Stan Beer
Sunday, 05 April 2009 18:42
Opinion and Analysis
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Australia's second largest carrier Optus tells us that going to online
billing is the only way to avoid being slugged with an extra charge.
Optus is no different from the other carriers in this regard (expect
the same from Telstra soon) - they're all unashamedly ripping us off
under the guise of environmental concern.
The fact is that we should be demanding of
carriers and all other service providers a discount for accepting
online billing because their costs will go down dramatically. They'll
save on the cost of printing, mailing and probably human resources -
people will probably be laid off.
Instead, Optus and the other carriers are holding a gun to our heads
and telling us that in future we'll have to pay more for receiving
paper bills. The question is why?
When we were being billed up to now wasn't the cost of producing and
delivering bill built in to the charges? Of course they were!
Instead of being told that we'll be rewarded for accepting online
bills, we're being warned that we'll be punished if we don't. What's
more, our intelligence is being insulted in the process.
Optus, Vodafone and other carriers are telling us that they are doing
in this in the name of being good Green ICT corporate citizens.
If that is indeed the case, is the extra money that is being generated
by charging paper bill receivers a premium going toward green causes?
Is the money that is being saved by sending us bills online going to
green causes? I think we all know the answers to those questions.
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