to think that Vodafone charging £1.50 per month if I want a paper bill is unreasobable?

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Ive just been on the phone to my mobile phone provider Vodafone. Amongst other things I asked them why I dont get paper bills? Call me old fashioned but I sort my bills out by keeping them all in one place which I go through at least once a week and keep ontop of them easily by doing so. A text a week before telling me my bill often gets forgotten, especially if im out and my hands are full, I think I'll rember and jot it down on the calendar when I get in but Im almost sure to forget.

I never forget my neat pile of bills.

So I ask them, why dont I get a paper bill? Im told that I can, but that will be £1.50 each month thank you very much. I say that Im not requesting an itemised bill, just a slip of paper with the bill total and the date it wi go out if my bank. But nope, still £1.50 a month!

This is a bit bloody much, surely?

YABU - paper bills being sent out via traditional postage methods are very environmentally unfriendly.

So, either pay for the priviledge or print out your bill yourself

I recycle. Should we to be expected to pay this amount for all our bills then?

Well I think so, yes, but others will disagree.

It's the same with my bank. Either I download and print a statement off the website or I pay the bank £6 a statement for them to send me a copy.

What about people who dont have internet access, or a printer? Its not that unusual. I do not think someobe should be expected to have to track down some kind of internet access for each of their bills, or have to call the dreaded 0845 numbers to find out what their bill is.

people who don't have internet access or a printer should pay for the paper bill of course, why should those of us who don't have paper bills subsidise those that do?

I think you're gonna have to get used to it. Why do you have to track down some kind of internet access for each of their bills? Surely you already have internet access

these bills are just e-mailed out to customers, it's not complicated. Is this your first time you must be a "paperless bill virgin" -

Until 2 weeks ago I had no internet of any kind, I could not afford it. I needed to make cut backs and the internet is one of them. The only reason I have it niw is because I have 2 months free, after which I will be cutting it off again until I am financially back in track. I am not willing to pay £1.50 a month to find out my bill, less so all my bills if all bills changed to this.

If you think gas, electric, water, phone etc would all add up if they all decided to charge the same as vodafone, someone who could not afford the internet surely would not be able to afford to pay so many extras (as you suggest we should) to get thier bills through.

I still think it is massively unreasonable to charge this amount.

ah well you will have to use your local library and access your bills from there, and help use a vital community tool

but the library will still charge you to print anything out.

It's expensive, printing.

That is actually a great idea. At least it is fir just the one bill that I would be enquiring about. However if it was expected for every single bill, I think that us a bit much to have to trek to the library for every single bill. Thats if they dont shut the bloomin place down!!

Not everyone has the internet, or printers. I have the internet for a couple of months but that will be it. If the environment is the real reason vodafone charge you (hmmm...) then fine. But £1.50???

Well the cost of a first class stamp is 41p now. I know they'll get a discount for bulk mailing but lets say including paper, ink & envelopes for arguments sake its 50p

Add on top of that the amount of computers they'll need and people they need to employ to look after the billing system, ensure the prints are run, sort them in order so they get the right discount. Ensure its all picked up and sent.

£1.50 doesn't look THAT bad. They're probably making a little bit but its not like they're minting it given they're a private company who need to make a profit rather than a charity.

YABU.

You're online, put a pop-up reminder in your computer calendar to log on and print it off.

do you agree with getting a discount for paying by direct debit?

Im online for 2 months. After which I will have none.

I hear what you're all saying. I just disagree.

So you all agree that every bill should charge you £1.50 for the privalidge of a paper bill?

I think you need to look at it as a £1.50 penalty for not using electronic billing.

YABU. They either have to discount for people who don't want paper or charge the people who do. Either way you have to pay for it.

At least they're being transparent. They could just up their and then "discount" for those who go paperless.

yanbu.

Being able to bill online saves the company money so they should incentivise this by discounting fees for those that go online, not chargig for those that don't.

Particularly, as those without internet access tend to be the elderly or poorer members of society. Not a good look for a company to look like they are penalising these groups.

If companies offer a discount for those 'doing the right thing' (i.e. online billing) rather than charge those that simply carry on getting paper bills, they can rightly claim to be supporting environmental initiatives rather than just cashing in on some of the most needy members of society (sorry OP, don't mean you by that... ).

No I don't think it is being unreasonable.

We were the victims of identity theft recently (and we shred everything that comes our way, internet security updated etc) and we were told by the investigating team that one of the first things thieves do is cancel your statements, so you won't see them going out.

It was only then that we realised we hadn't had one bill for a couple of months.

So, we have paper bills now and our providers have been alerted to tell us if anyone tries to alter this.

I agree with Annabel and others too - it effectively penalises other members of society.

Obviously, Vodaphone need every penny they can get to pay their tax bill ...

In hindsight,a better way for companies to deal with this would be to offer a discount for paperless billing, rather than penalising people who have paper bills.

Which is really just the same thing as the OP mentioned, just worded diferently.

Annabel7 unfortunately for the next few months I do come under the aforementioned catagories (Recently moved house which cost me so much it makes me reach for the gin). So I am being frugal but there are many like me temporarily poor or permenantly.

BubblesOseven I think that could be a solution.