Paperless billing question

Kitty 34

Kitty 34

Hums in her sleep
Joined
Feb 16, 2000
Ok, right off the bat I know I'm showing my age here! ;)

We recently changed our TV/ landline/ and internet to AT&T services. When I called and set things up with "Tracy" at AT&T I made it clear I didn't want to go paperless even though it was a tad cheaper. So I gave her our address and thru my e-mail she confirmed everything we were ordering and when our date of service would start. (Oct 5)

The AT&T guy came out on Oct 5 to set us all up. He thought we were going paperless but I made it clear with him that we weren't. But to be on the safe side I called and talked to "Susan" at AT&T the next week just to make sure they have our address for billing purposes. A week later I got a letter confirming that I was going to get a paper bill. It even had on what the expected amount would be with installation fees and what not.

Sooooo.......this past week or so I've been expecting this bill. Well yesterday, instead, I get an e-mail saying I'm passed due on my paperless billing and that they will be cutting services soon, etc. I call of course and now talk with "John" who states firmly that my account was set up for paperless billing???

My question on this whole thing is.....if my account was set up to go paperless wouldn't they have asked for my bank routing number at the very beginning of setting me up and when it came time taken the money out? I really don't know how paperless works? :confused3

(BTW....AT&T service has been really good except for this issue)
 
Kitty 34 said:
Ok, right off the bat I know I'm showing my age here! ;)

We recently changed our TV/ landline/ and internet to AT&T services. When I called and set things up with "Tracy" at AT&T I made it clear I didn't want to go paperless even though it was a tad cheaper. So I gave her our address and thru my e-mail she confirmed everything we were ordering and when our date of service would start. (Oct 5)

The AT&T guy came out on Oct 5 to set us all up. He thought we were going paperless but I made it clear with him that we weren't. But to be on the safe side I called and talked to "Susan" at AT&T the next week just to make sure they have our address for billing purposes. A week later I got a letter confirming that I was going to get a paper bill. It even had on what the expected amount would be with installation fees and what not.

Sooooo.......this past week or so I've been expecting this bill. Well yesterday, instead, I get an e-mail saying I'm passed due on my paperless billing and that they will be cutting services soon, etc. I call of course and now talk with "John" who states firmly that my account was set up for paperless billing???

My question on this whole thing is.....if my account was set up to go paperless wouldn't they have asked for my bank routing number at the very beginning of setting me up and when it came time taken the money out? I really don't know how paperless works? :confused3

(BTW....AT&T service has been really good except for this issue)
Click to expand...
Paperless billing just means they email you a bill instead of mailing, they don’t take the money out (which you can also eat up with automatic payments). I still prefer paper in the mail because sometimes I miss emails. I also tend to pay a lot of bills at once online through my bank, and my dad’s bank (I’m responsible for his bills too).
 
Kitty 34 said:
Ok, right off the bat I know I'm showing my age here! ;)

We recently changed our TV/ landline/ and internet to AT&T services. When I called and set things up with "Tracy" at AT&T I made it clear I didn't want to go paperless even though it was a tad cheaper. So I gave her our address and thru my e-mail she confirmed everything we were ordering and when our date of service would start. (Oct 5)

The AT&T guy came out on Oct 5 to set us all up. He thought we were going paperless but I made it clear with him that we weren't. But to be on the safe side I called and talked to "Susan" at AT&T the next week just to make sure they have our address for billing purposes. A week later I got a letter confirming that I was going to get a paper bill. It even had on what the expected amount would be with installation fees and what not.

Sooooo.......this past week or so I've been expecting this bill. Well yesterday, instead, I get an e-mail saying I'm passed due on my paperless billing and that they will be cutting services soon, etc. I call of course and now talk with "John" who states firmly that my account was set up for paperless billing???

My question on this whole thing is.....if my account was set up to go paperless wouldn't they have asked for my bank routing number at the very beginning of setting me up and when it came time taken the money out? I really don't know how paperless works? :confused3

(BTW....AT&T service has been really good except for this issue)
Click to expand...
Paperless billing just means that you would receive your bills via email. You do not have to have automatic payments with paperless billing.
 
The two previous posters are correct. Whether or not you get paper bills (and we do, in addition to e-mail “reminders” every month, which I find funny) you still have to actively set up auto-withdrawal if you want that.
 


