Paper or digital—What’s your preference?

[prwhite]

Keep Me Posted (KMP)—overseen by Two Sides North America—is a global campaign working for the right of consumers to choose, free-of-charge, how they receive information from service providers—paper or electronic.

KMP’s NA campaign focuses on educating & challenging corporations that are charging fees for paper, and coordinates this campaign other KMP campaigns already launched in several European countries and Australia.

Some background
Results of a 2017 Toluna consumer survey indicated 90% of those polled want to choose how they receive communications, & 83% don’t want to pay more for paper. A 2018 Pew Research study also found:

• 50% of American seniors,
• 76% of those who have not completed high school,
• 55% of low income households, and
• 18% of Canadian households, do not have broadband internet at home.

These numbers have increased since 2013 due to increased Internet cost.

 

[gordo]

Many people, in all age groups, in the US still write checks at the checkout in shops.
Primitive.
I haven’t received a paper bill in decades, nor written a check. I receive bill notifications via email and either make a direct online transfer of funds to make the payment or the funds are automagically withdrawn from my account.
IF the consumer chooses a paper bill then I think it’s fair for companies to charge for It since it is a cost to them and they have every right to pass that cost on to the consumer.

 

[prwhite]

I have a couple of local companies (like my water & propane bills) that send printed statements along with an envelope for payment. I send them a paper check that I pay via the bank's Internet portal, and my bank prints & mails. Unfortunately, though, my bank won't use that same process for payments to Canadah. So, I have to send a paper check to our Canadian friends. I'm good with this arrangement as it supports a printer as well as the paper industry.

 

[keith1]

Most of my bills are paid online. No automatic withdrawals. Good god, imagine if Bell had access to your account?! Receive 90% of payments by cheque.

 

[Dov Isaacs]

The real problem as I see it is that many if not most companies really don't give a fair paper or electronic option. If you “go paperless” at best they send you an e-mail that invites you to see your statement on-line. Sometimes it is a web page rendition. Sometimes they make a PDF file version.

But very few companies I've dealt with provide you with a full archive of such electronic statements in any format. Some even have the chutzpa to charge you if you want to see any electronic statement older that a few months to a year in age.

Personally, my belief is that at least some companies would rather that you not look at the on-line statement at all, allowing potential errors to stand uncorrected. (And from what I understand, many persons with the paperless option do in fact skip actually seeing the detailed statements to their own detriment!)

- Dov

 

[gordo]

You're right Dov.
I better hurry up and check those automatic Adobe subscription withdrawals from my bank account! Adobe could be doing something sneaky. LOL

 

[Dov Isaacs]

You're right Dov.
I better hurry up and check those automatic Adobe subscription withdrawals from my bank account! Adobe could be doing something sneaky. LOL

Not my department

 

[MailGuru]

I think a lot of the over 50 crowd still has a little distrust and suspicions about electronic rendition of your bill. Who's to say they can't change it electronically any time they want? Ahhhh, but, once it's printed on paper, it is "chiseled in stone" and can not be changed. "I know we have a discrepancy here, but, that's not what the printed statement says. Here, let me fax it to you".

See what I did there? (refer to the thread about faxes)

Best

-MailGuru

 

[prwhite]

"I know we have a discrepancy here, but, that's not what the printed statement says. Here, let me fax it to you".

-MailGuru

Actually, I think most of us will probably scan in the bill with the error circled, and email a PDF to the company (thanks to Adobe). Although I still have a fax #, I no longer have a fax machine, and will have have to use my scanner for the bill with the circled discrepancy, and my "fax" will be delivered by my fax service provider as a PDF, anyway.

 

[kdw75]

Well lets see....If I choose to receive paperless statements, I then have to either remember to download them and store them, or print them out and file them. There is no way in heck that I am going to trust their digital version of a statement in the event they say there was an error.

 

[OffsetStorefront]

Whose to say a company would take your paper copy of a bill over their own records? Anyone could forge a bill and print it out. I'd think most companies would stick with what they have record of in a dispute - regardless of whether the bills are delivered via paper or digitally.

 

[JustinB]

A few months ago I was stuck on hold and decided to log in and view my fedex account. It turns out they over billed me by $2500 in one month alone! Took a while but they reimbursed it to me. Really makes me question electronic/auto billing moving forward.

 

[D Ink Man]

Why is everybody trying to put me out of business?!?!?!

D Ink Man

 

[gordo]

Why is everybody trying to put me out of business?!?!?!

D Ink Man

That’s the negative view.
The positive view is we’re helping you achieve an early retirement.

 

[D Ink Man]

Always a silver lining.

D

 

[mulo_g]

I prefer paper. Helps me read better, make notes, tick mark and authorize bill payments for my accountant

 

[PinPrint]

I much prefer digital over paper. With the advancement of hand held devices I have no problem sitting where I want and going over my online documents.

The only hitch is if like someone else stated they companies do not keep an archive of your statements. Two years back is the limit for some things and that's just not enough imo. After going though some credit troubles I realized I might need documents 3-5 years old. The credit reporting bureaus ask some really obscure questions about accounts and addresses you may have had 5 years ago to verify your identity.

Overall though electronic bills & documents are far more preferable to me.

Could a company alter their online record of my statement? Perhaps. Companies can do a lot of nefarious things but that sure seems very unlikely to me.