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Telus to start charging $2 for paper bill

23K views 79 replies 33 participants last post by  boseman 
#1 ·
So got my Telus Mobility bill today & low and behold they are going to start charging $2 a month for my paper bill. These phone, cable & satellite companies are ripoff artists.

I am thinking of calling them and telling them that if they charge me $2, I will stop paying my bill on the first bill that it appears. Let em put it into collection for all I care as I am tired of being ripped off.

Alt
 
#33 ·
This is nothing new. Telus is not the first to do this.

Both PDF and paper can be forged, altered or counterfeit.

Just because you don't physically have the paper bill doesnt mean you dont have to pay and late fees wont apply. You know what the monthly fees are, your billing cycle date. It's your responcibility to know what is due and when. There are many ways to find out such as self serve IVR, online, with an agent, e bill and lastly, paper bill. The bill can be disputed usually up to three months.

This reminds me of how supermarkets charge for plastic bags when you can easily bring your own reusable ones and avoid the fee.

I know they have special set ups for hearing and visually impaired customers. They will need to add technologically impared for their senior clients :p
 
#35 ·
I agree with katt.

Most people know what monthly bills they have. Even if you don't know the exact amount you should know that something is due. Waiting several months before realizing you're late on payments is just irresponsible. Time to grow up people and stop making excuses.
 
#37 ·
Most people know what monthly bills they have. Even if you don't know the exact amount you should know that something is due.
Absolutely not! I do not accept that. I want a detailed breakdown of what is owed so I can verify myself that I'm being charged properly and that nothing extra is added without my knowledge. I don't want to just guess or just be given a final amount. I want to know what makes the final amount detailed on an actual bill (be it mailed or emailed).

We just moved from Ontario to Alberta and in order to have our driver's license changed, apply for provincial healthcare, etc, we needed to provide a few proof of residency and one of those proof has to be a bill addressed to our house and with our name. They specifically said that internet bill printouts were NOT accepted. Imagine if everything becomes eBills...
 
#36 ·
two dollar telus

come on people this is just a cash grab by telus if they were so concerned about cost efficiency and the planet they would not be sending out billions of pieces of junk mail bi-weekly across canada
there seems to be people out there
with the bend over attitude
I am paying for a monthly service send me a bill
I will be changing service providers ( nothing may change ) to let telus know I am not happy with what they have done


united we stand divided we fall
 
#38 ·
Interesting ramifications. I guess what Alberta wants for proof of residency is a bill that was actually delivered by Canada Post (a reputable and offical agent) to your claimed residence address. As a result an e-bill doesn't prove a thing to Alberta. Which kid of reinforces what I said earlier about whether or not an e-bill would stand up in court.

What surprises me is how many here seem to have accepted the "less is OK" philosophy of Telus. With all the billing mistakes made by the various cable/satellite companies I would have expected more scepticism and insistence on receiving a real paper bill. Might be interesting to see if there is an age/sex/income divide on this subject.
 
#41 ·
What surprises me is how many here seem to have accepted the "less is OK" philosophy of Telus. With all the billing mistakes made by the various cable/satellite companies I would have expected more scepticism and insistence on receiving a real paper bill. Might be interesting to see if there is an age/sex/income divide on this subject.
How is a paper bill received in the mail any more accurate than one viewed online? Don't people realize that the data source for both online bills and printed bills is the same billing system? I would argue that the online bill is more up to date as it's likely viewing the data in real time (or near real time) whereas the paper bill is days or perhaps more than a week old by the time you view it.
 
#39 ·
You can still access a detailed breakdown online and have reminders emailed to you. You won't lose access to any information.

Which provider are you going to switch to? Bell already charges for paper bills and if Rogers doesn't I'm sure they will soon. Wind and Mobilicity don'e even send bills. Like it or not this is the reality of telecom service now. Why don't I have a problem with it? I think e-billing is a much better and more efficient method anyway, and I don't like that I'm subsidizing the people who refuse to move to the new system because they don't like change.

I am honestly surprised and unimpressed when companies will tell me I have to wait for a paper bill.
 
#42 ·
xray, it's not stupid. It's purpose is cut down on fraud. The real problem is that the government has not kept up with the times. There needs to be a provision that either lets an e-bill (certified in some way) be acceptable as residency ID or perhaps the government would physically mail a short form/certificate to your address that upon presentation at the licence bureau would prove your residence address. Fact is with more companies going to e-billing the government is going to have to come up with some kind of solution. In a few years few of us will still be getting paper bills of any kind but we'll still want to drive/receive health care.
 