You've already been given great information about what paperless billing means. What you do need to address with AT&T is the fact that you have a letter from them that specifically states you will receive a paper bill( after much effort on your part no less) did not receive a bill, and instead now have a past due notice. Tell them they must rectify the situation immediately and make sure this does not show up on your credit report or you will discontinue services with them.

I've noticed quite a few companies are setting up increasingly deceptive mazes with hoops for customers to jump through in order NOT to agree to paperless billing. I've paid mortgages on two houses with auto pay, yet always insist on a paper statement. Our current mortgage was sold a couple years ago and the new company is relentless about wanting to stop sending the paper statements -- while simultaneously sending me a separate mailing every single month offering me a home equity line of credit. If they can afford to solicit me by mail every month they can afford to send me a paper statement. Here's a money saving idea for them, solicit me in the monthly statement mailing -- and quit trying to set up games wherein I accidentally miss the part about opting in to paper statements because it's on my last nerve.
 
All of my accounts are set up for paperless billing. Only one I have set up for automatic withdrawals still sends me a paper bill a week before they take it out. Not sure why I still get a paper bill but that’s how they do it.

AT&T has to be one of the most frustrating companies to deal with. I have told them many times that to be a communication company they are the WORST at communication.

Seems awful quick for you to get the service and then to already be threatening disconnection. Call them, make sure they make the corrections on your billing and let them know you didn’t receive a bill.

Have you set up your online account? Go there and see if it says anything about you having paperless billing. It’s usually just a little checkbox. You can probably set it back to paper billing there.
 
I am with A-T & T. Just log onto your account. The paperless or paper billing options can all be adjusted there, as well as making payments or setting up auto pay.

LOL on showing your age. Sadly, as we have learned in the past year in California with the fires, cell phones can because less reliable than landlines during emergencies because above ground cell towers get wiped out or lose power, but often landline systems are buried, escape injury, and have their own independent power supply.
 


tvguy said:
I am with A-T & T. Just log onto your account. The paperless or paper billing options can all be adjusted there, as well as making payments or setting up auto pay.

LOL on showing your age. Sadly, as we have learned in the past year in California with the fires, cell phones can because less reliable than landlines during emergencies because above ground cell towers get wiped out or lose power, but often landline systems are buried, escape injury, and have their own independent power supply.
Click to expand...

We have an AT&T "landline" in our home and have had this one since 2000. Unbeknownst to me it is no longer an old school landline such as you're describing ever since we switched to Uverse several years ago. Apparently this is the case with an increasingly large number of what's still referred to as landlines, no matter who the carrier is.

In many parts of the country telephone, and even electrical lines for that matter, are not buried, but strung overhead. There are situations where one or the other would be more beneficial depending on the emergency or the problem.
 
cabanafrau said:
We have an AT&T "landline" in our home and have had this one since 2000. Unbeknownst to me it is no longer an old school landline such as you're describing ever since we switched to Uverse several years ago. Apparently this is the case with an increasingly large number of what's still referred to as landlines, no matter who the carrier is.

In many parts of the country telephone, and even electrical lines for that matter, are not buried, but strung overhead. There are situations where one or the other would be more beneficial depending on the emergency or the problem.
Click to expand...

My subdivision was started in 1976, and by then underground utilities were required. The one behind me was built in 1956 and the overhead lines run along my back yard.
But utilities along major roads that are still overhead HERE, are being buried, and the goal, likely taking years to complete is to have everything here underground.
But one of the areas of concern after last years Santa Rosa fire was the failure of the cell and WiFi services, while the landline communications system survived.. I think one of the lessons there was the ancient technology, like the EAS (formerly EBS) alert system on over the air Radio and TV that allow broadcasting of emergency messages from 100 miles or miles away , and landlines need to be on the minds of people in an emergency.
Dependency on Cell phones and Wifi dependency may very well have cost people their lives in Santa Rosa. The investigation into the Camp Fire may find that too.


https://www.pge.com/en_US/residenti...-program/electric-undergrounding-program.page
 
tvguy said:
My subdivision was started in 1976, and by then underground utilities were required. The one behind me was built in 1956 and the overhead lines run along my back yard.
But utilities along major roads that are still overhead HERE, are being buried, and the goal, likely taking years to complete is to have everything here underground.
But one of the areas of concern after last years Santa Rosa fire was the failure of the cell and WiFi services, while the landline communications system survived.. I think one of the lessons there was the ancient technology, like the EAS (formerly EBS) alert system on over the air Radio and TV that allow broadcasting of emergency messages from 100 miles or miles away , and landlines need to be on the minds of people in an emergency.
Dependency on Cell phones and Wifi dependency may very well have cost people their lives in Santa Rosa. The investigation into the Camp Fire may find that too.


https://www.pge.com/en_US/residenti...-program/electric-undergrounding-program.page
Click to expand...

