katybee
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,378 
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Post by katybee on Jul 28, 2014 15:43:26 GMT
Disclaimer: I am PMS, so I get that this is probably an overreaction, but what the heck... I'm gonna roll with it...
I pay my electric bill automatically with my debit card. Recently, my account was "compromised" and I got a new card (again). 2 days after I got my new card, my electric bill went through on my old number and was declined. So my electric co-op sends me a nasty letter and a $30 return fee.
First of all, I question the $30 fee. If I use my debit card at Target, and it gets declined, they don't charge me a $30 fee. This wasn't a returned check. I guarantee you they didn't get charged $30 from their financial institution. The same thing happened with Netflix...no $30 fee and no nasty letter.
So I call to pay my bill, change my card number and get the bogus fee removed. They can do it... But it takes talking to 4 different people to get it done. 4 people! And it's not even going to be done for a few days. This an electric cooperative... Non-profit. How much $$ does it cost for 4 different people to waive a $30 fee? That is one messed up bureaucracy. They are always in the news for overcharging.
Unfortunately, I do not have a choice for my electric company. If I lived in Austin, I would have lots of different companies to choose from. But I live in the suburbs--and this co-op is my only option. How is that fair???
Right now, I'm ready to go to the board meetings and start a campaign against the unfairness of it all. That urge will pass soon enough and I'll go on paying my bill blindly like I do every month. I guess that's what they're counting on...
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 16, 2024 5:38:01 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2014 15:45:53 GMT
They charge the fee because they have to send you notices, calls, etc for being late. It makes more work on their end and is standard in most businesses. It isn't their fault that your card was changed. I don't understand getting mad at them for something that was your fault not theirs.
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katybee
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,378
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Post by katybee on Jul 28, 2014 15:54:15 GMT
They charge the fee because they have to send you notices, calls, etc for being late. It makes more work on their end and is standard in most businesses. It isn't their fault that your card was changed. I don't understand getting mad at them for something that was your fault not theirs. I paid the bill well within the grace period. No late fee. The letter was an automated letter sent out by a computer. At least they're efficient there. I would be happy to pay them for the stamp. But $30 is more than excessive. This is a non-profit company. Where does that extra money go? To pay for other people's mistakes? And more than the fee, it's the fact that it takes 4 people and several days to fix. |
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 16, 2024 5:38:01 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2014 16:06:46 GMT
With all of the card "compromises" that happen, this is one of the reasons that I choose not to have any bill paid automatically. With that said, as frustrating as it was to have to talk to 4 different people, just be thankful that they waived your fee.
I love the convenience of having a credit card, but I'm about sick to death of all of the fraud and those that make a living stealing from others.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 16, 2024 5:38:01 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2014 16:12:07 GMT
And FTR I don't know anyone that has a choice in electric companies. There is only one here and everywhere else I have lived too.
As for the time getting it fixed at my job only certain people can do it for certain things and the hours are limited. I'm just tired of people thinking that their errors are our problem. It gets old. Be glad they waived it and move on. And non-profits still have expenses to cover.
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katybee
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,378
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Post by katybee on Jul 28, 2014 16:28:28 GMT
And FTR I don't know anyone that has a choice in electric companies. There is only one here and everywhere else I have lived too. There are lots of places that have competition in the energy market place... Just because it doesn't exist in your experience doesn't mean it doesn't exist ... |
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 16, 2024 5:38:01 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2014 16:31:25 GMT
And FTR I don't know anyone that has a choice in electric companies. There is only one here and everywhere else I have lived too. There are lots of places that have competition in the energy market place... Just because it doesn't exist in your experience doesn't mean it doesn't exist ... Okay but you don't where you live. So you have to deal with what you have. Shrug. |
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lindas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,158
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Post by lindas on Jul 28, 2014 16:49:30 GMT
You're anger is misdirected. You said you got your new card 2 days before they took the payment. You should have made sure you notified them with the new info before they took payment. Your electric co gives you a grace period?  ? Never heard of that, if mine doesn't receive payment by the due date they tack on a late fee. |
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 16, 2024 5:38:01 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2014 17:06:05 GMT
I get to deal with people who put CC's on record and decline and often it is not as "automated" a process as you think. And I know every online payment I do for bills has a fee/disclaimer that if the payment is rejected for any reason there is a decline fee. Because like you even stated it took 4 people to give your decline fee back and I am sure they spent some time with you on the phone discussing the issue. Since they are non-profit, I assume that fee is close to what it costs them to deal with you, change your information and re-process the CC transaction -- It is possible that they got hit with 3 CC charges from their processing company (original, decline/return AND the 2nd time around).