#45 ·
Another money grab

I am not against going to e-Billing, in fact, I did sign up for it once before but kept getting paper bills in the mail. I never bothered to see why that change never happened.

Also, I do see e-bills as the way of the future for those who have the technology to take advantage of it. However, as others have pointed out, there are many people who do not have the resources and this will unfairly penalize them,

The issue I have is that Telus is touting this as a green initiative. Not sending me a paper bill will save a tree? Perhaps, but they should be thinking bigger. How about not sending me those damn glossy adverts every week and save a whole forest?
 
#49 ·
$2 is less than the cost to Telus to mail you a bill. Factor in processing, printing, and postage, and it will come out to more then $2 each.

I expect a paper bill as part of the service I am paying for.
Like it or not, that is no longer a part of most telecom or banking services, and more and more industries are moving that way. Get used to it, because you won't have a choice.
 
#48 ·
$2-4 to the print and send a bill, come on. Guess with those inefficiencies is the reason my utilities cost what they do.

But on the other side, wonder about starting a business here. How's this model, you give me your account info and I'll print up and send a bill to you, how's $1.75 a month.
 
#51 ·
Yeah, sorry about that, I had it confused with another (extremely similar) thread. I'll try and find my source on that.

Edit: In the meantime I stumbled upon this:

For our wireless customers who choose the paperless billing option, we are providing 3 alternate ways to get their bills – all free of charge:

• A free cell phone app that will allow them to review their bills directly on their cellphone.

• A free call to *611. Follow the automated prompts to access and review their bill.

• Online via the internet – they can even go back up to 18 months and save their bills into a PDF file or print them at their home or office if they need paper copies for tax reasons, etc.
For those seniors who would have difficulty using the app (e.g. deteriorating eyesight) or would find the *611 call too difficult to use, we will continue to send them a paper bill at no charge.
Here’s a quick snapshot of where we think some of the other carriers are at with paper bills:

• Virgin: paperless default; $4/paper bill

• Wind Mobile: paperless default; $4/paper bill

• Fido: default is $2 paper bill

• Bell: default is $2 paper bill

• US Carriers: AT&T, Sprint Nextel, Verizon: 1$/page for detailed billing

• Mobilicity – does not offer a paper bill and charges a fee to pay in-store

• Public Mobile – does not offer a paper bill and charges $3 to pay in-store
 
#52 ·
Proof if residency is required:
- To change your driver's licence when you move (see earlier post in this thread)
- To obtain a Health Card (Ontario anyway)
- To vote in some circumstances

If all of our bills become e-bills and the printed version of the e-bill is not acceptable as several have reported here, let us hope that the people in charge of these functions come up quickly with an alternate method of proving where one lives. Torontocolin's description of how things are handled by Toronto may well be the model for the rest of Canada.

This topic is actually more serious than the $2.00 charge aspect. I can think of several occasions in the last two years that I used a paper bill in the last two years for some "official" purpose.
 
#53 ·
When I moved last year (within Ontario) I was able to update my address for my driver's license and health card online and they simply sent me a new one.

If you're moving you would have either a property deed or a rental/lease agreement which would, by definition, be paper proof of residence.

As much as I like the postcard system it is almost never used. Most people simply can't be bothered to wait for it to get to them and find something else. It hasn't exactly been soaring in popularity and, as is so often the case with government agencies, I would imagine several divisions which should offer it as an option don't even know about it.
 
#55 ·
If you're moving you would have either a property deed or a rental/lease agreement which would, by definition, be paper proof of residence.
Not for applying for Alberta Healthcare. The proof of residency has to be an alberta photo-id driver's license (which we didn't have since we moved from Ontario), an Alberta registry ID card (which we don't have), or a paper bill for an Alberta residence.

The point here is don't assume you have the answer for all circumstances.
 
#56 ·
Then take your property deed or a rental/lease agreement to get a driver's license and then take that to get Healthcare.

I'll be honest, I don't know what it's like in Alberta, but I doubt your Telus bill is likely to come in the mail that much faster than your driver's license. And if it will, pay $2.00 once and then switch to paperless. $2.00 seems like a pretty reasonable value for something that important.
 
