Do you find paper statements helpful or annoying?

Former_MSE_Wendy

Hi all

A debate took place in the House of Lords this evening about the Keep Me Posted campaign: the difficulties faced & penalties incurred through paper-billing.

Here's a description about the campaign:

The rise of digital services has led to greater access, control and freedom for consumers. Service providers have rushed to embrace digital communications, citing customer convenience and ease. However, concern is growing that many companies are encouraging or incentivising their customers to receive information in an on-line format, rather than offer the choice of post.

Here's the link to watch the debate (from 19.36):

http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=14281

Let us know below what you think about paper statements and how important you think they are.

Many thanks

MSE Wendy

Cardew

For me getting paper statements is not a matter of importance, but one of preference.

I have paperless utility bills, but I want, and get, paper bank current account and credit card statements. I find them easier to check and look up a queried receipt/payment.

I do get fed up with constantly being exhorted to go paperless to 'save the planet'. Usually the default option being to go paperless, so I have to request to paper statements to continue.

scheming_gypsy

I love paper billing.

Please send us two proofs of address dated within the last three months.... I'd love to! but unfortunately nobody wants to actually send me an actual bill so I can't.

brewerdave

I'm paperless for virtually everything now, bank statements,telecom bills,utiility bills, council tax etc -saves having filing cabinets full of old bills - but scheming_gypsy points out the one major drawback - many companies won't accepted downloaded/printed forms for proof of address EVEN THO' they themselves may be driving for the paperless society!!!

MillicentBystander

IIRC 35% of the UK population still don't have home internet access so I can't see paper billing disappearing anytime soon.

matelodave

I prefer paper for my bank & credit card statements -I'm quite happy for my utilities to be on line, but, as quoted above, there is a large proportion of the population that can't get paper-less billing as they don't have access to the internet.

It's also pretty obvious from a lot of the posts on this forum that those who do get bills whether paperless or not don't even look at then anyway

Northsea

For those of you who missed it, here is a summary of the debate yesterday in the House of Lords

Baroness Oppenheim Barnes argued about the importance of customers being given the choice of how they receive information from service providers whether that be paper or online. She requested that safeguards be put in place to give customers the of choice of online or paper as well asking the regulator to step in and approve a Code of Practice.

Lord Lipsey’s speech was critical of Ofcom. He quoted from a letter he had received from Colette Bowe of Ofcom which stated “We [Ofcom] believe providers are entitled to make commercial decisions on the methods through which they provide bills and whether they impose charges to do so.” His response to that remark was that he thought Ofcom was supposed to be about regulating the market, not about “prostrating” itself before the service providers it regulates. He referred to the amounts BT charge customers for paper bills –an extra £18m for BT shareholders. He called for legislation in the forthcoming Communications Bill to ban online–only billing.

Lord Judge was measured asking the question - should the elderly be penalised for not keeping up with technological change?

Baroness Maddock drew on her own personal experiences during her speech stating that she liked paper bills and feared that someone could steal her identity. She also referred to the problems of digital communication when a family member has dementia – her mother has dementia.

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town stated that a paper bill was not an added extra but an essential part of the contract of service. She quoted costs of some service providers should customers opt for paper bills. These included TalkTalk which charges £1.90 a month and T-Mobile which charges £18 a year. She made reference to Judith Donovan and the Keep Me Posted Campaign stating the campaign was not anti-digital but pro-choice. She called on the Government to take robust action needed
In responding for the Government despite Viscount Younger said “I fully accept that there remain those who continue to wish for, and, indeed, need, paper through the post in the form of receipts, bills and statements, but we do not believe that legislating further on charging for paper bills is necessary when options are available and protections are already in place for the most vulnerable.

Nada666

Another bunch of moronic consumer advocates and consumers campaigning to increase prices. What is wrong with people?

bugslet

I ahte all the things I have to log into and that goes for utilities as well, I don't do interent banking at all.

I got rid of the computer at home because I spend so much time on one at work, though I can ( rather obviously) use the one at work for personal stuff.

ic

I store everything digitally so I am happy to get bills via PDF. However I'm wary of the fact that from time to time I'll need to be able to prove my name and address, so only opt away from paper billing where there is a financial incentive to do so - otherwise I keep the paper billing too.

Bark01

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

I love paper billing.

Please send us two proofs of address dated within the last three months.... I'd love to! but unfortunately nobody wants to actually send me an actual bill so I can't.

Or, you know, you could just print them off at home/work....