a credit card? or attach them to my bank acct? i would have to pay more b/c i dont trust them?
y'see theres this lovely thing called paypal.:eng101: