The Phone Company wants to invest my money.

[Mooseherder]

Ahead of me getting the service. :D
Here is a message from my phone provider. :
Gotta love Corporate folks.

 
Dear Valued Customer,

On your next bill, the monthly fee for your AT&T Long Distance Service plan will be billed in advance. This means that each month, your bill will reflect the charge for your upcoming month of AT&T Long Distance Service. Please note that your next bill may include two charges: one charge for your upcoming month of service, another charge for your previous month of service. The monthly fee for your AT&T Long Distance service plan will not change.

These monthly charges will be located under the Monthly Service section of the bill.

If you have any questions, contact AT&T at 1.888.757.6500


Sincerely,

AT&T Online Services


   

[ely]

gotta luv em, it is their own little bail out system, in the large picture it aint so little.

[Tom]

Send them a handful of acorns and a bill for $25,000.   It will be for cutting the lumber from the trees.  Another bill may follow to make up for inflation or overrun. :D

[Larry]

In town this morning I saw a sign on one of the larger gas stations.

Regular Cash               $3.28
Regular Credit Card       $3.36

First time ever...and I thought that was illegal...maybe I'm wrong.  No biggy to me as I use the green stuff.

We have AT&T also but have some kind of plan where long distance is part of the regular bill.  Call anyplace and talk for as long as I want and the bill is the same.  Betcha they come up with some other way to invest my money.

[SPIKER]

that thing charging MORE for credit card purchases is a bunch of BS in my mind., but I've been seeing that around here too usually ~5 cents difference.  they call the cash a DISCOUNT COUPON around here so they can get away with it I guess...

I always wondered about McD's and such where it NORMALLY costs about $0.25 for each credit card transaction yet for these small sales is costs the same...    Even if you are only buying  a bucks worth of food...   some how most big companies must get around that credit card fee that they charge smaller companies.  ???

One place where a friend worked in management they were getting  outrageous amounts of these quarter fees added onto their bill turned out that they were getting this charge EVERY swipe that a card made through the scanner/reader. and people were swiping poor read cards multiple times each swipe cost them from what he stated but I have no proof or real 1st hand info if that was true or not just what I was told.

mark

[ely]

not hijack a thread, but the small country store where i live will not swipe and card for less than a 5 dollar purchase.
she told me if someone puts a coke and candy bar on a card she loses money.

on a tangent i was at the shell station in town and an older man walked in a put 3 bucks on pump one, i figgured he was riding a motocycle i looked and there was his nissan pickup. he came back in and bought a pack of marlboro reds in a box. :-\ go figgure.

[Mooseherder]

 I sent a reply with some thoughts on it and got sumbody workin' on da case. :D
Wouldn't wanta be the poor person who is gonna be callin' me. ;D
Any smart alect remarks y'all want me to pass along. ;D

Hello glen,

Thank You for your online inquiry.  

This automated response is to let you know your message has been
received on 10/2/08.  An AT&T representative will contact you as soon as
possible. Should you need to refer to this e-mail in the future, your
case number is ----------.

You can also find quick solutions to common problems and answers to
frequently asked questions online.  Visit us online at
www.support.att.com.

[Mooseherder]

Send them a handful of acorns and a bill for $25,000.   It will be for cutting the lumber from the trees.  Another bill may follow to make up for inflation or overrun. :D

:D :D  DanG It !  The  BlueJays got every single acorn again this year!.

[Raider Bill]

In town this morning I saw a sign on one of the larger gas stations.

Regular Cash               $3.28
Regular Credit Card       $3.36

First time ever...and I thought that was illegal...maybe I'm wrong.  No biggy to me as I use the green stuff.

We have AT&T also but have some kind of plan where long distance is part of the regular bill.  Call anyplace and talk for as long as I want and the bill is the same.  Betcha they come up with some other way to invest my money.

We take Credit cards here at work. The merchant has to pay a percentage of the sale for this privilege

[bck]

it dont seem right to be able to charge like that but last night they announced that AT&T's bankers had cut them off and they couldnt get any money from the bank . The next couple weeks may be something for the history books  :-\

[beenthere]

Next thing ya know, they will be adding next year's service charge on the bill. How can one say no...??

