This Is The Perfect Place
I wasn’t sure where would be the best place to write about why I still pay my bills by mail, and then I saw that I had this blog that is rarely used. Lucky break.
Today was bill paying day. Considering where and how I live, bill paying seems like a great opportunity. I have even heard some people complain because they had to pay car insurance, or registration. They don’t realize just how fortunate they are to even have a car that they have to pay for, let alone the means.
But I digress. This missive is about the convenience of paying my bills on-line, saving 42 cents, ( or what ever the rate is at the time you read this ), and no doubt putting loggers out of work because of my paperless account management.
It sure sounds like it would be simple. Just a click of the mouse, ( or in my case a touch on the pad ), and my AT&T bill would be paid by my bank, instantaneously, accurately, and securely. What could be easier?
For me? Writing a check, combining it with their bill, putting it into the supplied envelope, putting on a stamp and dropping it in the mailbox is far more easy than paying on-line.
I try to do the on-line account stuff with some of my bills. I attempt to navigate the labyrinth of account numbers, user names, passwords, and sites that advertise a world of services, except paying my bill, all to no avail. I feel that all these security measures must certainly foil imposter’s if I can’t access my own phone bill.
Heaven forbid if you aren’t quick enough with your names, numbers, nicknames, and exact spacing, because after finally getting a page full of information filled out, you have to start all over because your connection time expired.
I enjoy writing each check, recording the transaction in my checkbook, tearing off the part of the bill to mail with my check, placing it in the provided envelope, sticking on a stamp and walking down to the mailbox. There is something satisfying in that process that seems to be missing with the pay on-line method. Maybe they should have an entertaining animated cartoon saying thank you, once you have completed an on-line transaction. Maybe they do. How would I know? I can’t even get past the user name account number data entry fields!
Shasta Phil
