Hi, XS11E.
I'm currently receiving $0.00 bills each month from two places.
- The first is legitimate, but silly and wasteful of postage and some minor efforts on the part of AT&T. Many years ago AT&T introduced their Universal Card, which bundled VISA and a telephone calling card, with which I can call anywhere in the USA for 30 minutes a month for free (and outside the USA at other rates). The "charter member" offer promised "No Annual Fee for Life". For about 5 years I used that VISA card regularly - but then AT&T switched it to MasterCard. I like to keep personal charges on MC and business use on VISA, so I got a new VISA card elsewhere and stopped using the AT&T VISA. About once a year they give me a credit to get me to use the card again, so I use it again just once. The calling card comes in handy a couple of times a year. Now, every month I get a bill for 1. The first is legitimate, but silly and wasteful of postage and some minor efforts on the part of AT&T. Many years ago AT&T introduced their Universal Card, which bundled VISA and a telephone calling card, with which I can call anywhere in the USA for 30 minutes a month for free (and outside the USA at other rates). The "charter member" offer promised "No Annual Fee for Life". For about 5 years I used that VISA card regularly - but then AT&T switched it to MasterCard. I like to keep personal charges on MC and business use on VISA, so I got a new VISA card elsewhere and stopped using the AT&T VISA. About once a year they give me a $10 credit to get me to use the card again, so I use it again just once. The calling card comes in handy a couple of times a year. Now, every month I get a bill for $0.00 on that VISA card..00 on that VISA card.
- Maybe I mentioned here recently that I signed up for automatic payment of my monthly business phone bill from my new USAA checking account. But then I cancelled that phone number. Now, every month I get a notice from USAA that CenturyLink has billed me 2. Maybe I mentioned here recently that I signed up for automatic payment of my monthly business phone bill from my new USAA checking account. But then I cancelled that phone number. Now, every month I get a notice from USAA that CenturyLink has billed me $0.00 for that phone number. USAA says they can't cancel the automatic charge because it is initiated by Century. I can't log onto Century and cancel because my account for that number has been cancelled and no longer has access to Customer Service. So I walked into Century's local office and explained it to the nice lady - and she's not sure she can cancel it either. Meanwhile, the monthly bills for $0.00 continue to arrive..00 for that phone number. USAA says they can't cancel the automatic charge because it is initiated by Century. I can't log onto Century and cancel because my account for that number has been cancelled and no longer has access to Customer Service. So I walked into Century's local office and explained it to the nice lady - and she's not sure she can cancel it either. Meanwhile, the monthly bills for 2. Maybe I mentioned here recently that I signed up for automatic payment of my monthly business phone bill from my new USAA checking account. But then I cancelled that phone number. Now, every month I get a notice from USAA that CenturyLink has billed me $0.00 for that phone number. USAA says they can't cancel the automatic charge because it is initiated by Century. I can't log onto Century and cancel because my account for that number has been cancelled and no longer has access to Customer Service. So I walked into Century's local office and explained it to the nice lady - and she's not sure she can cancel it either. Meanwhile, the monthly bills for $0.00 continue to arrive..00 continue to arrive.
Ain't computers fun!?
RC
-- R. C. White, CPA San Marcos, TX (Retired. No longer licensed to practice public accounting.) snipped-for-privacy@grandecom.net Microsoft Windows MVP (2002-2010) (Using Quicken 2012 Deluxe R 5 and Windows Live Mail in Win7 x64)
No question, just sort of a rant.
I used the free efile option this year for my taxes and promptly received a bill from Intuit for $0.00!
This isn't the first time I've received bills for $0.00, my cell phone carrier sent me bill for $0.00 for three months after I'd changed carriers.
This HAS to cost companies time and money! I recall many years back a branch manager of a nation wide firm said the cost was around $8.00 to mail a late notice to a customer, that price can only be higher now with postage increases, higher wages, more expensive paper, etc.. The cost of emailing notices is probably very similar.
I understand accounting systems very well but it seems to me there's a savings available to companies who figure ways to stop billing people who don't owe money.