#59 ·
Then take your property deed or a rental/lease agreement to get a driver's license and then take that to get Healthcare.
Takes 3-4 weeks to get the photo id driver's license. Don't assume you have the answer to all situations. I recently went through this process. You did not. I provided a bill as asked and my coverage was approved without issues. And I did say they require a bill. It's right on the form you have to fill.
 
#60 ·
It's been a while since I used a post-paid wireless account, but do you not need a month of service before Telus will send you a bill anyway? Aside from which, if you need a bill you can simply pay $2.00 for one paper bill.

This is a fault with the government of Alberta, it has nothing to do with Telus or the service they provide you with. They don't send you bills so that you can use them as identification, that was just an ancillary benefit. It is the responsibility of the government of Alberta to make sure you have sufficient options available to you to register for Healthcare, not Telus.
 
#61 ·
I provided a utility bill. I did mention "Imagine if everything becomes eBills". There are real issues if it happens and everything else depending on paper bills doesn't adapt. Healthcare was one thing. Car registration also required it. And new insurance coverage.

Sure it's not Telus' fault, but can you not see some justification to the resistance? We would've been in a pretty nasty situation if everything had been eBilling. They specifically said "no printed bills".
 
#62 ·
Of course this is a cash grab!!!

I used to work for a company that printed credit card bills and it does NOT cost $2 per bill.

Also... do you believe that mail servers, firewalls, internet bandwith and IT staff are free? They don't just whip off the emails from a desktop PC somewhere.

Certainly an IT staff of administrators, managers, software, hardware, licenses, power, hosting, and security cost at least as much as a paper bill.

As for everybody having access to the internet... my mom lives in Belleville and can only get dial-up. So, while she has it, MOST of her neighbors do not. To suggest that these people have to buy a laptop and go to a library to get their bill is simply ludacris.

We would have to be ignorant to think that TELUS didn't think if discounting for e-bills instead, but the fact is that e-bills do not generate revenue.

The last thing I need is TELUS slipping their mistakes by me because my bill is in my inbox instead of in my hands.
 
#63 ·
Telus Paper Bill fee

I don't care what additional charge Telus wants to dream up to add revenue. They are going broke sending me those valuable perks coupons with my bill.

My concern will continue to be that since Telus has added a new fee to my contract-the contract has changed and up for renewal.

For those of you that talk about bank statements charging-at least I have a choice generally can move to another option. With Telus my fee to break the contract is $280.00.


I have no concern with Telus adding a new fee at renewal time or as a new customer.

As a customer under a contract I have no protection to Telus new fees-this is wrong.

Filed a complaint with industry based complaints organization. (Not expecting much here.) http://www.ccts-cprst.ca

Awaiting the standard manager call back in 24-72 hours. I will take this to CEO's office.

Anyone looked into further escalation into this?(Changing consumer legislation, class action, etc..)
 
#64 ·
I don't agree with Telus adding this charge to customers that are in an existing contract. However I have no problem with a company that wants to charge for a paper bill. I know they are not doing this to save paper, thus saving our forests, they are probably doing this for another source of revenue. The ultimate result will be less paper wasted, and this will help save our forests.

Telus should only be implementing this change for new customers and people that are not in a contract.
 
#65 ·
Interesting thing I noticed when I logged into www.mytelusmobility.com account today, there is a notice at the top of every page when I was in my account:

"Important notice: Due to paperless billing’s popularity, we’re delaying the $2/mo. paper bill charge until further notice so more clients can switch."

If it is so popular, then why the need to delay? I venture there was a large backlash from customers over this cash grab. I think there is more to the delay than it being popular.

Alt
 
#66 ·
I won't get into the debate about the price of a mailed paper invoice or the trend to e-bills. I do have to question what kind of thinking is going on behind anyone who would argue a wireless invoice is proof of residence. A wireless bill proves only that someone who gave such and such an address is receiving wireless service and maybe paying for it, depending on the balance. Wireless services could be billed in Ontario for someone who has moved to or is living in another country or province and, as long as the bill is paid, the wireless provider would be none the wiser or care.

As for using other utility bills for services which are delivered to a fixed address, how does this help people who aren't named on such bills? Millions of Canadians don't pay property taxes or electricity or gas - they are called renters - but they still get health cards and such. Then there are the spouses and family members whose names do not appear on the household bills. Certainly there are far more reliable ways to prove where one lives than a bill from Telus mobility.
 
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