| Author |
Message |
    
sac
Supporter
Username: Sac
Post Number: 2450
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, August 5, 2005 - 9:06 pm: |     |
Maybe Eric and company can take this up also ...
I've been paying my WM bills online for awhile now and it was very clumsy because you had to input all kinds of account numbers, etc. as well as know your exact balance due from the paper statement in order to do so. They didn't have a "signin" where you could set up a userid, password, etc. like most vendors.
So, I was pleased this month to see that I could now enroll and create a username, etc. ... that is, I was pleased until I found out that they will not allow enrollment at all unless you discontinue receiving paper bills by mail.
Now, I'm all for reducing paper, but if anything happened to me and a paper bill didn't come in the mail, no one else in my house would know how to pay it. Not that they aren't computer literate, but it just isn't on their radar screens. And I think that this would be even more of a problem for senior citizens, etc.
I know that there are cost savings involved, but if WM wants to encourage people to reduce the paper in order to get those savings, then they need to pass them along to the customers, at least in part, rather than holding us hostage by refusing to allow online billpaying at all without it. I had one other creditor that would not do "online bill presentment" without elimination of the paper invoice and I could see that ... but they did still allow me to have a signin and see the latest balance due (and all transactions, actually) as well as make that online payment, so that seemed fair.
When I emailed WM to complain I also offered up another alternative that would satisfy me - automatic billing to a credit card (so long as such charge was not made an unreasonable number of days prior to the payment due date.) As far as I know this is not an option with WM, but I could live with it since my credit card bill does come in the mail.
I'm sure that there are no "customer bills of rights" that cover this, but I truly believe that this restriction on ability to make online payments should not be permitted. I'm willing to live with the clumsy system they had before if that's what it takes but, as it stands now, I can't use their system for online billpaying at all. Of course I can go do it from my end in the bank's online system, but not everyone has access to such a system and, if they do, it is not always free, so I don't think that entirely makes up for it.
OK ... I feel a little better now. |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 8872
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 - 10:03 am: | |
That's pretty lame. I never accept the no-paper option, though I predict that in ten years, it won't be an option any more.
|
Cynicalgirl
Citizen
Username: Cynicalgirl
Post Number: 1657
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 - 11:06 am: | |
I pay them from (was Fleet) BankAmerica web site (as I do most of my bills). I set them up as one of my payees. Haven't chosen the auto-pay option, but this seems pretty good. Are you into that kinda thing? I personally can't keep track of so many username/password things in my life so I've cut down on them.. |
Virtual It Girl
Citizen
Username: Shh
Post Number: 2920
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 - 11:12 am: | |
I'm with you CG. Since Fleet switched over to BoA I have paid so many bills through the Bill Pay, it's much easier than going to all the different websites. I also agree with Sac that paying WM bills through their website is a royal P-I-T-A. |
wendy
Supporter
Username: Wendy
Post Number: 1498
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 - 11:13 am: | |
I do the same as Cynicalgirl. I pay most of my bills through BankofAmerica. The only ones I pay through their own websites are the ones I want complete control of (because I don't want the funds deducted until the very last minute and I want no guesswork as far as when payment will be received because of finance charges): my mortgage; my credit cards. Everything else: online bill pay through my bank - best thing since sliced bread, imo. |
wendy
Supporter
Username: Wendy
Post Number: 1499
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 - 11:19 am: | |
Just out of curiosity, It Girl, why did you just start using bill pay after the switch? I had been using it for almost a year prior to the switch. I actually think I liked Fleet's system a little better, in fact. |
Virtual It Girl
Citizen
Username: Shh
Post Number: 2922
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 - 12:30 pm: | |
I don't know Wendy. I guess I'm just not so with it after all! |
wendy
Supporter
Username: Wendy
Post Number: 1502
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 - 1:04 pm: | |
Oh you're with it. With a new name like that how can you not be! |
sac
Supporter
Username: Sac
Post Number: 2479
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 - 5:38 pm: | |
Wendy, (re your 11:13 post), that's why I do try to use the various websites to pay bills ... it also gives me a couple of extra days before it actually hits my bank account (and I'm stingy about letting anyone have my money any sooner than necessary ... not because it isn't there, or at least not usually  .)
I also use Bank of America online billpaying and will probably give in and just set it up from there, but it does aggravate me.
I just think that the whole idea of requiring cancellation of mailed statements as a condition upon using the online billpaying option is wrong ... especially since it (online billpaying) clearly benefits the payee as much or more as the customer. |
wendy
Supporter
Username: Wendy
Post Number: 1508
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, August 8, 2005 - 9:31 pm: | |
I agree that requiring cancellation of mailed statements as a condition is wrong. And I agree with you about the stinginess or, for a better word, enjoying the float. However for those relatively small bills: garbage, phone, etc, I pay them close to when they're due and since payment is often through an electronic memo thingie the bank has set up, it gets to them quite quickly.
On the other hand, the big bills: mortgage, credit card(s), I control when I pay and release by going through them. Hey it's a trash company and NJ - fuhgedaboudit! |
dominique vitali
Citizen
Username: Dom
Post Number: 5
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Monday, August 15, 2005 - 2:29 pm: | |
the question should be, why are we even paying for WM? Other towns have their garbage pick up included in their taxes...and their taxes are LOWER!!! |
Chris Prenovost
Citizen
Username: Chris_prenovost
Post Number: 459
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Monday, August 22, 2005 - 8:11 pm: | |
Yes, but our bureaucracy drives better imports than theirs do. |
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