Greenwash billing ripoff: so what makes Optus any different?

Stan Beer
Sunday, 05 April 2009 17:42

Opinion and Analysis

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.

CONTINUED Page 2