I don't like these on-line processing fees either, but compared to PGW or PECO it's reasonable. Also if you mail in a check you have $0.42 for postage plus the per check charge of your bank of $0.20 (yes, I know some people have free checking) so it's actually only a few cents more to send on line and it's way easier and convenient than mailing it in.

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If you can't serve as a good example, you'll just have to be a horrible warning.

wrong attitude, they should by lowering the price for the more efficient way for them to encourage us to use it

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SITUATION: MOISTURIZED
thor must be failing -

She isn't on here (doesn't have a computer), but a housekeeper lady whom I know is SO fed up with PWD that she is now sending her checks certified mail, which costs $3.07 for first class... to ensure that they get the check on time.

I told her if they tell her that she missed another payment, take PWD to small claims court and also ask to be recouped for all the certified mail fees. Maybe that will get PWD's attention.

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WHYY pays their CEO $750,000 a year. So WHYY should I renew my membership? Seems they have no problems finding money and spending it unwisely.


And this is why you should donate to PACCA, not PETA:

In September, PETA made headlines in Vermont and across the nation for asking Ben & Jerry's ice cream to use human breast milk in their ice cream, instead of cow milk

There is a way you can pay online without the fees... find a bank that (USAA Federal Savings Bank) gives you free automated bill-pay.

USAA and many other banks have automatic payee-lookup, which will directly wire funds instead of cutting a cashier's check and mailing it to the payee, and it all happens behind the scenes.

I usually backdate a Bill Pay action by 5 days from the statement due date, so the cashier's check is likely to turn up at the payee's business on the day that it is due or right before.


I have tested Commerce Bank's billpay, and the date they tell you on the WEBSITE is one day before they actually cut the check.


For example, bill is due on the 20th. Today is the 7th:

- You enter 06/15/2008 for a bill to be paid, and this is on a Thursday:
- The Bill Pay processor, if it cannot find an electronic wire ACH for the payee, will cut a cashier's check dated 06/16/2008 and mail it the same day. If there is a holiday or it's late in the day, add an additional two days for them to actually stuff the envelope.
- 06/17/2008 USPS sorting office then transmits the check to the receiver's office.


This saves you the stamp costs, and the check still gets there with plenty of time to spare.


PLUS, you get to see the canceled check in your account and the front and back of the check... so you know when they endorsed it and the date on the check is clearly visible.

If you get slapped with a late fee, you can print out the check image and fax it to the payee and demand they rescind the late fee and also WARN them you are monitoring your credit reports and you will take adverse action if they report a derogatory item.

Then, the next time you pay the bill, pad an additional day so the chances of them dinging you for a late go down.


I have had to go through with this for HSBC bank. I send my payment IMMEDIATELY when I get the statement. As in... I drop EVERYTHING the moment I get the mail and I take care of it NOW.

HSBC has slapped me with a late charge and sent a derogatory to my credit report for sending a bill-pay 20 days before my due date before.

Now, I pay HSBC via certified mail and I stopped using my credit card unless it is under pain of death that I must use it (I only use it for rental cars only now).

They went back and reversed the 3 late payment dings on my CRs and reversed all my late fees after I sent a certified letter to the credit reporting agencies with copies of the canceled checks, my statements, and that my next communique would happen via an attorney and in the presence of Philadelphia Municipal Court.

HSBC gladly called me two weeks later and apologized profusely.

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WHYY pays their CEO $750,000 a year. So WHYY should I renew my membership? Seems they have no problems finding money and spending it unwisely.


And this is why you should donate to PACCA, not PETA:

In September, PETA made headlines in Vermont and across the nation for asking Ben & Jerry's ice cream to use human breast milk in their ice cream, instead of cow milk

By the way, in my PP, if you are wondering "why the hell is he recommending sending payments CMRRR?"

This is for when you are mad as hell and can't take it anymore, and you are looking to sue the payee for breech of contract. When you send off a payment via USPS, it generally takes 4-5 days including Saturdays for it to arrive at the receiver.

By getting the green cards back and holding on to them, you're basically giving the payee an opportunity to "clean up their act" and report your payment promptly and record the real date when they received your payment.

Many institutions have fallen on their swords under class action lawsuits (Providian, Cap One, Southwestern Bell which is now ATT, etc)... for putting in a fictitious delay in their payment posting cycle with the goal of extracting more late fees. The FTC does not care for this.

Besides, nobody likes getting certified mail--not even large companies.

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WHYY pays their CEO $750,000 a year. So WHYY should I renew my membership? Seems they have no problems finding money and spending it unwisely.


And this is why you should donate to PACCA, not PETA:

In September, PETA made headlines in Vermont and across the nation for asking Ben & Jerry's ice cream to use human breast milk in their ice cream, instead of cow milk

Yeah, her lack of participation had me dreaming that she passed from her italian market sausage addiction, but sho' enough she periodically crops up like fungus.

The simple fact is that it is a violation of the credit card processing agreement to invoke processing charges against customers. Companies are currently attempting to thwart this by calling it a service fee and then giving a kickback to the root biller, which will eventually be challenged by consumer groups as a technical breach of CC TOS.

That's a brilliant idea! I think I may do that! It is actually cheaper than the service fee, and a post office is right down the street!

I use to run around and pay all of my utility bills in cash. PWD, PGW, PECO, Bell Atlantic, etc. Never really mailed anything. But for the past few years everything has been automatically deducted. From a savings or checking account. Except for a one time problem with PGW (same bill deducted two times), everything has been smooth sailing. No service fees, no stamps, no running around. It is worth checking into.

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"Simply put it is possibe to have convenience if you want to tolerate insecurity, but if you want security, you must be prepared for inconvenience"
General Benjamin W. Chidlaw December 12, 1954

I have autobillpay for companies that I've never had problems with. Unfortunately our local utilities cannot be as trustworthy.

PGW-had similar problems.

PECO-I had one of my credit cards attached to my house account. My montly electric bill was somewhere around $100-$150 I think. One month, I got a call from my CC company for an unusual charge to my account. Here, PECO charged me somewhere over $3,000 for my electric bill. When I called them and asked them what was going on, the lady plainly said that it was an estimated bill, and that I shouldn't worry because any overage would be credited to future bills!

To make a long story short, PECO was less than hospitable, and I ended up calling the Public Utilities Commission who ended up straightening everything out. Haven't trusted the scumbag corporation since.

The PPA charges the processing fee for other types of payments also. Go to the traffic court at 8th & Spring Garden Sts.where they do it everyday.