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Charging for paper invoices a scam

The latest ‘scam’ by some of your suppliers to relieve you of your hard-earned money is to charge a fee from 99 cents to $4 per invoice if you choose to receive it through the mail rather than going ‘paperless.’

The latest ‘scam’ by some of your suppliers to relieve you of your hard-earned money is to charge a fee from 99 cents to $4 per invoice if you choose to receive it through the mail rather than going ‘paperless.’

Some of the companies that I deal with are Rogers, Telus and Primus. There are many more out there and you just have to examine your invoice to realize who they are.

The CRTC is now looking into this practice because of the inordinate number of complaints they are receiving about this charge.

First of all your transition to a paperless invoice will not be smooth.

Some companies require you to take action to avoid the charge while others require you to call them stating your preference. There is no standard method of making the choice.

Secondly, in the case of telecommunications, the rates are regulated by the CRTC and their perception is that this is a cost of doing business and should not be revenue.

Would Telus pay a bill to their supplier if they were required to go to their supplier’s website and print off an invoice?

I don’t think so!

I called the companies I deal with and they all agreed to remove the charge but continue to send me an invoice by mail. My savings will be about $60 per year or $600 over 10 years at the current charges.

When I spoke to Telus, they told me they have sent millions of dollars to companies that support a green initiative like they do.

I promptly corrected him and pointed out it wasn’t Telus but rather from the pockets of their customers.

The crowning touch is that over the last few days, I have received addressed junk mail from two of the companies I deal with. If they can afford to send these out to someone they already deal with, they can darn well send me an invoice by mail.

R. Dean Cowan

Red Deer