Rhonda Payne went to an AT&T Wireless store in Calhoun, Ga., recently to pay her phone bill in cash. She'd been hit by ID theft and was forced to close her checking account, so she was worried she wouldn't be able to mail a check on time. But when she arrived at the store, she was in for a surprise.
Paying in person, she was told, costs extra -- $2 extra.
posted
Stop those who go the identity theft route then there will be no need to pay $2 dollars extra.
Posts: 2118 | From: midwest, USA | Registered: Aug 2007
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posted
They're all at it now. My phone company have informed me if I don't pay on line I'll be charged extra. Very unfair Posts: 4476 | From: Scotland | Registered: Mar 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Grumman f6f: Stop those who go the identity theft route then there will be no need to pay $2 dollars extra.
huh? i would think that logging into your computer and having your info online would be much more susceptible to ID theft than paying your bill in person!!!
Posts: 422 | From: American living in Maadi, visiting in the States for awhile | Registered: Jul 2006
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The point is, walkingathinline, stop those who ID theft and there will be no need to have this topic. It doesn't matter how or where the ID theft occurs.
Do you ever wonder why your insurance rates may increase even though you've never had an accident or a house fire? While I will say insurance rates aren't ID theft but it is peripherally related in an economic sense, maybe even greed. Ain't no mystery here.
Now if you argue how can ID theft be stopped then I will agree it can't. That said, accept the two dollar fee because it is related in an economic sense.
Posts: 2118 | From: midwest, USA | Registered: Aug 2007
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i'm not seeing the connection...the article states that AT&T's reason for this is because they don't want their representatives wasting time with already existing customers when they could be talking to prospective customers, helping them choose a plan...it sounds like another backhanded way for corporate america to steal more money from people!!!
quoted from the article: "It is a way of saving money ... it helps us keep our costs lower," said AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel. "We want our associates to spend their time helping customers as they are thinking about their wireless plans or looking at phones."
There are multiple ways for consumers to pay their bills for free, he added -- in the mail, by electronic payment and on the Web. There are even kiosks in stores where bill payments can be dropped off for free. But having a sales clerk take the payment costs extra.
"If someone really wants to pay using the service of a representative, we think it's appropriate to assess this fee," Siegel said.
Posts: 422 | From: American living in Maadi, visiting in the States for awhile | Registered: Jul 2006
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"If someone really wants to pay using the service of a representative, we think it's appropriate to assess this fee,"
Since Rhonda Payne had ID theft concerns she used a service that was probably set up because of theft, or at least spun into position via the explanation from above by AT&T. The young lady is not the catalyst for the AT&T shenanigans, ID theft is. It's an oblique way of using people's fears about this theft. AT&T won't tell you this and I have no way of verifying it myself but this sounds like it's tied in to ID theft although explained another way.
''...it sounds like another backhanded way for corporate america to steal more money from people!!!''
Sure it is.
Posts: 2118 | From: midwest, USA | Registered: Aug 2007
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posted
I kind of understand them wanting to save person to person customer care for new clients, but America is and was always about customer service. I'm telling you people, real paper money is going to be so useless one day...
Posts: 13440 | Registered: Feb 2006
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