I have to agree that this is one reason why I try to not have recurring charges to an account. I know sometimes it is unavoidable. But I would rather "send" the payment online and give the CC number with each payment then let them automatically do it.
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Post by annabella on Jul 28, 2014 17:26:00 GMT
It's the same as you giving them a bad check, there's a fee. I don't pay anything with automatic payments coming out of my bank accounts, what if they screw up the amount? I've read threads of peas experiencing that.
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katybee
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,378
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Post by katybee on Jul 28, 2014 17:43:14 GMT
So why didn't Netflix feel the need to charge me $30? They sent me an email, I fixed the problem, it's all good. I guarantee not one actual human had to deal with it... Easy peasy.
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Post by kenziekeeper on Jul 28, 2014 18:01:40 GMT
Netflix is a multi-million (billion?) dollar company. Not a non-profit co-op. You're comparing apples and oranges here.... Surely Neflix has systems in place that aren't feasible for a non-profit!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 16, 2024 5:38:01 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2014 18:03:14 GMT
So why didn't Netflix feel the need to charge me $30? They sent me an email, I fixed the problem, it's all good. I guarantee not one actual human had to deal with it... Easy peasy. Why do you think not one actual human had to deal with your problem? Are Netflix and your co-op run by robots? And I do think it's YOUR problem -- it was short notice but you should have updated your payment information for your new card. BTDT lots of times -- the compromised card and updating account information, not the bounced payment.  |
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katybee
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,378
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Post by katybee on Jul 28, 2014 18:07:39 GMT
Alright, fine, I concede. Although I did get the fee waived. However, I still contend that if it takes 4 people to waive a $30 fee, something is wrong with that system. And if it is that inefficient, God knows how inefficient the actual production of electricity is. You'll never change my mind on that...
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smartypants71
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,709
Location: Houston, TX
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Post by smartypants71 on Jul 28, 2014 20:19:30 GMT
I work for an energy retailer in the state of Texas and I'm pretty sure we don't charge for things like that. That $30 fee is pretty high. There is a cost of sending out letters - much more than the stamp, but I still think $30 is a lot. I'm suprised that didn't autodial you or email you first.
I can think of a few times where my card number changed unexpectedly, and I've never been charged.
FTR, electricity is completely deregulated in the state of Texas, much of the northeast and in some places in Canada.
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Post by lovetodigi on Jul 28, 2014 20:54:19 GMT
There are many reasons that I refuse to put bills on auto pay. That is one of them. It can be easy to forget to notify companies if you have to make a change with your card. If you have the bill in front of you when it needs to be paid, you know that your method of payment is current and it gives you a chance to look over the bill for any mistakes. If it is on autopay, one would not be as likely to check the bill.
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MizIndependent
Drama Llama
Quit your bullpoop.
Posts: 5,836
Jun 25, 2014 19:43:16 GMT
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Post by MizIndependent on Jul 28, 2014 20:58:16 GMT
So, you're upset that you were charged for not notifying the co-op about your card being compromised and that they needed to use the updated card number?
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katybee
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,378
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Post by katybee on Jul 28, 2014 21:17:34 GMT
So, you're upset that you were charged for not notifying the co-op about your card being compromised and that they needed to use the updated card number? Yup.  |
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MizIndependent
Drama Llama
Quit your bullpoop.
Posts: 5,836
Jun 25, 2014 19:43:16 GMT
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Post by MizIndependent on Jul 28, 2014 21:32:16 GMT
So, you're upset that you were charged for not notifying the co-op about your card being compromised and that they needed to use the updated card number? Yup. Man. I hate it when that happens! |
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katybee
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,378
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Post by katybee on Jul 28, 2014 21:39:32 GMT
Yup. Man. I hate it when that happens! Said from the very beginning that I knew I was overreacting... |
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MizIndependent
Drama Llama
Quit your bullpoop.
Posts: 5,836
Jun 25, 2014 19:43:16 GMT
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Post by MizIndependent on Jul 28, 2014 21:43:59 GMT
Don't worry, KatyBee...tomorrow will be much nicer.  |
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? Never heard of that, if mine doesn't receive payment by the due date they tack on a late fee.