That isn't necessarily translating to the rest of the country however. Not surprisingly companies are reluctant to expend any money these days unless absolutely forced to or there is good reason to believe it will benefit their bottom line. Disney Parks could be a poster child, WDW in particular -- decades of rising attendance levels, minimal maintenance/next to no investment in new product for extended periods of time, with first major investment in years allocated to a data collection system that allows the accountants to sharpen pencils to the micro millimeter and keep staffing levels pushed down and carve calendar ever more creatively to allow for the selling of parks two to three times a day whenever feasible.

Using a link to a PGE reference is more than a little ironic given their history regarding infrastructure and the possibility of their connection to the current situation. Of course they're going to bury the lines, if they're allowed to remain in business in CA after this.
 
cabanafrau said:
That isn't necessarily translating to the rest of the country however. Not surprisingly companies are reluctant to expend any money these days unless absolutely forced to or there is good reason to believe it will benefit their bottom line. Disney Parks could be a poster child, WDW in particular -- decades of rising attendance levels, minimal maintenance/next to no investment in new product for extended periods of time, with first major investment in years allocated to a data collection system that allows the accountants to sharpen pencils to the micro millimeter and keep staffing levels pushed down and carve calendar ever more creatively to allow for the selling of parks two to three times a day whenever feasible.

Using a link to a PGE reference is more than a little ironic given their history regarding infrastructure and the possibility of their connection to the current situation. Of course they're going to bury the lines, if they're allowed to remain in business in CA after this.
Click to expand...
I certainly can't speak to other parts of the country, only the lessons we have learned here in California in the past year or so with fires.

I also can't speak to P-G & E's future, however, even if they go away, the grid they built will be with us for decades. SMUD, the Sacramento electric provider is being forced to bury lines, but for beatification reasons.
 
Kitty 34 said:
Ok, right off the bat I know I'm showing my age here! ;)

We recently changed our TV/ landline/ and internet to AT&T services. When I called and set things up with "Tracy" at AT&T I made it clear I didn't want to go paperless even though it was a tad cheaper. So I gave her our address and thru my e-mail she confirmed everything we were ordering and when our date of service would start. (Oct 5)

The AT&T guy came out on Oct 5 to set us all up. He thought we were going paperless but I made it clear with him that we weren't. But to be on the safe side I called and talked to "Susan" at AT&T the next week just to make sure they have our address for billing purposes. A week later I got a letter confirming that I was going to get a paper bill. It even had on what the expected amount would be with installation fees and what not.

Sooooo.......this past week or so I've been expecting this bill. Well yesterday, instead, I get an e-mail saying I'm passed due on my paperless billing and that they will be cutting services soon, etc. I call of course and now talk with "John" who states firmly that my account was set up for paperless billing???

My question on this whole thing is.....if my account was set up to go paperless wouldn't they have asked for my bank routing number at the very beginning of setting me up and when it came time taken the money out? I really don't know how paperless works? :confused3

(BTW....AT&T service has been really good except for this issue)
Click to expand...
All my billing is paperless. I am more apt to misplace a hard copy of a bill than an email. At least in email, I can just search my email for the bill. I also have absolutely nothing on auto-pay as I have had the rare occurrence that they double dip. The first of the month, I go into each account and pay the bill through their website. Then I check my budget to make sure that all monthly bills have been paid and I haven't forgotten anything.

PP is absolutely correct, just log into your AT$T account and you can check everything and you can pay your bill. You can choose to opt in or out of paperless billing and auto-pay if you choose.

It is a good idea to log into your accounts regularly to keep on top of them. CC's I log into on a daily basis.

