Sep 1, 2009 5:53 pm US/Central
T-Mobile Charging Customers For Paper Bills
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Better check your statements: starting Tuesday, some wireless users will be charged a bill to be billed. Is it a move to save the environment or greed? CBS 2's Vince Gerasole gets us connected with the answers.
Look carefully on your next statement if you're a T-Mobile customer. For those receiving them the old-fashioned way, on paper in the mail, and many people do, you'll be paying an extra $1.50 each month for the service and $3.50 for a detailed version.
Even some high-tech T-Mobile customers who haven't received a paper bill in years say it's a bad idea.
We connected today with T-Mobile customer Mike Maddaloni, an I.T. pro who gets most bills online.
When asked if he normally prints out his bill, Maddaloni said, "No. I may scan the first page of this, it shows a breakdown. I look for any abnormalities."
But even for a modern consumer like Maddaloni, paying $1.50 for a mailed paper T-Mobile bill sounds like a wrong number.
"Charging to get a bill is ridiculous," Maddaloni said. "We're not there yet as far as a mass population."
All sorts of companies encourage consumers to forgo paper bills in favor of electronic versions; some even offer credits and discounts as an incentive. But the T-Mobile charge stands apart from these practices.
"T-Mobile is basically shaking down people who don't have the Internet or don't have easy access to the Internet," said Jim Chilsen, Citizens Utility Board.
In a recent study, the watchdog Citizens Utility Board found individual consumers pay $331 a year on small, often useless mobile phone charges. CUB's Jim Chilsen says the T-Mobile bill for billing is another example.
"They're paying for too many minutes, they're paying for useless extras and they're paying these little charges like $1.50 paper billing fee that just eats away at our bottom line," Chilsen said.
In a statement, T-Mobile said the company made the move "after considering a number of factors, including rising costs for paper, printing and postage as well as environmental impacts associated with printing paper bills."
"I make sure they knew I was paperless 'cause I didn't want to get charged," said Chiara Adobati.
Adobati stopped by her T-Mobile store concerned she might be charged for bills she already receives online.
"It seems to be not a lot of money, but if you add it up, it's expensive," Adobati said.
In response to whether he thinks they're doing their part for the environment, Chilsen said, "I would hope that's true but my sense is that it's more about taking more of our money."
T-Mobile isn't the only wireless company charging for detailed paper bills. Verizon and AT&T customers pay $2 a month to receive those by mail. It's T-mobile's charge for a basic paper bill that stands out.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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