Not very likely it would be possible.

[Norm]

If you take credit cards you are allowed to give a discount for cash. You are not allowed to tack on the surcharge above what you normally charge.

I still remember at&t from the good old monopoly days. I'll wire up two tins cans with string before I ever give them another dime. ;D

[isawlogs]

   Go with Tom's idea  8) 8) 8)  See what they have to saye "bout that  :D :D :D

[pigman]

Was informed today by my wife that I would have to wait to the end of the month to get my $10 monthly allowance. This economic down turn is getting serious. ;)

[isawlogs]

Well now Bob , aint that the pits , heres hoping theres a turn around in the local economie so that you can get your monthly allowance at the end of this month as the witch wife hasinformed you and next months at the beginning ,

  Bob , the unlucky lucky one .  ;D :D

[J_T]

Pigman what you doing with all that money ??? :D :D

[Mooseherder]

   Go with Tom's idea  8) 8) 8)  See what they have to saye "bout that  :D :D :D

I'm still waiting for my call and it's almost bedtime. ;D
Maybe they'll call during dinner tomorrow. :D

[sawmilllawyer]

Mouseherder, now that positive thinking for ya! Most likely call when you in the bathroom.

[SwampDonkey]

Power company tried billing every other month on estimates. When you got the bill for the estimated month it was always higher than the historical KWH ever used. The practice was discontinued. You still get reading errors, which I think gets corrected if they read the meter right the next month.  :D I check my reading every once in awhile, mostly in the winter, when I see the meter guy come through. The only thing I am running extra in the cold months is a 1/4 HP furnace fan.

[stonebroke]

We have remote reading meters now. All the power company has to do is drive down the road. It is a pretty good idea.

Stonebroke

[ely]

they read ours from the office on a computer, and they can turn it off from the office on a computer too.
but they still get a 175 dollar reconnect fee if they do turn you off for non payment. the technology is amazing nowdays.

[olyman]

We have remote reading meters now. All the power company has to do is drive down the road. It is a pretty good idea.

Stonebroke

not necessarily--those same meters can be sped up, or slowed down-----from the road also, or from a  plane--friend has one that they do that to--so if they were of the nefarious type--what could happen to your elec bill??

[ely]

i will tell you what keeps them honest at my house. that side by side shotgun that i will peel the meter off that pole with. i work for those folks at the co-op in a indirect sort of way and they know to keep things on an even keel. when they changed out all these meters to the new style i had a friend that his electric bill changed drastically. we searched everything he had and could find nothing out of the ordinary as far as electric use goes.
i backed a flat bed truck into his meter face and broke it, they are cheap plastic here now and weigh less than one pound. anyway the co-op brought a new one and it was set more like the old meter because his bill went back to normal.

if you have something that is not correct in your mind do not be afraid to investigate. they have people at the electric company to assist you with it. but remember who they work for.

[Warbird]

Most likely call when you in the bathroom.

Hey...  that might not be so bad.  "Here is what I think of this new billing plan..."

[Mooseherder]

This was the only communication they sent back to my comments.  I guess they don't want to talk with me.  ;D
I wonder what the cost of replacing a paying customer is. :D

My response back to them is.
--------------------------------------------------
Sounds like "Corporate Speak" to me.
It is the most ridiculous business practice I have ever heard of.
Billing in advance for a future service is so absurd.  Principles of business require Customer satisfaction of which I currently do not subscribe.  I will make my decision whether or not to continue our business together.

Thank You for your time.
Glenn
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Valued Customer,

Thank you for contacting AT&T regarding your account.

I appreciate the opportunity to assist you online. The billing of your
AT&T Long Distance Service plan monthly fee has changed to bill in
advance. In the past, this charge was billed in arrears. During this
transitional billing month, you may receive two charges; one
corresponding to the previous month's charge, (arrears charge) and
another reflecting the advance charge. Your monthly fee has not changed.
This should be the only month your bill is double.

Should you need further assistance or have other questions, please reply
back to this e-mail and the AT&T Online Customer Care team will be happy
to help you.

Thank you for doing business with AT&T online. I hope I have provided
you with outstanding service today.

Sincerely,

AT&T Online Customer Care