FWIW, our "landline" is VOIP, not the old fashioned line into your house.
 
Kitty 34 said:
My question on this whole thing is.....if my account was set up to go paperless wouldn't they have asked for my bank routing number at the very beginning of setting me up and when it came time taken the money out? I really don't know how paperless works? :confused3
Click to expand...
I know it's totally confusing TBH but paperless billing just means a bill is sent to your e-mail address rather than through snail mail. Nowadays it's become commonplace for companies, banks, etc to charge a service fee to send out a paper bill (as it cost them $ to send them out).

But paperless billing does not impact how your bill is paid. You could have your account set up where you have to pay each and every time (rather than through an EFT type payment) which it sounds like yours is set up that way but you were set up, in error it sounds like, where your bill would be sent to your e-mail rather than through the mail.

You might check out your e-mail and see if you received one confirming or notating you were set up on paperless billing; could be in your confirmation e-mails you received the first time you called and talked to Tracy. It's possible you were notified that you were set up that way but didn't even realize it.
 
cabanafrau said:
You've already been given great information about what paperless billing means. What you do need to address with AT&T is the fact that you have a letter from them that specifically states you will receive a paper bill( after much effort on your part no less) did not receive a bill, and instead now have a past due notice. Tell them they must rectify the situation immediately and make sure this does not show up on your credit report or you will discontinue services with them.
Click to expand...
I would do that for the later bills but TBH the letter the OP received would not have impacted previous bills already created.

So if the OP's bill (that is causing the late payment) was already generated as a paperless billing then even if they got a letter stating they were now set up on standard billing it wouldn't impact that bill that was generated as a paperless bill. It would be the same if someone had a paper bill and wanted to switch to paperless billing. If the paper bill had already generated the next bill would be paperless billing not the current bill. Hopefully that makes sense.

The OP could however IMO request any fees to be removed due to the confusion on paperless vs paper billing.

-------------------------------------------
Just to cover my thoughts on it though as I could be wrong on this exact situation presented, OP did your letter confirming you were now set up on paper billing have a creation date to it? If so was it after your paperless bill had already been generated? Did the letter state something in regards to when the paper billing would become effective?
 
To answer some of you.....I didn't even know I was to set up an account with AT&T, let alone have the option to pay that way mainly because I just thought I was set up for paper billing. Is that through a paypal account or something like that? I did that one time to get a DIS coffee cup which was some 16 years ago. Still have the cup; doubt I have that paypal acct. (sons set me up with that)

I really thought I would just get a nice little (or big bill) from AT&T through snail mail as that is what I had set up with "Tracy" in the first place and confirmed with "Susan" in the 2nd phone call and had thought the letter in the mail mid Oct, also confirmed.

I appreciate your replies and explanations on my question.

Now when I did talk with "John" yesterday he reinstated my request for a paper bill and says I should get that next Thursday (didn't even go there with him on it's Thanksgiving and there's no mail). He said he would waive the late fee so we'll see............I just don't want us turned off. My gosh it's only been since Oct 5 that we've enjoyed their services. :)
 
Kitty 34 said:
Is that through a paypal account or something like that?
Click to expand...

All of my bills are set up through my bank account - not paypal.

You need to set up your checking account for online bill pay. Then, you enter the particular bills one time (company, address, account number) You can then set them up for automatic payments or go in each month and pay the bill.

With my particular bank, I will get prompted to get paperless billing for each particular company that participates.

At that point, when I log into my bank account, I can see all of the pending bill amounts and due dates. I then choose which to pay, how much and when.

I sometimes receive a notice that a bill is waiting but not always. That could be because I check so much, I don't know.

I was doing this with my mother's bills for years before I could finally convince DH to do it with our household bills. Now that he has been doing it for a few years, he cannot imagine going back.
 
Kitty 34 said:
So I gave her our address and thru my e-mail
Click to expand...

Your problem started when you gave your email address. Once they have that it's easy for them to make a mistake. If they have no email address on file, they have nothing to input, so they can't go the paperless route. Plain & simple.
 
Imzadi said:
Your problem started when you gave your email address. Once they have that it's easy for them to make a mistake. If they have no email address on file, they have nothing to input, so they can't go the paperless route. Plain & simple.
Click to expand...

Oops, my bad. I will remember that for any future services. :blush:
 
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