Hi

I am curious - if my telephone company can offer me a reduction to go paperless why cant my bank and other utilities (and come to that all mmy bills?) - it does add up..

jazzmoments

Hi jazzmoments,

To cut a long story short, credit card companies have to send you a paper statement by law, regardless of whether you want one or not. They have to help the customer understand their bill & remind them of when it is due to the best of their abilities. Believe me, banks would love to not send out statements, they'd make a fortune, on what they already make.

I'm not sure about other utility companies, it may be similar, or may just be by choice. No company is going to offer something that affects their bottom line if they don't have to.

Hi --- In addition to the good input from FriendlyAdvice, utility companies already claim to pass on some savings to customers who are paperless, by managing their energy account online.... in the form of reduced tariff's on their accounts.

I don't receive paper statments for my Nationwide currect account, my Nationwide credit card, or my halifax card. I just get an email when they are ready. - Don't get a discount for doing this, but saves on paperwork in my house!

jazzmoments:

I am curious - if my telephone company can offer me a reduction to go paperless why cant my bank and other utilities (and come to that all mmy bills?) - it does add up..

Do you also get excited by half-price strawberries and half-price bottles of wine?

I trust your line rental has dropped from £10.50 per month to £7.75 per month??? You're now paying £23 per quarter instead of still paying more than £30? No? What a surprise.

Yes, it's a wonderful wheeze. Increase the price then introduce a 'discount'. They must be pi^h^h laughing themselves silly over at BT. "No, it'll never work. Increase the quarterly rental to £39.75 then offer more than £8 in discounts? I've as much contempt for our customers as the next guy but, come on, they'll never bite on this." "Yes, trust me, it'll work." "No way. Offer a paperless discount and they won't notice they're still paying the same? No." "Yes, they'll be all excited and happy."

There is a down side to paperless that these great institutions don't seem to have bothered to address - proof of address and a bill not more than three months old. I got to the stage where everything but my credit card statement was paperless and if I don't have to I prefer not to send anything with 'useful' financial information on it (yes I know, ink it out but...). I wanted to open up a paperless online savings account. As a matter of interest and not mentioning the CC statement I said I didn't have a proof of address and why. NOT INTERESTED and not about to do it themselves. I then sent them a letter from Scottish Power where the bottom half had a rebate cheque attached originally - they accepted it but as I say I just sent it. I didn't ask if it was ok.

It's nice to see that these lumbering giants who love their customers so much and are as green as St Patrick's Day don't bother to think through their actions.