Oh, how I wish I hadn't switched my wireless service recently from T-Mobile, because I would dearly love to tell my former provider where to go over this one.
The gall, the unmitigated gall of charging customers $1.50 per month for the privilege of receiving a paper bill cannot be overstated. (That's on top of an existing $2 charge for detailed paper billing.) I was receiving a paper bill until the bitter end; I liked it that way.
(Update, Sept. 15: T-Mobile caves, abandons added fee.)
And please don't try to tell me that this action has anything to do with the environment. It's about the money. It's always about the money.
At least that's my opinion. However, a writer on this site -- TmoNews: The Unofficial T-Mobile Blog -- sees nothing be benevolent environmental consciousness in the decision of his favorite service provider. "T-mobile is citing the obvious for the reasons for the charge, costs involved with printing the paper billing as well as the cost of mailing it out," writes 'David.' "There is an obvious hope to reduce environmental impact associated with paper bills and T-mobile hopes to encourage its customer base to go paperless. Personally, I'm paperless for almost everything and I love it, less clutter = a happy David."
Happy David reminds me of Kevin Bacon's character in "Animal House."
Not quite so thankful for T-Mobile's action will be those like my 84-year-old father, who, despite endless cajoling from his children and pressure from society, refuses to own a computer. Call him a Luddite, but don't call him unreasonable for expecting a paper bill without having to pay extra.
The $1.50 fee kicks in Sept. 12 for those customers who don't quit first.
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I've had T-mobile for 8
I've had T-mobile for 8 years now, and my bill has not gone up a single penny in that time, unlike every other bill. Raising the price $1.50 after 8 years ain't bad at all! Of course, I quit getting paper bills long ago. I'm actually pissed at those utilities that want me to pay to get an electronic bill...
It *has* to do with the envisroment - as well
This is like charging extra for paper / plastic bags which progressive countries have done for decades. As much as we may dislike it when we have to pay for it, it is the only realistic way to reduce paper and transportation impact on the enviromnent.
I don't see anything in Paul's article that would compensate for the evironmental impact of sending out all these paper statements.
Time to move to 2009. If you still want superfluos paper statements, pay the cost for it and T-Mobile may not have to raise fees for the rest of us.
really
really? It has nothing to do with the enviroment. Not when you consider all of the coal ect... That your computer is using, its about money. Believe me T-mobile has shown that they will change your contract and the rules mid game and you have no recourse. They will raise the fees on you when they can think of how to do it. Next fee $2.00 for them to type your bill into their computer?
So what?
If it is helping the environment AND they improve their profit margins in the process, what's your problem? Who cares what their motivation is? They are a mobile phone company, and as such are there to make profit.
Taking in to account the current financial climate it makes sense that they would do something like this - You sir, are the frustration for thinking it's OK for T-Mobile to send out hundreds of thousands sheets of paper. So a few people who can't use a computer get annoyed, this is for the greater good (and yes, by good I mean T-Mobile's profit margins AND the environment).
People SHOULD pay if they wish to waste paper needlessly - maybe your father would like them to pack in with polystyrene and tape it into a paper bag and fly it round the world 3 times too?
Get a grip
Cheapskate
i wish all companies would do that. Paper bills are so last century.
There was a solution that
There was a solution that would have made everyone happy (ok, maybe not T-Mobile):
Instead of charging extra for paper bill, they could have charged less for no paper bill. That would have made sense.
Uh, that's what they're doing...
What you're describing is exactly what they're doing, only stated differently. Either way the people who are too retarded to read their bills online will have to pay a dollar fifty more than the rest of us, which I really don't see any problems with.
Failed.......
Ummm, no they are not.
It seems you have failed at both math and economics.
If they were charging less, all those people that were reading the bills online would not be charged $1.5. And those that did would be charged the same amount for the bill.
I bet you work for the government in the economics department.
"Not quite so thankful for
"Not quite so thankful for T-Mobile's action will be those like my 84-year-old father, who, despite endless cajoling from his children and pressure from society, refuses to own a computer."
Yeah well it's called change, get with it or get dragged under it.
Jobs!Jobs!Jobs!
What about the postal workers that will lose their job when we eliminate paper mail products.
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