Billing to the penny

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Clearwater AL

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Get Real
I paid my ATT phone bill the end of last month. I few days ago I got another billing envelope. I thought it must be for next months billing early but I opened it anyway.
It was the usual three page billing statement but a "must pay" statement. The billing request was for... one cent. One penny. $.01... One Lincoln. No kidding.

So, I'm going to send it to them taped in the middle of the page with a piece of heavy duty shipping tape over it... so they don't turn our phones off. :) (I still pay bills by check, comes with my age I guess.)

The disturbing part is... I got to put a $.43 cent stamp on the envelope. :)
 
That is just way too funny.
 
$.43 cent stamp??? We pay $1 to post a single letter and guess what, we don't even have either a 1c or 2c coin to tape to anything. Our smallest coin is 5c :lol:

How did you manage to underpay them by 1c anyway??? ;)
 
Tillie, I'm still trying to figure it out...we upgraded our phones and it was supposed to be free. The monthly payment remained the same. I could just call or text them but I thought I'd have some fun with it costing me 44 cents.

I'm sure the billing was computer generated. I doubt a human being processed that bill. But...when they get that penny taped to the bill it might get some IT persons attention. :)

There was a movement here a few years ago to drop our penny but retailers went nuts because they like $1.99 - $9.99 and $199.99 better than $1.95 - $9.95 - $199.95.

Guess all those 4 cent losses would have plundered their profits.
 
The US military doesn't even use pennies in their facilities overseas. They just round up or down to the nearest nickel.
 
Al how do you like this one then - a shop can advertise the price for something is $19.99 and you take it to the counter with cash in your hand and they charge you $20 because of course they can't make the change!!! :lol:

BUT - if you pay electronically with a card, then they charge you $19.99 :D

It's all madness :)
 
In Canada we don't have pennies anymore so we round it off to the nearest nickel, so Al that would mean your bill would be $0. In Canada. You know that place north of Trumpville.
Al
 
Al's right, but pennies do exist, electronically. Same as in Australia. With cash, it either rounds up or down to the nickel, but e-pay is "to the cent". Lol. 10 years from now will any kid understand "adding their 2 cents worth"?

Angie
 
I believe this retailing philosophy of displaying an item for $19.99 is wore out. Maybe there are still some that fall for it but when I see an item for $19.99 my brain automatically, within a nanosecond, kicks in with... "Twenty bucks!" :)

Maybe proof that it is wore out is that Dollar Stores sell their goods for a dollar. They don't call it the Ninety Nine Cent Store. :)

I like the Dollar Store... I call it "Power Shoppin". I can buy 18 items... $18 bucks! :)

Well... except having to give the State their penalty fee (tax) for doing my part to boost our economy. :-(
 
- - - - same with gasoline in the U.S. - the price ALWAYS ends with a "9". However, I had rather save 15 to 20 cents on a fill up rather than donate it to the gas station ! ! - offhand, the only exception I can think of.
 
Oh this is funny. I am always learning here. Today thanks to Tillie I learned that postage is very expensive in Australia :)
 
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