The Convenience Fee Conundrum

By now I’m sure that many of you have heard about Verizon Wireless’s plan to begin charging a $2 convenience fee, beginning January 15th, 2012,  for those of us that choose to pay our bills either on-line or by phone. You haven’t heard about this yet? Check here then: My Google search

The reasoning behind this is sketchy still but supposedly, it’s to “help allow us to continue to support these single bill payment options … and is designed to address costs incurred by us for only those customers who choose to make single bill payments,”

So, in effect, this convenience fee is to penalize those of us who choose to pay our bills on time, ON THE DAY WE CHOOSE AND BY THE METHOD WE CHOOSE TO PAY IT!! Now, just how damn ridiculous does that sound to you?

So, beginning 1/15/2012, if I pay my bill on-line, through their website, on time (which is immediately drawn from my financial institution), or if I call and pay it over the phone, again on time, I’m going to be charged $2 extra just for the convenience. I don’t think so.

Take note that this fee does not apply to those who sign up for Auto Bill Payment nor those who still make their payment by check and drop it in the mail. Yet.

My gripe here isn’t over a measly $2. It’s the idea that a huge company that I decided to take MY BUSINESS to wants to charge me $2 to pay my bill, on time and in an already accepted manner I choose to pay them. I get this grief from BB&T when I pay my bill on a credit card from an outside institution. BB&T wants to charge me $5 for that!

When you begin to add up all these so-called ‘convenience fees’ from these companies that you decided to do business with, it starts to look like it’s not all that convenient anymore. It’s starting to look like you’re getting fleeced for paying your bills on time. What utter bullshit! I can see getting charged a fee for being late. THAT is completely understandable. However, to be charged for paying your bill on time and in the manner you choose to pay it is off the wall to me.

In an era where it’s become normal to cut employee’s pay and benefits because it’s best for the company’s bottom line and a bleak future that promises an increasingly abysmal retirement, this is not a welcome change to anyone affected.

I’m stuck with Verizon for another 12 months, give or take. If things haven’t changed with them by then, I’m going to be looking elsewhere. Their service is good here, no dropped calls…ever, but not that good.

I’ve already dropped BB&T due to their business practices. Verizon’s not so big that they can’t be dropped as well.

My opinion here may not carry much weight all by itself but I’m sure there are others much like myself who are getting tired of getting taken by ‘convenience’. Already petitions are circulating, calls to Verizon are being made complaining about this (yes, I called too) and the news media is writing up a storm about it.

I have one last question though. Were you even notified about this? I sure wasn’t. I stumbled across it while surfing through Flipboard.